MLP: Lord of the Skies

Chapters

1: Dawn of a New Age
2: Stirrings
3: Rodan
4: Devils in the Dark
5: Innocence Lost
6: Scootaloo
7: Plague and Pestilence (AKA Giant mantises suck okay?)
8: Sky VS Earth
Finale: The Power of Love

1: Dawn of a New Age

The reckless ambitions of Man are often dwarfed by their dangerous consequences. Steve Martin never knew just how solid those words would ring true in future years. Even across the dimensional barrier. Science was a funny thing really, even after nature found itself a way to remind of how small ponies could be. The MUTOs were one such example. And again and again, the might of nature would point out the folly of ponies until a way to live in balance was struck.

Sadly, today was not one of those days.

Saddle Arabia was the battleground. Titans all across the world had started emerging ever since Mothra and the MUTOs re-awakened, and Saddle Arabia played host to a few Titans of its own. A roar ripped through the battlefield, one of nature and one of rage.

SKRREEEEEEEEEOOONNNNGGGGKKKKK!!!!!!!!

Glass seemed to bulge and then shattered from the sheer force of the roar. A massive shape was slammed into a mountainside, a long tail whipping about as it lashed out at Godzilla. Designated Titanus Mokele-Membe, the creature had first been spotted in Zebrica before it had… migrated to Saddle Arabia. It had lain mostly undetected for a good solid month after Mothra’s reawakening but after miners had drilled into his mountain abode Mokele had woken up… angry. Resembling the sauropods of old, most of Monarch suspected this was a mostly docile Titan.

The citizens of Saddle Arabia begged to differ in all honesty.

Mokele stabbed Godzilla in the chest with two long tusks protruding from his head causing the King of the Monsters to roar out in pain. A chunk of flesh fell to the ground below even as Godzilla tried to get the panicking Titan under control, buildings crushed underneath as the two squabbled.

Mokele charged at Godzilla, freeing himself from his King’s grip, before his neck glowed and he unleashed a blast of scalding hot water at Godzilla, swiftly being turned into steam by what came next. The first indication was the sound. It came slowly and subtly at first, a low groan began to fill the air like someone running a hand up a guitar string. The lake they tussled in began to glow with an eerie blue light that cut through the darkness. The light began to travel upwards. Then it came out in a force, onlooker’s eyes widened in shock as a massive blast of radiation cut through the night sky. A massive blast of pure atomic fire, meeting the scalding water dead on, turning the water into steam.

As the steam covered the area, Mokele saw his chance.

He then swung his tail as he lashed out at Godzilla, the newly emerged Titan being… well, understandably confused at all the new sights and sounds he had awoken to in his long slumber. He was scared, Godzilla understood this. He did not aim for killing blows, at least at first. He would only subdue the Titan and only go for a kill as a last resort. There were so few Titans left in the world nowadays. Killing one would only lower that number.

As Mokele walked into the nearby town, his tail whipping back and forth bringing down buildings right and left. The Titan looked right and left, terrified and confused as spotlights were shone upon the sauropod. It let out a low rumbling roar as it turned to look inside a skyscraper, terrified ponies inside cowering under desks. Yellow eyes regarded them, looking at the small ones.

So these were the ones who woke him up, Mokele questioned. The one who stopped the flow of rivers did not seem to think much of them. They were far too easily squashed underfoot. And they cowered in the face of him. So why did Godzilla seem to be protecting them?

His day started off simply enough, inside a cave deep within the mountains and salt mines. Then, a bright flash of light and a strange sound as voices came from up above. Strange little creatures with strange machinery. Mokele had let out a roar, just to ward them off and then another roar to try and see if any of his kind were around. No response came, so Mokele had broken through the stone enclosure to see if any others of his kind were even in the area. He had done this a month before, to about the same results.

Intrigued by the strange lights he saw in the distance, Mokele had rapidly made his way to the center of town taking in all that was. This was not his home, at least not how he had remembered it. Far too many strange sights and sounds, and as he had rapidly figured out he was alone in this brave new world. The creatures, now armed with strange glowing sticks took fire at him, and Mokele did what was only natural for a creature in his situation. He responded in kind, roaring and trying to get away from the bright lights. So that was what had led to his current situation, just trying to get away from everything and hopefully -however slim the chance may have been- find another of his kind.

But things weren't always as they seemed. This had been no accident. No, this entire situation had been engineered. In the aftermath of Manehatten, it had rapidly dawned on the world stage that Titans possessed staggering regenerative properties. And so global powers vied to get their hooves on a piece of the metaphorical pie. The age of the bio war had begun.

Snap Shutter was no fool, at the age of 36 he had seen plenty of action regarding the Titans and he knew that sooner or later nations would want them for themselves. So when Mokele had awoken he knew trouble wasn’t far behind.

What he hadn’t counted on was being chased by agents of a foreign power, or some corporate entity. He didn’t particularly care at the moment about which it was. What he did care about -even as surge rifle shots just barely missed his head- was getting the piece of Godzilla’s cells out of here. He knew Mokele had to have been the original target, nobody suspected Godzilla would show up after all. But this situation had just become even more dangerous now that he had. Regular Titan cells were one thing, but cells from the King himself? That was an even scarier prospect.

Soulshine was a dangerous stallion, in his tenacity. He knew the things Titan cells could do for his company, Golden Pharmaceuticals. He could create life-saving medicine. And what did it matter if these things were only in the testing phase? Science could not be advanced without a few broken eggs. Even if those broken eggs happened to be cities crushed in the devastation of a scared and confused Titan on the rampage. All was worth it to advance the cause of science, and perhaps make a tidy sum in the process.

A crack of the whip halted him in his tracks, and he saw her. Daring Do, pointing a pistol directly at him.

“And you’re leaving the party so early?” she asked, still in her little red dress from the meet and greet of all the company officials. “Awwww… and we didn’t even get a chance to dance yet. Shame really, you are such a handsome young buck.”

“I’ll spare you a kiss, maybe send some bottled wine up to your room,” Soulshine smiled. “Compliments of the company. On the house, even!” he said before throwing a punch. Daring caught it and twisted Soulshine’s hoof making him scream in pain.

“Awwwww… But I hate it when goodbyes are so impersonal…” Daring sighed. “Really, and I was beginning to like you…”

“Sorry, but I’ll have to cut this dance short!” Soulshine shouted.

A brief scuffle ensued as the two traded blows in the city streets before Daring was forced to fly out of the way as a piece of building came crumbling down during Mokele’s little stroll. Soulshine made his escape, jumping into the sewers.

Water splashed under hoof as the white stallion ran through the maze of tunnels underneath the city. He then saw Snap, carrying the piece of flesh on his back. Snap’s eyes widened and he broke off into a sprint, the massive earth pony running like hell as he saw the unicorn in hot pursuit. Blasts of yellow magic were fired his way, and soon Snap felt the piece of flesh being levitated off his back and into Soulshine’s grasp, the unicorn smiling as he clutched the scales tightly.

Snap whirled around and ducked behind a corner, pulling out a pistol. A few quick shots were fired off, beads of sweat trailing down Snap’s face as Soulshine threw up a shield. The unicorn then sent him flying backward with a huge blast of energy, brick and stone being torn and thrown loose.

“I’ll send you my regards,” Soulshine remarked. “Perhaps a get well card from the hospital. Who knows eh, maybe these cells will heal those broken bones of yours right?”

Snap fired off a curse and Soulshine only laughed before teleporting off. Soon, Soulshine was outside the city in the back of a carriage, only for his eyes to widen when he saw a familiar golden form rocketing his way. Daring’s eyes narrowed, tucking in her wings and flying directly over the carriage before pulling the pin on a grenade. She tossed it, and the carriage served into a ditch to avoid the explosion.

“Now, what were you saying before about having to cut a dance or two short?” Daring asked tackling Soulshine into the sand dunes. “Really, I’ve never met a ruder stallion in my entire life! ...Well, except for maybe Caballeron but…” she muttered to herself.

She was then soundly socked across the face before she staggered. Soulshine, taking advantage of this, twisted her wrist and sent her toppling into the ground. Soulshine ran at her, but Daring used her hooves to catch him in the chest and sent him flying overhead and behind her. Quickly recovering, Daring looked at the wrecked carriage and then at the henchmen surrounding her.

Breathing hard, and breathing fast she went for another grenade. “Sorry to say this boys, but I doubt you’ll see a paycheck any time soon!”

And then she tossed it.

Meanwhile, Godzilla and Mokele continued their tussle, the two’s battle moving out to sea and away from the city. Mokele bit and snapped at Godzilla, before using his scalding water to push the age-old king back. He then went into a dive, going deep beneath the sea and out of sight. Godzilla gave the kaiju equivalent of a sigh. It was just as well he supposed, the kaiju was out of the city at any rate. Sinking into the water he then made his way out of Saddle Arabia and back into the seas from whence he came, never knowing of what exactly had transpired with the ponies below. If he had known, he probably would have been very scared indeed.

Playing god was a scary thing, and yet the pony species had managed to find a way to do just that time and time again. It was a new age, full of new and exciting sciences and not all of them were safe as proven a few months before with the Oxygen Destroyer and the loss of Prof. Serizawa. His secret he had taken to the grave with him, and if any of Monarch knew how to recreate that weapon, thankfully they had decided to stay silent. However, as it would soon be discovered, it wasn’t the only way to create a monster.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves really. Back to the current situation. The carriage had been destroyed, and Daring was confident the Godzilla cells within were history. However, if that was the case why was Soulshine smirking?

Then she realized, as Soulshine’s image flickered away. A magical hologram, she realized. The real Soulshine was probably miles away by now, and as for the cells? Probably right there with him. She’d been played like a fiddle, and Daring knew it.

Later that night, Daring and Snap Shutter reconvened in a hospital. “So… we got played. Crikey…” Snap muttered. “...Yeah, this is not going to end well for us is it?”

Outside, several Monarch scientists wrapped up pieces of Godzilla’s scales in fabric before placing them in boxes. “You tell me. Genetic engineering is now at the forefront of technology. How long before we see ponykind making its own monsters?”

“That implies we haven’t already seen that…” Snap muttered darkly thinking of the Oxygen Destroyer.

“I know where you’re going with this,” Daring sighed. “And you’re right, we kickstarted an arms race all in our rush to create a way to stop one Titan. Dr. Serizawa must be so ashamed of us right now…”

“So what do you think we’ll see next?” Snap asked. “I shudder to imagine. We should just destroy those cells, do nothing with them.”

“Go home, Snap,” Daring said. “Spend some time with your wife and your daughter. That’s an order. Not a request.”

Daring sighed to herself before walking out of the room. She knew he was right. Nightmares were just around the corner, and as it was, Monarch already had enough trouble containing the already active Titans. Titanus Mokele-Membe was already proof enough of this as it was. And now she could see it, pony-created monsters emerging to disrupt the natural order of things.

“Goddess above, I’m so glad Stellar isn’t alive to see this,” Daring thought to herself. “She wanted to see ponykind living peacefully with Titans, not… well, whatever this is. Godzilla may be on our side right now, but for how long? How long until we ourselves do something so monumentally stupid it ends up backfiring on us and then we have to face the King of the Monsters?”

Daring shuddered to think on that possibility.

Titanosaurus, Godzilla, Mothra. Battra, Sekhmet, Manda. Mokele-Membe, King Cobra and Megaguirus. These were some of the many kaiju now awake and active in the world since the Great Awakening six months prior, as the newspapers had coined it. For the first few months, it could be described as complete and utter pandemonium as ponies struggled to comprehend giants from days long since past now walked amongst them once more.

Rainbow Dash honestly pitied Princess Twilight, the poor mare now having to be at the forefront of calming the populace down and reassuring that kaiju weren’t hiding under every nook and cranny and that they weren’t out to get them. She couldn’t say she blamed anyone, really. Rainbow herself had been rather nervous when she saw the aftermath of the battles of Manehatten and Honolulu. Okay, she admitted, some of the kaiju -Titanosaurus for the win!- were rather cool, but then you heard about the ones like King Cobra. The troublemakers. The ones who wouldn’t even bat an eyelash at trampling you underfoot.

Ponies, after all, were like ants to them. Even as she soared through the skies high up above Ponyville, she had to suppress a fearful swallow. She could only imagine what the world was like ages and ages ago when giant creatures walked the face of the planet. And now it seemed they were returning to reclaim what was once theirs. What was always theirs.

For the longest time, Rainbow had enjoyed the freedom of the skies. It was the one place she felt nobody could touch her. And now even that had been revealed to be a falsehood with creatures like Battra being unveiled to the world.

“Get it together Dash,” Rainbow thought to herself as she darted around clouds in an attempt to clear her head. “They’re just animals like the rest of the world’s creatures. Okay, unnaturally big, hideously frightening in size animals, but still… animals. They keep to their side of the planet, and we keep to ours… in theory anyway. We respect their space, they respect ours.”

Swooping down like some bird of prey, she snagged a fish out of the water of a lake and tossed it up in the air before catching it in her mouth. Okay, so yeah she was splurging a bit but a pegasus was entitled to treat herself from time to time, right? Or maybe she was just stress eating as Rares called it. Okay, so yeah, she was nervous about her place in the world now. She was mare enough to admit it. Everyone was nervous about this brave new world they’d suddenly been forced to venture out onto.

Still, she had to suppress a smile as she saw Scootaloo playing with a toy resembling Mothra. Or was it Battra? She didn’t honestly remember which of the two moths was who. The toy looked cool at any rate, Rainbow noted filing away its appearance for later. She’d never admit it, but Mothra did look awesome. She might place a figure of her -or him?- alongside her shelf next to Titanosaurus. She’d never admit to any of this, by the way. So it seemed some of the ponies were taking this well enough at any rate. Rainbow supposed she shouldn’t have been so surprised, given what the squirt’s parents did. They were wildlife experts extraordinaire. Seems that domain extended to giant wildlife. Megafauna, they called it.

Okay, so yeah, Rainbow was aware Scootaloo’s parents being in Monarch. So what, Twilight told her. Well, it lessened her desire to punch Snap in the face, at any rate, least now they had a better excuse for not being there for the kid and practically dumping her on the parents of Ponyville. Keeping the world safe from kaiju was an important job.

She sorta envied them actually. I mean, they got to be up close and personal with giant monsters. I mean, how awesome was that? Okay, a bit scary yes, but still pretty awesome in some regards.

In any case, Rainbow flew down over to Scootaloo.

“Hey squirt,” she smiled. “So, another Mothra-Holic or whatever they’re calling that new religion?”

After Mothra proved herself to be the Queen of the Monsters during the battle of Manehatten, word of the Shobijin’s personal religion devoted to her had spread. Perhaps a bit unsurprisingly, there had been a few converters. Rainbow supposed she couldn’t entirely say she blamed them, given Mothra did seem to be a goddess of sorts. But she wasn’t about to go ahead and drop everything and worship a giant insect cool as she may have been. Titanosaurus was cooler anyways.

“It’s Mothism, and no I’m not converting,” Scootaloo said. “I’m actually Agnostic, or spiritual but not affiliated or whatever,” she said with a wave of her hoof.

“...Oh, so that’s what they call it…” Rainbow muttered to herself before shrugging. “Huh, who knew right? Still, I… I’m surprised at you squirt. I mean, you seem to be taking giants walking amongst us fairly well, all things considered.”

“Yes, well they’re like us aren’t they? They have… uh, dreams like us. Just… they’re only… uh, bigger,” Scootaloo replied. “Isn’t that right?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, when you put it that way, I suppose it makes a lot of sense really…” Rainbow murmured. “...Ugh, now I just remembered. Twilight got called away for a conference on Titans along with Pharynx up in Canterlot. Basically meaning I’m in charge of the town -more or less- in her… uh, absence.”

“Right,” Scootaloo said. “A conference, that’s what they call it. We sure Fizzlepop’s been told about this? I mean… well, I think we all know what Fizzlepop thinks about Twilight right?”

“Really squirt?” Rainbow asked. “Pharynx and Twilight? That seems… well…”

She paused to give it some thought. “...That… seems… uh, okay maybe not so unlikely given their shared interests… Still, a bug? Twilight could do sooooooo much better. I mean, where would she even… Wait, stop. Don’t answer that one brain! Like, do not! Abort, abort!” she said as Scootaloo found herself overcome with a fit of the giggles.

“Oh sure, yuk it up squirt,” Rainbow muttered. “You’re not the one in need of brain bleach now really…”

That only just increased Scootaloo’s laughter before it quieted down. “Hey… Uh, you think my dad’s going to be alright?” Scootaloo asked. “I mean, he got banged up pretty bad in Saddle Arabia…”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine kid,” Rainbow said giving her a small hug using her wings. “I mean, he goes around the world chasing kaiju for a living. That’s probably certifiable, but he’s a tough guy all the same. It’ll take more than some idiot blasting him with magic to knock him down.”

“Yeah, I suppose so…” Scootaloo admitted. “Still, I’m worried now. From what he told me, or what I overheard anyways that Soulshine guy got away with some Godzilla cells and…”

“Hey now,” Rainbow said looking at her sternly. “Don’t invite trouble, at least that’s what my mom says. Nothing’s going to happen. I’m sure the Royal Guard is on the lookout for him. And Monarch, and Twilight. I doubt there’s anywhere he could hide.”

What Rainbow did not tell Scootaloo was that she knew Soulshine, if he was smart, was probably hiding away in some far off country with some sort of no extradition policy. It was what she would do if she had gotten ahold of some of the big guy’s cells at any rate.

It scared her to think what would happen now that those types of things were out in the wild, so to speak. But she wouldn’t let it show, not in front of the kid anyways.

“Oh, oh, look!” Scootaloo said as she gestured to a nearby viewing crystal in a shop window. “It’s on! She’s on!”

Sure enough, Pharynx stood up on a stage, a projector screen behind him. Rainbow swore she saw Ocellus in the audience below. She chuckled. So that’s where the girl was? Explained why she said she wouldn’t be in class for today. Rainbow supposed she could let it slide, given it seemed Pharynx was cool with this and at any rate, Ocellus was learning something.

“Yep, future Monarch member, right there.” Rainbow thought to herself.

“Okay, okay, quiet down now,” Pharynx ordered as he took the stand. “We now live in a world of monsters. Kaiju, Titans, Gods. Pick what you may. We are, as you all know, are at the dawn of a new age, the Age of Monsters. But we are also in an age of understanding. Fearsome as they may be, Monarch believes from the ashes of devastation we can learn about these creatures. I give the stage now to Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Scattered applause filled the room as the Princess of Friendship took the stage. “Yes, yes, thank you Pharynx. As you said, we are now at an age where we must learn to understand these creatures, it is the only possible way to live in complete harmony with them. Megazoology is a new science, I admit. But it is a science we have an obligation as a populace to continue. If we cannot coexist with the kaiju, what then?” Twilight asked. “What then?”

“Princess Twilight,” a voice rang up. “Why are we not exterminating these creatures? These creatures were here before us. And if we're not careful, they're gonna be here after are they not?”

“Yes, yes,” Twilight said over mumblings. “I do understand the danger. But you saw what we’re up against. It would be nearly impossible to even scratch a kaiju. So we must learn all we can about them and how to exist alongside them. They were here before us, and like you said they could be here after us. I don’t want that statement to become truth, but we will not go about it in the way you suggest.”

Ocellus spoke up. “What we should be worried about is genetic power. That key has been unlocked, and once we opened that box… I don’t think there’s any going back,” she said and all eyes turned to the little changeling. She flushed, before speaking again. “I’m talking about homemade, cataclysmic change. And to be honest, -and yes, I know how this sounds- but it’s like death. I’m not sure what we’ll know what we’re looking at till it’s standing at us at the front of the gates.”

A hushed silence fell over the crowd. “I’m… I’m sorry, did I speak too much?” Ocellus asked nervously.

“No, I think you said it all,” Pharynx whispered if only to himself. “I think that you said it all…”

Far and away a shape carved through the water. Ancient beyond measure, this was Titanosaurus. The aquatic dinosaur would had to have been kidding himself if he was to say only nine to ten Titans in the world still existed. He knew better. Some were still hidden away in long-forgotten places, just waiting to be found by the new rulers of the planet.

He hated to admit it, but he knew his time was over. The ponies, they ruled this planet now. They’d rightfully earned it, after taking away Grogar from the throne. The Father of All Monsters was gone now, and in the ashes, they built a society for themselves. The other kaiju, Titanosaurus knew, probably wouldn’t admit it just yet but they probably suspected that deep down they knew they would have to find a way to coexist with those who walked this world now.

If Titanosaurus was capable of sighing, he would have. Battra was a particular annoyance. He was one of the Guardians of the Planet, yes, but that didn’t mean the small ones fell under that jurisdiction. The rocks, the trees, and other things. That was what he protected. Not what lived on the planet alongside them.

Maybe Battra, in his old age, would wisen up. Or maybe a few battles with the King -presuming Battra was stupid enough to pick a fight with him- would knock some sense into him. He honestly pitied Mothra at times, Titanosaurus mused to himself. Having to be related to the Battle Moth and all.

So, Titanosaurus had to ask himself. Who would awaken next?

Something told him he probably wouldn’t like the answer.

Something rocketed overhead, and Titanosaurus raised his head out of the waters and frowned before diving back in and giving chase. No, he repeated to himself. He definitely wouldn’t like the answer at all.

The Kamacuras hoard was on the hunt.

Unaware of the new Titan awakening, Rainbow and Scootaloo went on about their day. “So… Uh… Rainbow, you… Argh, this is hard to ask.”

“Oh, come on, out with it. I’m sure it won’t be too embarrassing…” Rainbow smiled.

“It’s… just… well, there’s somepony I like and-” Scootaloo stuttered out.

“Ah, I see where this is going. Relax, not going to think you’re uncool or anything just because you’ve suddenly been bitten by the lovebug. Okay, well unless of course you suddenly were about to say you have a crush on me. I mean, I know I’m awesome and all but uh, I’m pretty sure I’m way too old for you kid.”

“What? No! EW!” Scootaloo said. “Gross… Like, no. Just no. See, now you had to go ahead and ruin it, didn’t you?”

“So it’s not me you have a crush on?” Rainbow cackled. “Awww, I’m sorta disappointed really…”

Scootaloo facehoofed and let out a little groan. “...You’re no help.”

“Alright, I promise. No, I Pinkie Promise I’ll shut up about that,” Rainbow said before going through the sacred motions. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. See?”

Scootaloo nodded, before a voice cut through the air. “And remember, if you break that promise you’ll lose a friend FORRRRRREEEEEVVVEERRRRRR!!!” Pinkie said as she popped out of a bush.

“...How did she even…?” Scootaloo asked. “We’re miles up off the ground!”

Then they saw Pinkie flying up above them on some sort of strange candy cane copter powered by pedals. “Don’t question it, it’s Pinkie Pie…” both pegasi reminded themselves in unison.

“Annnnyyyways, it’s about Sweetie,” Scootaloo continued and Rainbow nodded in understanding. “It’s like she’s still Sweetie but cooler, you know? I don’t know when it happened but…”

“But, yeah, I getcha. I completely getcha,” Rainbow said. “Look, okay I admit I’ve never been in a relationship before in my life but way I see it? Just continue on with things with Sweetie as normal. I mean, if she feels the same way, you’ll find out in time right?”

Scootaloo laughed a little. “Continue on as normal. Yeah, easier said than done. You’re not the one who just had their whole friendship completely changed…”

“Look, kid,” Rainbow said. “You’re young right?”

“I’m sixteen,” Scootaloo said in a flat tone. “And by Celestia, I just want to take Sweetie and… ARGH! Goddamn hormones.” she grumbled.

“More information than I needed, really, but… Yeah, been there done that kid,” Rainbow muttered. “Look, just start with small things really. I’m not saying just go on dates at restaurants or anything, but just spend some time with her, like extra time. Until you work up the nerve to confess, I mean.”

“Thanks, Rainbow,” Scootaloo smiled. “Like really, thanks.”

“It’s what I’m here for kid, it’s what I’m here for…” Rainbow smiled giving Scootaloo another hug before taking to the skies. “Hey, we’re still on for flying practice Saturday, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. We are!” Scootaloo called back. “Of course we are. Nothing’s going to change that right?”

Rainbow smiled, before nodding and flying off. She had to laugh. Even in this new age of Monsters and Gods and such, it was still the small things. The kid was growing up, first crush and all that came with it. She’d never been more proud of her sister. “Go on kid,” Rainbow thought to herself. “Go on and make your big sister proud. Who knows, one day you may just be better than me…”

Author's Note

Okay, so... uh, yeah... this is officially happening now. Rodan, Kamacuras, Biollante, and Titanosaurus all in one fic. I admit I am concerned about balancing all four of them along with the pony side of things.

Okay, so yeah, maybe genetic engineerings isn't as big of a scare compared to the eighties now that we know more about it, but it's still a very timely thing. Plus, if I didn't have it in a piece with Biollante it would just feel... wrong. Like, seriously, it would. Not playing true to her origins would just ruin the character.

Anyways, as ever, your comments and feedback are so welcomed here. Please, seriously, do leave a bit of feedback as I do need to know what I am doing wrong here and what I am doing right.

2: Stirrings

Author's Note

Whoo boy, now this was a fun chapter to write. Still, thank you Vertigo for your ideas for the ending bit of this piece, and another thank you to the Bridge for inspiring a certain moment in this chapter.

2: Stirrings

Currently, the now relocated Monarch Headquarters in Canterlot was abuzz with a wave of activity. Seismographs as far away as Azteca and Galiceno had picked up stirrings beneath the earth and at first it had thought to be just an earthquake and not much to worry about. Well, for Monarch anyways. But then on a second look something very… odd had been discovered.

“Don’t you see, right here?” Star Hunter said, the midnight blue pegasus babbling in excitement as he pointed and gestured to the seismograph printouts. “Like, there it is!”

“Yes, yes… we see and we are of the opinion that something is quite amiss!” the Shobijin exclaimed in unison. “Quite amiss indeed!”

Now, the Shobijin being a part of Monarch was quite the story indeed. After Mothra’s return to the world stage, if you will, it had been decided that Monarch needed a way to communicate with kaiju in hopes of warding them away from major cities and population centers. This was, of course, in hopes of preventing another Honolulu or Manehatten. This was not without some pushing and shoving in the bureaucracy of course as all major government moves came with such things, and no small amount of skepticism. Quite a few, in fact, didn’t believe in what the Shobijin were selling and thought them nuts or in the case of the cynics just flat out lying about Mothra’s intentions towards ponykind.

After all, there were those who said she was just hunting, and didn’t have any real interest in defending ponykind. And as of right now goodwill towards Monarch was quite few and far between given that they had deliberately kept hidden the existence of prehistoric monsters, Grogar’s children. Add to that the fact that Monarch had spectacularly failed to stop even one of these creatures when it mattered the most and there were rumors that they were on the verge of being shut down. Princess Twilight refused to comment on matters.

“...Part of a wave of memorials and protests demanding that the secretive monster-hunting coalition known as Monarch be held accountable. Top brass in the mysterious Monarch organization will face another intense grilling as the government continues to…”

Sighing, Star Hunter changed the channel as he went back to checking the printouts. Grumbling in disgust, he listened to the next broadcast.

“...And rumors persist that Monarch may be hiding even more creatures have been discovered since the attacks of six months ago. A historic tragedy that changed the world as we know it forever. The day the world as we know it, discovered that the legendary kaiju of old were in fact real.”

“...Well, they’re not wrong about the rumors bit,” Star Hunter muttered largely to himself. “But we do it only for the best of reasons, after all, if the public truly knew how many kaiju were out there just laying in wait then they’d panic even more than they already are. Goddess above, I envy Daring and Snap at times. When they’re not traveling around the world chasing after new and rogue Titans, they have to be stuck at Monster Island and sending back photos of the Titans in a natural habitat. Allowing the public to see the Titans as animals and not just giant monsters was probably the best idea Pharynx came up with, aside from bringing the Shobijin on board.”

“Are you, or are you not a Monarchy with Princess Twilight as the sole head of state?” the Shobijin questioned, the tiny changelings tilting their heads in unison. It was sorta creepy actually, to Star Hunter’s eyes. “So why can you not just have her shut down this infuriating thing called ‘nobility’?”

“...Well, would you want to appear as a tyrant?” Star Hunter asked looking down at the two small beauties. “Because if that’s what Twilight does as you propose she does, that’s what exactly she will appear as.”

“Bah!” came a snort from the corner of the room, Fizzlepop taking a swig of her whiskey. “Nobles have never been good for anything in my experience. Okay, yes, there’s a few good ones like Fancy Pants and Twilight’s family but apart from that…? Personally, I think Twilight should just strip them of their titles, really…”

“Yes yes, we’re quite aware of what you think Fizzlepop,” Star Hunter muttered accompanying this statement with a small rolling of his eyes “Like it or not, they do take some of the stress away from Princess Twilight, and handle minor things like…the, uh…”

“The uh, what?” Fizzlepop asked setting her whiskey aside and crossing her forelegs.

“...Well, I’m not sure, but I bet I can think of something eventually!” Star Hunter stammered out.

“Oh yes, because that sounds like such a convincing argument…” Fizzlepop deadpanned.

“Well, if what Star Hunter says is true, and they handle minor things that Twilight herself cannot oversee at the time then it is a good reason to keep them on.” the Shobijin stated looking at Fizzlepop who could only suppress a shudder. For such tiny things, they had a way of borrowing their way into your soul with those unblinking eyes of theirs. It was like looking at smaller versions of Pharynx really.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it,” Fizzlepop muttered to herself. “Annnnyyyyyways, so what have you found?”

“In terms of kaiju?” Star Hunter asked. “Well, Monarch’s been compiling data and so far we’ve discovered 14 Titans… and rising.”

“I don’t mean that, you moron!” Fizzlepop barked making the Shobijin jump in a start. “I meant these… stirrings if you will.”

“Oh yes, that!” Star Hunter said. “At first we thought it to be normal earthquakes, like the rising and falling of the planet’s crust. But they’re nowhere near erratic enough for that. It’s almost as if…”

“Almost as if what?” Fizzlepop asked.

“It’s almost as if something in Azteca is deciding it’s suddenly time to…” Star Hunter said before taking a nervous swallow. He then braced himself for what he had to say next before speaking. “...Wake up.”

Fizzlepop looked at the screen of a long-dormant volcano, and then at another readout taken just a few days before. Bioacoustics. Her eyes widened.

“You got a snappy nickname for this one?” she had to ask. “Out of your kingdom of horrors, which one are we about to be dealing with?”

The Shobijin shared a look before answering. They knew both Monarch members would not like what she had to say. “Your local legends call them Rodan. The Fire Demons.”

“...Well, isn’t that just comforting…” Fizzlepop asked as Star Hunter fainted dead away behind her.

Soulshine considered himself a lucky stallion, for Saddle Arabia as it turned out, held a no-extradition policy. Yes, they were steadfast allies with Equestria but that didn’t always mean they bowed down on bended knee to their sister nation even if Princess Twilight asked nicely. She could scream all she wanted to, but Saddle Arabia’s government was just as stubborn as his own.

Soulshine had seen the ugly side of ponykind, having been present for Hardsteel’s trial and having experienced the wars on the Changeling Kingdoms. As much as he liked to think otherwise, it just got uglier with each passing year. It just got worse. He looked toward a picture on his desk, a younger him with a smiling daughter.

Soulshine suppressed a snarl, and then a sniffle. He swore what happened to her he would never wish upon anyone else. About a year ago, his daughter -the light of his life- had gone missing and about three and a half days later they’d discovered her dead body in a ditch, violated for all to see.

“G-Cells, now just what can't you do with them? Pharmaceuticals, bioweapons, food,” he thought to himself. “It’s just a shame you can’t bring someone back from the dead with them… In any case, we opened Pandora's Box. And there's no closing it now.”

So that meant it was time to make the best of what he had been given. Soulshine wanted what was best for the world, truly. The G-Cells he’d gotten ahold of could easily push his company’s medicines beyond the limit of whatever anyone thought possible. He was well aware of the consequences of his actions. If he proved to the world that G-Cells could do just about anything, then every country on the planet would be scrambling to get ahold of them now. And some of their intentions could turn out to be not quite so benevolent of his own. For all he knew, countries -as that young changeling Ocellus more or less predicted- could now create their own kaiju for defense. Or even worse, attack.

As he said, the nature of the world just kept on getting uglier.

For a moment, he gripped his pendent with his hoof and sighed. “What would you want me to do, Angelic?” he thought, thinking of his ill-fated daughter. Fighting back more tears, the stallion continued to think. “Is this what you really want me to do?”

He knew in his heart that in a way, this was all for her. Try to improve the world, even if only slightly for her sake. Angelic was always smiling, even when times got dark. She wanted to take on the world, and for the sake of her memory, Soulshine swore to do just that.

He walked down to his labs, where his chief scientist Bubbling Beakers was speaking with a very tall stallion, with dark brown fur. Soulshine swallowed. That was one of Saddle Arabia’s higher-ups, Haakim they called him.

“Ah, Soulshine,” Haakim said to the yellow pinto patched unicorn, bowing with Soulshine doing so in return. “Your friend here was telling me all about the possible applications of these… G-Cells?”

Bubbling nodded nervously, perhaps somewhat intimidated by the larger stallion. Haakim stepped closer to Soulshine. “You do know you are playing a very dangerous game, do you not?” he asked. “You’re quite lucky that I haven’t decided to throw you out after that little stunt you pulled with a certain Titan.”

Soulshine swallowed nervously. “Yes… yes, I admit that was a risky maneuver but it paid off in dividends didn’t it? You wanted Titan cells, well I got you some from the King of the Monsters himself!”

“After he and Mokele, the original target trashed the capital!” Haakim shouted. “I’m starting to wonder if all of this money we’re going to be spending repairing it will be worth it. I want to begin seeing returns on this investment!”

“And trust me, my friend,” Soulshine replied calmly even if he was nervously sweating on the inside. It would be all too easy for Haakim to kick him out of the country, and there would be the Princess waiting to scoop him up. “You soon will, as soon as my company begins refining the cells and uses them to produce medicine you will get 50% of the profits. At least!”

“50% huh?” Haakim asked. “50% sounds good…”

“Yes, yes it does,” Soulshine said. “You told me once you were envious of your prince brother for having a gold bathtub right?”

“Yes, I did mention that,” Haakim grumbled. “The little bastard keeps on holding it over me to no end!”

“Well, think of it!” Soulshine said wrapping his arm around his friend. “Can you not just envision it? You could have diamonds encrusted in your bathtub! Diamonds!”

“Yes… yes…” Haakim said with a smile. “I like that idea. But you must understand of course, that if I do not see any returns at all -any returns!- on this little venture of ours I will be reconsidering handing you over to Princess Twilight. Are we clear on this?”

“Clear,” Soulshine said. “Quite clear!”

With that, Haakim took his leave. Soulshine dug into his pockets and pulled out a handkerchief, using it to wipe the nervous sweat away from his brow. That… had not been a fun meeting, to say the least. He was treading dangerous waters, and Haakim was rapidly running out of patience.

“...Maybe it’s time for a rethink,” he muttered. “...Maybe I should have backed out of this plan when I still had the chance…”

“You say that like you had one to begin with,” Bubbling remarked. “You knew perfectly well this wouldn’t be an easy or a safe plan.”

“Yes yes, I know…” Soulshine grumbled. “But Haakim is getting impatient, cracking the code to Godzilla’s cells is easier said than done. We’re going to have to tide him over until then I think…”

“Well, lucky for you,” Bubbling said. “My bird in Monarch decided to suddenly start squawking. Looks like two new Titans are waking up, south of the border. Azteca, Mount Halcón seems to be paying itself host to two residents.”

“Well, isn’t that just interesting…” Soulshine mused. “How soon can you get ahold of some of their DNA?”

“Well, sooner if you… no, this is a crazy idea.”

“My neck is the line, so I’m rather open to crazy by this point,” Soulshine said. “So please do enlighten me as to this idea of yours.”

“How about you let me… wake them up ahead of schedule?” Bubbling asked. Soulshine frowned. He definitely didn’t like the idea. One Titan was bad enough to handle, and they got lucky when they did when Godzilla showed up to bring Mokele back into line. But two, and with no guarantee that they could be handled? No, it was too grave a risk. There was no telling just how many lives would be lost in the process.

“No,” Soulshine said firmly putting his hoof down. “No. We are not waking them up, not in the slightest. I set out to save Equestria when I founded this company, not destroy it! This… this is the exact opposite of that!”

“Well, can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, as I always say…” Bubbling muttered with a small shrug. “But then again, what do I know. I’m only your top scientist after all…”

Soulshine whirled around his horn alight with magical energy. “One whom I can easily replace.”

“Well, I’m sorry if the cause of science cannot be furthered without a few cos-”

“Costs?” Soulshine growled. “I’m sorry, would you care to repeat that? Lives are never acceptable costs!” he bellowed out.

“Says the stallion who set Mokele-Membe onto Saddle Arabia’s capital city,” Bubbling Beakers pointed out. “Or am I mistaken and something else happened?”

“I did not intend for Mokele to go on a rampage, you know this as well as I do,” Soulshine said. “It was not a desirable outcome. The plan, as you very well know was to laser off some of his flesh.”

“Yes, well… Plans change don’t they? And look what we got instead, the cells from the King of the Monsters himself! Now, I’m sorry that it has to be this way but what would your daughter think?”

But he had finally gone too far. Soulshine stared down Bubbling with undisguised hatred. “Get out. You heard me, I said GET OUT!”

Wisely, Bubbling did so as a blast of magic nearly cleaved his head clean off. Egotism and stupidity, they often went hand in hand with science and if not reigned in and kept in check the consequences of the two meeting could and would often be disastrous. And as Soulshine was finding out, Bubbling Beaker possessed both traits in abundance at times.

He sighed and walked out of the lab soon catching up with Haakim in a large room overlooking the city, the night skies shining down and the stars twinkling in the sky. Luna it seemed, had left Equestria one last gift before her retirement.

“...Am I doing this right?” Soulshine asked. “I want to better the world, but at the cost of the lives I’m being asked? Is that really the way?”

“Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It's posing questions and coming up with a method. It's delving in,” Haakim said. “Isn’t that what you told me once? That we all must delve into depths we never thought we would for improvement?”

“I hardly think this is what we call improvement,” Soulshine remarked to his friend. “Bubbling wants to release two Titans, and he’s not even considering the lives of those who may be ruined by their awakening. This is not what I set out to do!”

“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science,” Haakim noted. “Sadly, I think your friend is one of the ignorant ones.”

“Yes, I admit that,” Soulshine sighed. “For all of his intelligence, Bubbling does have a tendency to treat those beneath him as simply pieces to a larger puzzle and not as…”

“Living beings?” Haakim asked. “Yes, that is a sad thing. We are in an age now, where the consequences aren’t often considered, even by myself I am stallion enough to admit.”

A far cry indeed from the Haakim Soulshine had met just a few minutes before. A far cry indeed!

“So what do we do?” Soulshine asked. “Something tells me Bubbling will, for the cause of science, find some way to make sure that those two Titans are released. I can do nothing, sadly, without relieving myself of your custody.”

“And if you do not, lives may be on the line,” Haakim noted. “I would -if I was in your position- what I thought was right. What do you think is right?” he inquired.

“Yes… yes, you’re quite right,” Soulshine agreed. “It’s time to tell Monarch about what’s going on…”

He took a deep breath before letting out another sigh. This was not how he envisioned his day going when he got up this morning, that was for sure. “Between the idea
and the reality. Between the motion, and the act falls the Shadow…”

Titanosaurus swam, having picked up the hoard somewhere south of the place the small ones called Baltimare. Swimming into Horseshoe bay, the crimson creature frowned as he saw a small boat out in the waters, some type of pleasure craft. This was not what he’d have called ideal to say the least.

He would have to make the best of it, he mused to himself, and try as hard as possible to keep the ones in the boat and in the city beyond out of harm’s way. He doubted Kamacuras would agree to that, however. He would have to be extremely careful and hope that the small ones knew how to run from what was coming.

Out on the boat, several ponies gathered, Snap Shutter and his daughter among them. Scootaloo’s eyes widened as she peered out into the bay, seeing the sails of the massive dinosaur scything through the water, dropping her binoculars in shock.

“Dad!” She shouted, gesturing wildly. Snap Shutter’s eyes widened as he saw it as well.

“Brace for impact!” Snap shouted. The day had started off so simple, he mused to himself. While he would be the first to admit he was hardly the best father in the world, he honestly tried to give his best to his daughter as any father did. Rainbow had sorta slipped him the fact that his daughter had a bit of a crush on Sweetie Belle, so he had elected to take the two on his little trip to Baltimare, just so they could -hopefully- have some sort of alone time.

Of course, neither of them had factored in the creature known as Titanosaurus. Why the massive titan was here was currently unknown, but Snap Shutter knew that when an animal left it’s usual routes and hunting grounds -as Titanosaurus was doing right now- it was generally because it felt threatened by something.

He didn’t know how right he was.

To his surprise however, Snap Shutter never felt the boat beginning to even capsize, as Titanosaurus seemed to vanish. And then he realized, with the stallion running to the other side of the boat and watching the creature vanish beneath the waves. And it was heading on a direct course to Baltimare…

“Oh, sweet Celestia…” Sweetie Belle whispered as she looked out towards the city, rising high above the landscape. “...All of those ponies.”

And then she remembered who else was in the city. “RARITY!”

On the beach, a filly looked out into the waters and tugged at her dad’s shoulder with a hoof. “Dad… why is the tide going in…?”

Her father’s eyes widened as he saw the tides beginning to recede. Now, before all of this he had lived in Honolulu for several years so he knew what was coming. “...Oh dear Celestia.”

And then the shout went up. “TSUNAMI!”

Ponies began to rapidly flee the beach as the call went up. And not a moment too soon, as a wave began to rush in, gallons of water slamming into the seaside leaving only destruction in its wake. Warehouses were flooded and then smashed to bits by the sheer force of the waters, ponies fleeing inside whatever buildings they could and praying and hoping that the walls would hold back the tide.

Then through the flooded streets, Titanosaurus’ form slowly began to reveal itself, scything through the waters as if they were paper. He rose up out of the floodwaters and let out a shrieking roar, nearly deafening in volume. He did not mean to cause such devastation, it was just inevitable with a creature of his size. All of that displaced water had to go somewhere after all. Gallons of it dripping off his body, Titanosaurus slowly made his way into the city, his orange eyes narrowing as he spotted a sharp military green form cutting through the night skies. Kamacuras had arrived.

Devilishly fast, Titanosaurus had no time to zero in on his prey before it rounded a building -glass bulging and then shattering- before striking at him, drawing blood. Titanosaurus shrieked out in pain before he lashed out with his tail slamming the giant mantis into the side of a building. He went for the creature, intending on prying and ripping its infuriating wings off before Kamacuras reacted. With one of its twin scythe-like talons, it slashed into Titanosaurus’ form, drawing more blood. Kamacuras rocketed skywards, his foe just barely following his movements as he saw the creature round a mountainside.

Titanosaurus reacted, prying the monster out of the air and then tossing it into the foothills and valleys beyond the city limits. The sheer force of the mighty toss created a mighty shockwave and a truly cataclysmic thud. Titanosaurus roared and braced himself for the next attack.

Rarity was running for her life, up the stairs of a building as she saw waters began to gather in the hotel lobby below. How had everything gone so wrong, so fast? Her sole intention was to just chaperone her sister on this little visit, and instead, she had found herself in the middle of a battle between Titans. Looking out a window, she saw the first creature struggling to keep the mantis monster away from him, just barely holding the thrashing insect with his forelimbs. Then the dinosaur lunged, grabbing the mantis with his jaws and biting down hard, green blood splattering the windows of the building.

“Please be safe… Sweetie…” Rarity thought to herself, finally feeling confident in her safety. The waters had finally stopped rising. “Oh, goddess… Oh, goddess…” she whispered fearfully.

“Rarity, you alright?” Rainbow Dash’s voice came from behind her. The pegasus was running up, panting and sweating. “Did you see your sister?”

“NO!” Rarity squealed. “And that’s the problem, I didn’t see her at all! Last I checked she was still out on the boat with… Oh goddess, Scootaloo! Rainbow Dash, can you go fly out there and find them!?!”

“In that chaos?” she asked seeing both Titanosaurus and Kamacuras still battling for dominance. “Are you kidding? There’s no way I’m getting between those two! Look, I’m worried about the squirt just as much as you are, even more so perhaps but there’s no way I’m going to get caught up in a battle between those two!”

“WELL THEN!” Rarity shouted her horn sparking with magical energy in her anger and her fear. “I shall just have to go out and search for myself, seeing as how you are too much of a coward to do it yourself!”

Rarity instantly regretted that, knowing Rainbow was probably just as scared for her sister as Rarity was for her own.

“And how do you plan to do that, huh?” Rainbow Dash shouted back, grabbing Rarity by the tail and looking her friend dead in the eye. “The streets are flooded, and in case you haven’t noticed there’s -oh yes!- two kaiju trying to kill each other!” she shouted gesturing outside.

“Well… well…” the fashionista stammered out. “I… I have to do something! My sister’s out there somewhere, and I… I need to know what happened to her!”

A mighty crash came from somewhere outside, and both Rainbow and Rarity looked out to see Kamacuras having broken himself free from Titanosaurus’ grasp before darting back in and ramming him like a 20,000 metric ton piledriver. Titanosaurus fell through a building, shrieking out in pain, smoke rising from the ruins.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened, the kaiju was losing. Her favorite kaiju was losing. Breaking into a gallop, her mighty wings unfurling the pegasus began to run towards an open window. She heard a shout from behind her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity shouted. “And just what the hell do you think you are doing!”

“Lending a hoof.” Rainbow Dash said before rocketing out into the chaos.

“...Good luck Rainbow Dash…” Rarity whispered.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t need to do much, just buy a little bit of time until Titanosaurus was back on his feet, and ready to continue the fight. Kamacuras, by her estimations, seemed to be built more for speed rather than durability. This was a good thing, as it meant Titanosaurus only needed a few good solid blows to actually finish him.

“Alright you bastard, you want a snack? Then come and get it!” Rainbow shouted doing a small barrel roll in hopes of attracting the giant mantis’ attention. Luckily -or unluckily- he turned to look at her, his eyes sizing up the meal. She was tiny, but she would do.

Taking to the skies, he flew after Rainbow Dash, leading her on a chase through the nearby mountains.

Titanosaurus meanwhile had spotted the small one dart out from the safety of the building, and he eyed her possibly thinking her crazy. But then he realized what she was trying to do, and he had to admire her courage. It seemed the small ones had more tenacity than he previously gave them credit for. It seemed he would have to reevaluate his opinion on them. He just hoped this rainbow-maned one’s efforts weren’t in vain.

Rainbow smiled, now she was in her element. Never was she any more focused than when she was in the skies. She could react to dangers in a split second before they happened. A thin whistling sound filled the night skies, a multicolored blur rocketing overhead. The sound started to pool into the air, echoing through the valley passes.

Rainbow had blotted out everything but the necessary thoughts. Pouring on the speed, she smiled.

Being a pegasus meant you could fly faster than anypony could normally run. This was fine, Equestria had thousands of fliers.

It had dozens of speedsters, all of whom could break the sound barrier with very little effort given.

But it had only one who could break even those speeds. It had only one Rainbow Dash.

The sound split the air, and a rainbow wave of light filled the skies.

fffffffffFFFFFFFFWOOOOMMMM!!!

A crack like thunder and Kamacuras was sent spiraling backward, before a massive tail reared up out of nowhere and slammed into him, sending him flying into the bay.

Titanosaurus eyed Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash eyed him. This was no mere unintelligent beast. It knew who to thank. Giving a gruff nod, he chased after his quarry, the 30,000 metric ton dinosaur diving back into the bay. Kamacuras tried to struggle and lashed out with his limbs trying to dig into his opponent's scales but he could not get away. For you see, the waters had ruined his wings and he was easy prey being ripped apart by Titanosaurus’ powerful jaws. Blood sprayed, some of it hitting Titanosaurus and some drenching the bay. It did not matter, the day was won. A roar of victory went up.

However, this victory did not come without a cost. The tumultuous battle had rocked Snap Shutter’s boat back and forth, and it had nearly capsized several times during the battle as Titanosaurus and Kamacuras had thrashed about in the bay.

And then it capsized, as it had been threatening to do, with Kamacuras’ wing beats creating powerful waves. He had not gone quietly.

Sweetie Belle reached out with her magic as she saw Scootaloo tumble into the deep dark waters, Snap being unable to toss a life preserver in all of this chaos.

Groaning out in pain, Sweetie Belle’s horn sparked before glowing green as the young mare tried to reach out and grab her best friend.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle shouted as she saw her friend being dredged up from the abyss, Titanosaurus’ head rising above the waters with Scootaloo’s prone form sitting firmly on top of it.

He gently leaned down and deposited her on the shoreline, Sweetie and Snap swimming over to her. “Please… Please be okay…” Snap Shutter whispered.

As he desperately tried to resuscitate her, Rainbow Dash landed nearby and ran up whispering and pleading to whatever god who happened to be listening. “Scootaloo…” she whispered before it became a shout. “SCOOTALOO!”

3: Rodan

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Ho’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through the footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
--- High Flight, John Gillespie Magee Jr

Needless to say, when Twilight had learned what exactly had transpired in Baltimare, she called in a few favors. She’d seen the look on Snap’s face, and however hesitantly, had agreed to help.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” Rainbow screamed upon walking into the morgue. She noticed Snap Shutter in the corner of the room looking rather uncertain. Uncertain but hopeful.

Twilight spun around and glared angrily. “I’m going to give Scootaloo a second chance at life!”

Rainbow’s eyes shot open. “By doing what?”

“Technology has advanced to the point that we can do many glorious things to help those who have been injured,” Twilight said. “I believe that if we use this, and a bit of… well, let’s say a newly discovered -or should I say rediscovered- form of magic, we can give her a new body,” Twilight said, her eyes roving over to the battered corpse that rested atop the cold, steely table. “Her old one may be gone, but I believe that we can give her a second chance if we simply transfer her soul to a new one.”

“What, did Snap put you up to this?” Rainbow snapped glaring at the stallion. “I knew it, he did, didn’t he?”

Snap’s expression said more than words ever could.

“This… this is a bit unconventional, I know but…” Twilight stammered out before Rainbow let out a snarl and grabbed Twilight by her regalia.

“Look, you may be the freaking all-powerful Princess of the Sun, Moon, Tides, and whatever else Celestia and Luna gave you when they retired but that gives you no right to just… go all frankenmare on my sister!” Rainbow shouted.

“I am not going to ‘frankenmare’ your sister!” Twilight snapped. Snap had already taken his leave so he could give the two privacy. “I’m going to do what anyone would do to help a child!”

“Fine, you’re going to zombify her and make her into some hideous abomination!” Rainbow sneered. “You want to play the role of the all-mighty Goddess who can give and take away life from whoever she damn well pleases. How would you feel if that was Spike? How would you feel if we throw his soul into the body of a … I don’t know, a microwave? Would he still be Spike, or would he be some mechanical monstrosity with his voice?”

“I… I... “ Twilight stammered out, Rainbow’s words giving her pause. The door creaked open behind her, the sound of hoofsteps soon to follow. “Look, I just want to save her life, that’s all. We’re not performing mad science here, we’re just transferring her soul to something different while we try and salvage -repair- her original body, that’s all.”

“And how the flying feather are you going to do that?” Rainbow shouted. “I mean, look, I know you’re a genius Twilight, but this is… well, it’s a little bit beyond you.”

“I’ll do it with delicacy,” a new voice said, and in walked in Mage Meadowbrook, of all mares. Clearly, Twilight thought… No, she knew she couldn’t do this alone. “Through the use of the most powerful spells known to us as a species and with the knowledge of magic at our disposal. I can transfer her soul to a new body. Sure, her old body may not be a vessel that functions any more, but her soul is still intact and as such, I can give it a new place to reside and she’ll be back on her hooves in no time!”

“You know what this sounds like, right?” Twilight muttered, remembering Ocellus’s words all too well.

“What we should be worried about is genetic power. That key has been unlocked, and once we opened that box… I don’t think there’s any going back. I’m talking about homemade, cataclysmic change. And to be honest, -and yes, I know how this sounds- but it’s like death. I’m not sure what we’ll know what we’re looking at till it’s standing at us at the front of the gates.”

“I mean, this is… bioengineering in some regard, and I…” Twilight muttered. “I’m really not sure what we’re doing here is the right thing, maybe Rainbow’s right. Maybe we should just let Scootaloo… pass on.”

Twilight stood motionless, her mind racing. Thoughts of how Scootaloo’s parents would react to the news—and at their child’s own funeral—played and replayed in an endless loop. No, I can’t allow her to pass on. I can’t let a foal die like this. Not to such a… horrible act like this.”

“Uh, Twi?” Rainbow waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s face. “You there? Yoo-hoo.”

“Sorry…” Twilight murmured to herself. “Just lost in… thought I suppose.”

“I should hope so!” Rainbow bellowed.

“This type of magic does not lend itself without precedent,” Meadowbrook said in that soft and rather kind bayou accent of hers. “Back during the old days, curses were transferred from ponies to pigs for disposal. It was something me and mama were very good at. I however do admit transferring a soul from a… body is something different. This has never been done before.”

“Gee, I wonder why?” Rainbow deadpanned. “This… this is just wrong on so many levels.” she whispered trying to fight back the tears.

Twilight furrowed her brow before shaking her head. “Listen, Rainbow, I want you to go inform Scootaloo’s dad that we’ve found a way to save his daughter’s life. Can you do that without wording it as us doing some sort of horrible bioengineering experiment that will make her look like an abomination?”

“So what?” Rainbow snapped. “You're asking me to flat out lie to him!? Just look him in the eye and tell him that we're not playing My Little Goddesses?”

“Rainbow!” Twilight grit her teeth. “This isn’t me playing ‘My Little Goddess’! This is a chance to revolutionize what we now about the concept of death. If this succeeds, think of how many lives we can save from tragic accidents not only in Equestria but around the world!” She stormed up to Rainbow and pressed her muzzle against her friend’s. “Which would you rather be known as? The one who let a father see his deceased daughter come back to life, or the coward who let her own personal bias get in the way of her own petty morals because she couldn’t accept that sometimes, science has to break boundaries to let us advance as a species?”

Rainbow sighed. “You know, for such a smart mare you can be really really stupid sometimes.”

With that she marched out of the room. As soon as she was out in the hallway she let out a scream, punched the wall—leaving a noticeable dent in the brick as she did so—and broke down sobbing. Time and time again, it seemed science and stupidity went hoof and hoof.

“That stupid… airheaded bitch.” Rainbow let out a shaky sigh and wiped a tear off her cheek with a wing. “How can she just up and decide that ‘Oh, I’ll just bring the dead back to life because it’s morally justifiable!’? Is she out of her fucking mind!?”

“You think I'm a fan of this either?” Meadowbrook asked.

Rainbow swallowed a lump in her throat. “N-no, but I wish she’d listen to us for once when she gets one of her so-called ‘genius’ ideas.”

“Sometimes, the only way to learn is to see the failure of what you set out to do,” Meadowbrook replied. “Only then will one learn.”

“You don't really believe that do you?” Rainbow sighed. “I mean we're…”

“Playing Goddess here. Yes I heard,” Meadowbrook said. “Truth be told back when me and mama performed similar magic it was seen as… unnatural.”

“And you didn't take that as a hint to stop?” Rainbow asked.

“I want to ask you a question,” Meadowbrook stepped in front of Rainbow. “Do you believe that times change at all? That what was once immoral will one day be seen as moral or normal?”

“Yes, I do believe they change but…” Rainbow swallowed. “Remember what Twilight said? About how science sometimes has to break boundaries for us to succeed? Well, that kind of thinking brought us the Oxygen Destroyer.”

Meadowbrook shivered, the color draining from her face. There are necessary evils that must exist to maintain a balance within nature… She shifted around, pawing gently at the floor. “Rainbow, you do understand that sometimes there are… things that happen for a reason, right?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so? That doesn’t excuse what that abomination of ‘science’ did! Manehattan’s fishing industry is ruined. Goddess only knows what else is to follow.”

Meadowbrook took a step back. “Yes, but that was a weapon used to kill. This is something we’re doing for the betterment of us all, not to kill.”

“Are you sure?” Rainbow asked. “Because I'm pretty sure that's what they were saying when the Destroyer was being thought up to kill the MUTOs.”

“The Oxygen Destroyer was designed to kill at a great cost, but what if we hadn’t used it?” Meadowbrook asked. “What if we’d let the MUTOs continue to rampage, and Mothra failed to stop them? Think of the number of lives that would have been lost in the process. We would’ve lost more than just Manehattan’s fishing industry. We would’ve lost Manehattan as a whole. Everyone who lived there would be without a home and without a family.”

She rested a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “I understand you fear this experiment, Rainbow, but you have to understand that not everything that you don’t understand will be just like the Destroyer. This isn’t something you should fear, but something you should hope does us good for the whole of our species. If it works, we can make sure those who lose their lives to these Titans aren’t truly lost. Would that not be better than having to bury millions of mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters?”

“I…. I don't know.” Rainbow took a small step back. Her personality… it reminds me so much of Fluttershy. I don’t understand how somepony could be so willing to do something so… stupid, yet have their heart set in such a good place. Maybe… maybe she’s right? Maybe I’m overreacting. I mean, the Destroyer’s effects did save—no, no, I can’t let her do this.

Rainbow took a deep breath. “Meadow, I can’t… I can’t let this happen. This will do nothing good.” She wiped a tear away from her eye. “That thing—that Destroyer—it wasn’t for the better. It wasn’t… it wasn’t right. And neither is this!”

“I… I see, and I understand.” Meadowbrook said even though her voice betrayed her.

“No you DON’T!” Rainbow screamed. “You say you understand but you don't! I don't know what will come of this but it sure as Writer’s Quill won't be Scootaloo. This… this won't bring her back "to me…”

Rainbow finally broke down. “She was my sister… she had so much in front of her. She wanted to confess to Sweetie and now look at what’s happening! You want to make her into some sort of monster!”

“Rainbow, please, calm down.” Meadowbrook said. “We aren’t going to turn her into a monster. We merely want to help her live her life to her fullest.”

Then came a shout. During their little… heart to heart so to speak neither mare had noticed a certain changeling walk by. And he was not happy. “Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Pharynx bellowed his voice shaking the walls.

“Oh shit…” Rainbow thought. Twilight looked up to see the Director of Monarch looking right down at her. She swallowed. She never knew how tall Pharynx was until now.

Rushing back, Rainbow and Meadowbrook barged into the room in time to see Pharynx staring down a cowering Twilight Sparkle.

“By the fucking Goddess herself, Twilight!” Pharynx bellowed. “What the hell have you done!? You—you want to play judge, jury, and executioner of what the natural cycle of life dictates to be as it should be!?”

“Let me e—”

“I will not allow one single mare to play Goddess with anyone!” Pharynx snapped. “Especially not a foal! I should kill you right here and now for thinking you're above the natural course of life!”

“But-”

“But nothing! While you are working on anything Titan related -anything at all!- you are under Monarch jurisdiction. And that means I can do with you as I please,” Pharynx said. “Now ask yourself what would Professor Serizawa think?”

Finally Twilight regained her courage. “You dare!?!”

“Yes I do indeed dare!” Pharynx bellowed.

Twilight scoffed. “And I’ll have you know that I’m the one who has higher authority than you!” She pressed her muzzle against Pharynx’s own. “So ask me this, little Changeling, what moral and political authority does a little bug like yourself have over me?”

Instantly she knew she had said the wrong thing, and instantly she regretted it.

“Quite a bit I should think!” Pharynx said. “But if you won't listen to me…”

He in a flash of green flame changed into an all too familiar face. “...maybe you'll listen to your marefriend!” Pharynx said in Tempest’s voice.

Twilight’s face went through a series of emotions. Anger, sadness, confusion, before finally settling on content. Her muscles eased up. She fell to her haunches. “W-what…” Tears ran down her face, her muscles tensing up once more. A few shaky breaths escaped her mouth. “What have I done?” She looked back up, Rainbow and Meadowbrook having joined by Pharynx’s side.

Twilight’s eyes snapped between each of her friends that stood in front of her. She scooted back, letting out a series of shaky breaths in rapid succession. “I… I’m sorry,” she sputtered out, her back now against the wall. “I’m so… so…” She slumped down, covering her face with her hooves. A few faint whimpers filled the otherwise deathly silent room.

“I… understand,” Pharynx said resuming his normal form bring Twilight in for a hug. “You just want to save another life, isn’t that it? But… why? You barely even know this filly.”

“...Maybe I do,” Twilight answered as Rainbow leaned up against the doorway, listening in her heart breaking even more with every passing moment. “But… But at the same time, she reminds me of myself, in some ways. So… Driven. Her and her friends, they used to get lessons from me you know? I adored that time, being a teacher if only for a little while. I suppose that’s part of the reason why I created the School, so I could… do that some more in the end I guess. But more than that, she’s Rainbow’s family. So that makes her my family. Maybe Rainbow will hold it against me, but she has every right to. Every right.”

“Oh Twilight…” Rainbow thought trying not to break down and cry again. “I could never hold this against you. Not now… Not after this.”

“This experiment? Maybe it’s mad science, and maybe it’ll save Scootaloo’s life but it’s not a risk I’m going to take. Not if it costs me my friendship with Rainbow. Nothing’s worth that!” Twilight conceded flipping off the lights, but not before giving one last look towards Scootaloo and a whisper of: “I’m sorry…”

Azteca: The Stormcatcher

“You really sure the information that Soulshine stallion gave us is accurate?” Ocellus said. “Actually, why am I here anyways?”

Pharynx sighed. To be perfectly honest, he wasn’t quite sure to the answer of that himself. Especially after the incident in Baltimare. He grimaced at the thought, Hivemother be damned if that mare didn’t drive him up the wall at times. He remembered Soulshine’s words even now.

“Look, I know you don’t have reason to trust me Monarch, why should you? Especially after all the trouble I caused in Saddle Arabia…”

“THAT WAS YOU!?!” Fizzlepop shouted before both of the Shobijin glared at her.

“Silence, please Madam Fizzlepop. For the mercy of our poor ears!” they said in unison and to her credit Fizzlepop actually looked rather ashamed of herself.

“You know how much trouble you caused us?” Fizzlepop asked. “We’re still getting yelled at by the Embassy!”

“Yes, yes and I… well, I’m willing to give myself up,” Soulshine said causing a few gasps to echo around the room. “But I’ve got to warn you about something. My top scientist, Bubbling Beakers? I’m worried he might do something rash. There’s a Titan in Azteca, okay?”

“How do you know about that?” Pharynx inquired, his eyes narrowing. “That information is supposed to be top secret! I could have you arrested for treason!

“Yes, and I’m quite sure you’ll do that,” Soulshine agreed. “I… I have a source inside Monarch. We had a source… That’s how I knew about where Mokele was resting. But none of that matters now! Bubbling, he wants the G-Cells, to further the cause of his research! Goddess above, I’m not sure what he’ll do but I know it’ll be disastrous! I just know it! So please, I beg of you!”

He was pleading by now over the viewscreen, and Pharynx studied him. Yes, he’d been the cause of a lot of trouble for Monarch, but he had no reason to lie about any of this. What would he gain giving himself up aside from a cell in prison? He turned to the Shobijin.

“Thoughts?” he asked them.

“Why do you look at us?” the small beauties asked in unison.

“Sorry, I suppose I guess I just… default to changelings, or something a little bit like them in your case. What do you suppose I do? Is he telling the truth?”

“Well, he has no reason to lie,” the Shobijin said. “After all, you said it yourself, what else would he have to gain from all of this aside from a cell in prison?”

“How did you…?” Pharynx said before he (almost) blushed. Changeling warriors did not blush! No sir! “...I suppose I was talking aloud to myself again, wasn’t I?”

“Yes, you were!” the Shobijin chimed.

“Say this goes south, say these Rodans does get his nine-o-clock wake up call,” Pharynx whispered to them. “Can’t you call Mothra or something? Something tells me we might need your Goddess.”

“We can try, but we cannot guarantee she would be able to reach you in time,” the Shobijin said.

“...Well, isn’t that just wonderful.” Pharynx grumbled to himself. He then turned his attention back to Soulshine. “Alright, you have your little deal. We’ll have someone pick you up on the Saddle Arabian border. Can’t toss you in a cell just yet, we’re too busy as it is right now with this… new information.”

“I… I understand,” Soulshine said taking a long, deep sigh. “And for what it’s worth? I’m truly sorry. I just wanted to help the world, not… destroy it.”

“Yes, well you know what they say about the road to Tartarus, right?” Fizzlepop muttered.

“Yes, I do,” Soulshine said gripping his pendant tightly with his hoof. “Just please… stop Bubbling. Whatever else you do, just stop Bubbling!”

A thunderous boom echoed through the land, trees being flattened like an ant beneath the hoof of a fully grown stallion. Smoke billowed into the sky as lava was spewed through the air, crashing down and burning everything around it with ease.

“Oh boy…” Pharynx said as Ocellus hid behind her. A loud scream cut through the air, and to his dying day Pharynx would swear the sound was that of the sound of metal and steel grinding against one another. It was like they being blasted through the largest speakers never conceived by a mortal being. He saw ponies, a squadron of both Wonderbolts and Royal Guards flying above, leaving behind contrails in their wake as the sound barrier was soundly ripped open. All wore battle saddles, outfitted for aerial combat.

A fat lot of good it’ll do them. Pharynx thought to himself.

“Gold Squadron, hold your fire! I repeat, hold your fire!” Rainbow said from nearby as she was suited up in her own uniform. “Hold your fire. We don’t know if he’ll attack. But he sure as Tartarus will if you keep those pulse rifles on him!”

“They’re going to panic, aren’t they?” Rainbow muttered trying to stay professional. “Oh, Celestia above, they are!”

She looked towards Ocellus. “So, the study of Titans in their natural habitats?” she asked. “Hell of a grad school science project. Well, at any rate you’re about to get an up close and personal look.”

Maybe too close. With that thought she took a running jump off of the cloudship and unfurled her wings, rocketing off towards the volcano in a rainbow blaze of light. And then massive wings, smoldering with volcanic embers appeared from out of the smoke, as another loud cry split the air.

SKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

A massive, twin horned head rose out of the smoke, as eagle-like claws slowly took a few steps forward. Rodan studied the area around her. Strange, she(?) mused. This was not how the world was when she’d laid herself down to rest. No matter, the One Borne of Fire decided. It would do, for now.

“That town’s going to get leveled…” Pharynx muttered as he looked down below to see the ancient streets and market places beneath the cloudship. “How goes the evacuation?”

“Well, do you want the good news, or the bad news?” Star Hunter asked, the pegasus trying to argue with a local mare.

“...Isn’t all news bad?” Pharynx deadpanned looking at him through a seer’s orb, similar to the one found in Grogar’s old lair. “You should have just said ‘news’. I would have gotten the picture.”

“Well,” Star Hunter said. “If I could understand a word of Azteca, I might be able to get these ponies moving. Then again…” he muttered upon hearing Rodan’s roar split the air again. “I think in a minute they might get the picture!”

“Do the best you can,” Pharynx barked. “Meanwhile, let’s hope Rainbow can lead featherbrain away from the area.”

He flashed back once more, to how this all started.

Pharynx and several other changelings ran up the peaks, through a thick jungle. “Give it up, Bubbling!” he shouted as pulse rifles were trained on the scientist. “No cells are worth this! Not even Godzilla’s!”

“None you say!?” Bubbling replied. “Hah! What would a meathead like you know about science?”

“A fair bit, I’d say,” Pharynx said casting a glance up to the nearby mountain. “I know it’s not supposed to hurt others, for one thing!”

“You? Knowing anything about science? Pah, don’t make me laugh!” Bubbling wheezed, wiping a tear away from his eye. “Oh goodness, look at that. You’ve made me laugh. Now listen here, Pharynx. I have these G-Cells and I’m going to do everything that the world of science has merely dreamt of! I shall find cures for all known diseases, discover immortality, and I will grow wings and dance on the surface of the sun with your skull taped to my testicles!”

“...Well, I can see why Soulshine fired you,” Pharynx said in absolute deadpan. “Far as I can see, you’re no absolute use to the world whatsoever. In the Hive? Madmen like you, they’d have been… cleansed.”

“Ah tut-tut! You can’t kill me, remember? Your people want me alive and if you shoot little old me, you’ll be staring down the barrel of five rifles!” Bubbling said, sardonically. “Now what would your precious friends say if you defied the orders of your superiors? Oh wait, they can’t talk to dead things.”

“Point being?” Pharynx said. “I think they’ll allow me to make an exception if the threat is deemed great enough. And I think threatening to release two Titans ‘all in the name of science’ and hopefully attract Godzilla counts. ...actually, come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea. Maybe I’ll just let him step on you.”

“Psh, let a giant lizard that spits out blue splurgey splurge? Gimme a break! Now that’s not very ‘friendly’ of you, is it?” Bubbling asked.

“Yes, well neither is threatening to release two Titans, and you’re a pony who are generally renowned for their friendshippy skills,” Pharynx replied. “It seems there are exceptions to every rule, yeah?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. Hey, y’know what I will be known for?” Bubbling slammed a hoof on a button. “Blowing this entire mountain up!”

He was then promptly shot to pieces by pulse rifle shots even as the mountain exploded…

Pharynx sighed. “Good times…” He lit up a cigar and chomped on it. “Hivemother please let me die to this thing.”

“Let’s hope the mechanics can get this cloudship’s storm creation features working, otherwise we’re going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble. Hivemother above, Tempest, why couldn’t you have given me a WORKING cloudship?”

Pharynx sat back and exhaled the smoke. “Ah shit, he doesn’t look happy.” He leaned forward sat back up. “I really need to stop getting so comfortable whenever there’s danger around. It’s not good for my membrane.”

“...Wow, he’s big…” Fire Streak said.

“Yeah, and he’s…” Misty Fly muttered. “Well, I don’t know what he’s going to do, but… I don’t want to be the one to find out.”

SKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWKKKKK!!!

Fleetfoot swallowed nervously as she looked the devil dead in the eye; the devil merely staring back at her, seemingly studying them. Eyeing the aerial forces to judge if they were any actual threats to her reign.

Curious, Rodan thought to herself. She didn’t actually remember this many small ones when she’d laid her nest. And if they’d existed, they’d always seemed to cower in caves. They weren’t even good enough for a meal. Nevermind, she’d let them be. If they didn’t bother her nor her mate she wouldn’t bother them. If her mate thought differently, she would bring him back into line.

Rainbow flew up to the front of the group and cleared her throat. “Wonderbolts!” she bellowed. “We’ve trained for this day.” She turned her head and looked at the troops. “We cannot let that creature get any foothold here. We’ve got to stop him here.”

“...Attack that?” High Winds said. “You’re kidding, right?”

Deep down, Rainbow was basically thinking the same thing. This entire mission was crazy. But the idea was to hold it off, or drive it away. She could only hope the cloudship’s storm generation abilities were working. They’d need all the help they could get. And a lot of luck.

Soarin’ gave a salute and rushed ahead of everyone else. “Alright then… Start the clock, we’ll have this finished in 20 seconds flat! Isn’t that what you say, Rainbow?”

“Let’s not get cocky now, okay?” Rainbow said as she tucked in her wings and flew ahead of Soarin’, golden armored guards flying past battle saddles spinning up.

Soarin’ narrowed his eyes; Rodan staring back. She tilted her head and Soarin’ tilted his own. With a faint click, a massive pulse of energy fired off, striking the pterosaur in its chest. An ear-piercing screech filled the air as Rodan reeled back in a mixture of shock and moderate irritation.

Moderate irritation that grew to fury as a second blast struck her.

“Hah, take that you ugly bastard.” Soarin’ snickered to himself.

Rodan regained her composure. The indifference she had felt before was gone. They were small, yes, but they clearly had no respect for the quiet, normal life she wished to live. The little one ahead of the rest began a retreat of sorts before stopping and doing some sort of ritualistic dance. Perhaps a mating ritual for the one who was yelling like an alpha male? Yelling up a storm like that bitchy golden dragon?

That mattered not for now. Her skin may have been a sky blue shade, but her temperament alone was enough to drive her blood pressure through the roof. Yeah, she was definitely a mini Ghidorah in disguise. She needed to be silenced, if only for her own peace of mind.

SKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERAAAAAAAAAAAAAW

Stretching out her wings, Rodan took the skies. Freedom after so long was cathartic, invigorating even! And there was nothing like a good fly to really loosen up her joints.

“Soarin’!” High Winds screamed.

“H—”

In one blink-of-an-eye motion, Soarin’ was gone; a faint mist following behind the embers that trailed in Rodan’s wake.

The first meal in millenia—and his arrogance was as spicy as his personality. Now for the rest of them. But first things first, there were other matters that needed to be attended to.

Letting out a call, she tried to see if there were any other Titans in the area. Listening for several moments, she closed her eyes. So, she was alone. Then she felt that irritating sensation, several little ones clad in gold were pointing these strange shooty sticks at her. She felt infuriated. They dared to wield the garb of the Golden One? Surely they were either brave… or foolish. Then again, the two generally went hand in hand. It was of no consequence to her, and surging forwards, she went into a spin. Ponies were swatted out of the sky like flies.

First there was the cracking of bone. Then the gargled moans of pain. Then the sweet release of death. Though knowing how that obnoxious cackling bastard is, he’ll be back up and running in a few seconds—typical of someone whose reputation is in his name. What was it they called him? The Golden Demise? Fitting, really. She remembered the last battle he and the King waged, ripping the land apart.

Rainbow shook her head. “There goes Rolling Thunder, Rainbow Swoop, Wave Chill, Sightseer,” she said, her voice numb as she began to list off the names to herself. “Sky Stinger… Starburst…. What in Celestia’s name is she…” Her heart sank as she realized what was happening below her.

The city was being flattened like a pancake, the great downdrafts surely required to keep such a great beast aloft doing it.

Star Hunter ran, a veritable typhoon at his hooves. Great howling winds threatened to toss the pegasus aloft. He thought fast, even as he was threatened to be crushed by terrified townsfolk—if he was lucky.

Buildings were ripped from their foundations and thrown around like they were nothing more than crumpled up pieces of paper being thrown by a furious writer. If they weren’t all but dust within a few seconds, they crushed whatever other homes lay in front of them.

“Oh Goddess, what have we awaken?” Star Hunter muttered to himself. “We’ve awakened the devil himself. We’re screwed. We’re all screwed. No, we didn’t awaken him. DAMN THAT RAT BASTARD OF A SCIENTIST!”

He then grabbed a filly and a foal, hiding them in the cover of a building. A nearby mother screamed as the winds threatened to rip her child away from her, and a unicorn reacted fast grabbing the kid in a ball of magic. “Thank goodness for small miracles.” Star Hunter said to himself even as Rodan flew over their heads.

“...They’re getting slaughtered down there!” Pharynx shouted as he saw the body of what had once been Rainbow Swoop fly onto the deck, now a meaty paste. “They’re all—” Mountain Haze’s body slammed onto the deck mere inches from what was once Rainbow Swoop, followed by a guard. Ocellus let out a scream.

Enough of this! Pharynx decided then and there as he went for the cloudship’s wheel, and spun it taking the massive zeppelin-like craft in for battle. He gestured for a guard to get down into the engine room, see what was keeping the storm generation crystals from firing up. Pressing a button to the side of him, green bolts of energy were fired towards Rodan.

Rodan’s eyes narrowed in fury as she was struck. The Golden One dared to bring out a friend!? Where did he find one? No, since when were ponies allied with the Golden Demise? Something was wrong here.

Then she realized. By the creator, she was slaughtering… No, she had to stop this. These were no acolytes! They were merely innocent ponies; they too would cower in fear of The Three-Headed Devil.

Rainbow flew as fast as her wings would carry her desperate to outpace the one behind her. Now, as has been said before, Equestria had many speedsters. But it only had one Rainbow Dash.

A sharp crack cut through the air, seconds behind Rainbow before the whole sky was awash with color. She looked back, to see the giant pterosaur who had formerly been at her hooves knocked backwards by the force of the blast. “Still got it, not that it’ll do my comrades any good…” she thought sorrowfully.

Rodan meanwhile stared at this pony. She wasn’t like the either. She wasn’t malicious in her intentions. She emitted an air of… purity. And arrogance. But not like the one she’d felt before. Her arrogance didn’t come from a place of hatred, but a place of pride. She knew, like her, that she was born to fly, and loved nothing else. If anything, this small one had earned her respect.

Then she felt the impact, powerful bolts of energy hitting her again and again. Then she saw this shape emerging from the clouds. Her eyes widened. Another Titan, she thought at first. Then she realized something, it didn’t move like a Titan. It didn’t sound like a Titan. So therefore, it was not a Titan and not worthy of her attention.

Rainbow’s eyes widened as she saw Rodan veer off. “Damn it, the big turkey’s lost interest. ...Well, just like any other stallion I know. I always leave ‘em in the dust.”

Meanwhile, down in the storm generation room Thunderlane and a former flightmate of his -Short Fuse, as he was named- worked desperately to replace the cracked crystal.

“Short!” Thunder said. “How goes the storm? Are we ready to unleash her to land that giant flaming squawker?”

“HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU, OLD MAN!?” Short Fuse shouted, and Thunderlane was reminded of why he got such a name. And it wasn’t because of his height. “THE CRYSTAL’S CRACKED AND YOUR INABILITY TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN STAND THERE AND WATCH OUR MEN AND WOMEN GET THROWN AROUND LIKE PING-PONG BALLS ISN’T HELPING ME!”

Thunderlane had finally had enough, and grabbed Short Fuse by the throat and threw him up against the wall. “Then help me, or I’ll be feeding you to that thing! Understood?”

“...Got it.” Short Fust croaked out before Thunderlane released him, dropping him on the floor with a small thud. Short Fuse scrambled to his hooves. “...Okay… Okay, thank Celestia and Luna those bone-brained yetis left behind an instruction manual. ...even if they’re the ones who probably cracked the crystal in the first place.”

Thunderlane and Short began searching the room, tossing tools and weaponry like a whirlwind had hit the place until they’d found what they’d been looking for. “...Keep Rodan off us, while I replace the crystal!” Short shouted.

Thunderland nodded and went for a nearby cannon. “This is for my comrades, bastard.”

He fired, several globs of green magic hitting Rodan and making the massive pterosaur cry out in pain. She turned her head towards the cloudship. “...Okay, I think we’ve got his attention!” Thunderlane shouted.

SKEEEEEEEERAAAAAW!

“Oh yeah, we’ve definitely got his attention,” Thunderlane decided. “How comes the-”

“I’m too short for Celestia’s sake!” Short shouted. “I can’t reach!”

“Oh for…” Thunderlane muttered. “You’re a pegasus, aren’t you? Use those wings!”

“I have psoriatic arthritis and they really hurt you pea-brained dick!” Short Fuse shouted back.

“...Oh, of all the times!” Thunderlane said knocking him out with a punch and then replacing the crystal. There was an audible hum, before the whole room began to glow blue. “Oh yes… OH YES!” Thunderlane shouted, a cheshire smile of relief plastered on his face for the first time since this started.

The sky above the ship began to broil over and crackle with life. Angry black clouds began to blot out the sun, and Rodan looked -if only for the briefest of moments- fearful. Had he returned? Were these small ones in league with the Golden Demise after all?

Then, she felt it. A piercing hot lance going through her body. Rainbow Dash had to shield her eyes with a wing as she saw the lightning bolt strike Rodan almost dead in the heart. She let out a cry, one of both rage and pain. And then it happened. The true nightmare began.

If the first explosion was thunderous enough then this was one could be considered a sign of the end of days. The mountain didn’t just explode, it was torn apart into a million little pieces that were scattered in every which direction.

Two massive wings unfurled, lava dripping from them and scorching the earth below. In one swift motion, the figure was airborne.

There he was. The truly One Borne of Fire. The Fire Demon himself. The 871 foot wingspan beast of the skies.

“Oh sweet Celestia.” Rainbow fluttered back slightly as he surveyed the land in front of him before slowly turning her head to her right. “That wasn’t the devil…” She gulped and fluttered, her eyes glued to the true Rodan, who shifted around and scanned his surroundings.

“Another one…? He’s bigger?” Pharynx thought then his eyes widened in horror. “...Of course! How can I have been so stupid, the first was only the female! And this is his… mate.” he swallowed, Rainbow Dash landing beside him and staring in equally awestruck terror. Words could not express this. Then came the order.

“Retreat.”

Ocellus rushed through the streets—or what remained of them. The street itself had been torn up and scattered around. In her terror, she’d accidentally teleported herself down into the streets via changing into a unicorn.

“W-what’s going on?” she wondered aloud. “What in the Hivemother’s name is going on!?”

Then she heard it. Ocellus froze in place. There it was again. That horrible sound. A shiver ran up and down her spine twice over. “Mommy…” She huddled against the remains of a house and sat down. Up above, she could see the devil that had ripped apart this city cry out in pain before collapsing to the earth. To her surprise though, she then saw the second Rodan, the male veer down and land next to his mate. With a gentle tenderness, he nudged her trying to coax her back to life. He let out a cry of relief when he saw her eyes open again, and wrapped his wings around her.

As for the Stormcatcher, the cloudship was veering off. And then Ocellus realized. Nobody even knew she was gone. She let out a sniffle and then a sob, as she realized in her hopes of getting a good term paper on the habits of Titans, she’d gotten that little too close for comfort.

“H-how could…” Ocellus choked on her words as another ear-piercingly loud scream tore through the air. “How could I be so stupid? Now… nobody’s going to find me...”

Meanwhile, Soulshine had been brought by unicorn to Monarch’s underground bunker, beneath Canterlot. Ponies were rushing back and forth, while Soulshine thought out his actions up till now. He’d been such a fool, and now from the sounds of it his former head scientist had just unleashed something far worse than any MUTO upon Equestria.

“What have I done?” Soulshine thought to himself. He wandered aimlessly, eventually finding himself in the morgue. He choked back a sob, for a brief moment Scootaloo being replaced by this dark green filly. In his mind, he heard the clap of thunder and a scream of rage and of sorrow. His mind jolted itself back to the present as he watched the filly, a small potted rose on a nearby table. It was so pure, and so innocent. Just like she’d probably been in life.

“...who was she?” he asked, not expecting any sort of answer. And then to his surprise, he got one.

“Scootaloo, her name was Scootaloo.” Meadowbrook said from beside him, Soulshine having not heard her come in. “I… wanted to save her, Princess Twilight did as well. But… we were shot down. Told what we were doing to do so was unethical. In hindsight, I wonder if Rainbow was right. Were we going to save a filly, only to doom her to an even worse fate?”

“There’s that old saying, right?” Soulshine asked. “Where there’s life… there’s hope right?”

Meadowbrook nodded. “So? I hardly call this state… life.”

“You’re Mage Meadowbrook, right?” Soulshine pressed. “The world’s greatest healer? So prove it. And I shall help you. I’ve caused too much death, now let me remedy that.”

“...Okay.” Meadowbrook decided after a long moment of mental decision making. Going back to a locker, she grabbed some medicines. What she failed to see however in her haste, was one vial marked something very dangerous indeed.

It had been marked with the phrase ‘G-Cells’. It was this simple motion, this simple act which would set in motion the course of the coming events. A simple act of carelessness, a simple mistake would be the cause of what was about to happen.

Author's Note

Okay, so a lot of conflicting emotions here. First off, the scene in the morgue. I wanted to explore all sides of the argument, show everyone's thoughts on the matter. Yes, it's unethical in some regards but it can also save lives. There's a lot of gray and gray morality here, a lot of questions to be asked. If me and Vertigo made you think, then good.

Now, the real shining moment of this chapter. Rodan and his mate. Surprised you there, didn't I? It wasn't just a typo, both Rodan and his mate from the 56 movie are here. Wanted to give them both time to shine, really. Sorry if me or Vert killed off any of your favorites, but there had to be a few deaths to show off just how powerful a Rodan is in the air.

Don't worry, if you loved this? I'll find some way to top it when the kaiju fights begin again.

4: Devils in the Dark

“Scootaloo?” Sweetie asked. “...Not that I’m ungrateful or anything, but why’d you choose me of all ponies to come with you on your little trip to Baltimare?”

“Because you’re my b-best friend, and I-I wouldn’t feel right about not taking you anywhere, that’s all…” Scootaloo stammered out. Truth be told, anyone with a brain could tell it was clear Scootaloo thought of Sweetie Belle as more than just a best friend, but she needed to work up the nerve to actually confess to her.

Oh goddess, what was wrong with her? Sweetie was still… Sweetie, just cooler, right? All she had to do was just act natural around her and all would be well right? Surely it couldn’t be that hard to just tell her that she ‘liked’ liked her.

For a brief moment, Scootaloo wondered if Princess Cadence had anything to do with this. Given her title and all, she wouldn’t have been entirely surprised.

“Scootaloo?” Sweetie asked waving a hoof in front of her friend’s face. “Hello, you in there? Equus to Scootaloo?”

“Yeah… sorry,” Scootaloo said. “You were saying something Sweets?”

“Sweets?” Sweetie Belle smiled. “Giving me nicknames now?”

“Well… I… Uh…” Scootaloo stammered out as Sweetie Belle giggled to herself. She wasn’t blind, she could tell from a mile off that Scootaloo liked her. Not that she minded, really. Scootaloo would always and forever have been her first choice if she was going to fall in love with any of her friends. She just seemed to ooze out confidence, all with a cocky grin and a mane style that just seemed to scream: ‘look out world, here I am!’

Truth be told, Scootaloo was the one that came up with a lot of the schemes for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, or at least seemed to be their ‘flagbearer’ if you will. She never really gave up, in spite of the odds, and Sweetie Belle supposed that was what attracted her to her.

It also really helped that she was very, very cute as well.

Sweetie Belle suddenly started to giggle.

“What?” Scootaloo asked. “What’s so funny? Come on Sweets, just let me in on the joke here!”

“Nothing…” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Oh, okay. I’m just thinking about how you’d never be able to convince my sister to get out on this boat and go fishing. The last time my dad did, Rarity outright fainted when she learned she had to cut some icky worm. Her words, not mine.”

Scootaloo had to stop herself from laughing. “Yeah, that sounds like her alright. As much as I adore your sister, she-”

“Oh, you adore my sister, but not moi?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Well, no, but I mean-” Scootaloo stammered out before she realized her friend was laughing. “...Oh haha, real funny.”

“I’m sorry Scoots, but you’re just so easy to tease.” Sweetie replied.

“Scoots?” Scootaloo asked before smirking and booping her friend on the nose. “Now who’s the one giving out the nicknames eh?”

Then she noticed her father, and she let out a sigh of resignation. Of course, he was always too damn busy with his kaiju to even enjoy a vacation.

“Dad… come on,” Scootaloo begged. “Just enjoy a day in your life for once, huh?”

“I’m… I’m sorry, dear,” Snap sighed. “It’s just… well, the Titans, they-”

“Fascinate you?” Scootaloo deadpanned. “Well, I’ve certainly heard that before. You know, there’s a reason why mom left you. And it’s all because you’re always too wrapped up in your work to even… Ugh, I don’t even know why I’m talking to you about this. It’s not like you’re going to listen or anything.”

Sweetie Belle watched all of this with a sigh. Even before Scootaloo had learned just what her parents did for a living, her relationship with them had been… strained. There was a reason why she looked up to Rainbow Dash as she did, as she was convinced Rainbow at the very least would always be there for her whenever she needed her.

“One day ...l met a guy who runs a cargo boat offshore. So he places a couple of frequency monitors on buoys for me out there in the bay,” Snap replied. “Thought it might make some great early warning system for Monarch just in case some Titan decides to get a little too close to a city for comfort. Maybe we’ll even catch a glimpse of the Big Guy himself. He hasn’t been seen since Saddle Arabia, and maybe that’s a relief to some people but for me? I’d just kill to see one glimpse of Godzilla before I go. To be honest, I'm kind of hoping that he does show up again. Otherwise, I'll be out of a job!”

Scootaloo had already turned away from her father, paying him no mind. Whenever he got going about a Titan, it was just like talking to a brick wall. You’d get nowhere, really. She hoped Rainbow Dash was having a better time than she was, seeing the sights of Baltimare. Then, something caught her eye. Something in the waters beyond. Reaching for her binoculars, Scootaloo looked out into the distance.

Scootaloo’s eyes widened as she peered out into the bay, seeing the sails of a truly massive dinosaur scything through the water, dropping her binoculars in shock.

“Dad!” She shouted, gesturing wildly. Snap Shutter’s eyes widened as he saw it as well.

“Brace for impact!” Snap shouted. To his surprise, however, Snap Shutter never felt the boat beginning to even capsize, as Titanosaurus seemed to vanish. And then he realized, with the stallion running to the other side of the boat and watching the creature vanish beneath the waves. And it was heading on a direct course to Baltimare...

“Oh, sweet Celestia…” Sweetie Belle whispered as she looked out towards the city, rising high above the landscape. “...All of those ponies.”

And then she remembered who else was in the city. “RARITY!”

Of course, as it turned out, Rarity wasn’t the pony everyone on that boat should have been worried about. “Oh Scootaloo…” Sweetie Belle thought to herself fighting back a sob. So much for those early warning signs, hmm?

She didn’t blame Titanosaurus, not really. There was no way he could have known who would get caught up in his little battle with Kamacuras. He was just defending his territory, which just so happened to be the area around Baltimare. No, that was incorrect. She vaguely remembered Snap mentioning that Titanosaurus had actually left his usual hunting grounds, because he’d felt threatened by something. That something had happened to be Kamacuras.

Of course, there were those who were probably positing already that Titanosaurus had come to Baltimare to save it from the giant mantis monster, but that was silly… right?

“Sweetie, are you… okay?” Rarity asked. “...Oh look at me, what am I saying? Of course, you’re not okay… For the record, I’m so sorry.”

She hugged her little sister tightly. She’d seen Sweetie’s room, the bedside table already awash with sympathy cards as soon as the news -as it always did with the gossip chain- made its way to Ponyville. And she’d been watching her closely. Rarity had seen her sister, just barely making an effort to try from breaking down entirely.

“There was nothing you could have done, sis,” Sweetie said. “There was nothing anypony could have done. Sometimes these things just… happen.”

“That’s a very mature outlook, Sweetie,” Rarity acknowledged. “Be that as it may, I still just want to help you through this as best as I can, okay? I… I hate seeing you like this, alright?”

Rarity could only guess how Rainbow Dash was holding up. The mare liked to wear her emotions on her sleeve, in a manner of speaking, but as the incident with Tank proved she could also hide her pain. But then again, there was a sharp difference between a beloved pet and a family member. Actually, now that Rarity thought about it, she hadn’t seen Rainbow Dash in a few days now. She’d asked Twilight what might have happened to her, but apparently the two weren’t on speaking terms right now.

Rarity could only begin to guess what had happened.

“I… I understand, and thank you,” Sweetie whispered. “Thank you, sis. I’ll… I’ll try to keep my-”

“Keep your chin up?” Rarity asked. “Be that as it may, I still think you need to allow yourself a bit of time to grieve, really. Just take a few moments to yourself, and allow yourself to cry okay? I won’t intrude, and I will pretend not to hear.”

“T-Thank you,” Sweetie said. “But I’m fine, honestly, I am!”

Rarity didn’t look like she believed her.

“...If you say so,” Rarity thought to herself. “Take your time sister, okay?”

Rarity wandered outside to flip the ‘closed’ sign on the door of the boutique before she spotted Rainbow. She was sitting atop a nearby cloud and looking as if she’d rather not be bothered. Well, Rarity decided. She would not let her friend grieve alone.

“Rainbow!” Rarity shouted. “Can you come over here, please? It’s… well, I just want to talk, okay?”

“If this is about sympathies,” Rainbow asked. “Then you can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine okay? I’ve had enough on my plate to deal with, without you sticking your nose into my business okay?”

Rarity let out a growl and pulled Rainbow down with her magic. “Now you listen here, understand Rainbow Dash? I will not allow you to hole yourself up away from the world, are we clear on this? That is not what you need. This is a time when you need your friends. And I will be damned if I allow you to-”

“Grieve alone?” Rainbow snapped at Rarity, making her take a step or two back. “Yeah yeah, I’ve heard it all before.”

Rarity knew what Rainbow was doing, lashing out at the world so nobody could see her cry. She could admire Rainbow for that, in some ways. Trying to keep her strength up in public, so nobody could think she was falling apart. But it was quite clear to anyone she was, as from the bags under her eyes it was obvious Rainbow hadn’t slept in days.

“Damnit Rares…” Rainbow whispered. “You just won’t give up, will you?”

“Of course I won’t,” Rarity replied, hugging her friend. “It’s the least I can do…”

And finally, at this, the dam broke. Rainbow began sobbing into Rarity’s shoulder. Rarity picked up a few bits and pieces of course, hearing things like how Twilight wouldn’t let Scootaloo rest and how some of her dear friends had been killed by a giant pterodactyl. Through it all, Rarity just listened and allowed her friend what she needed. “Shh… it’s okay, you needed this. Go on Rainbow, it’s okay.” she whispered.

Yes, there were a few ponies staring at Rainbow suddenly breaking down sobbing into Rarity’s shoulder in the middle of the street. But a quick glare from the Element of Generosity warded them off from asking any questions. “It’s alright Rainbow, I’m here. For as long as you need me. I’ll be here for both you, and Sweetie. Always.”

Meanwhile, Snap Shutter went over his choices in life. He could have prevented this, he knew he could have. If he’d just paid closer attention to the buoys, he could have gotten the boat out of there in time before Titanosaurus arrived. “I should have spent more time with you, my darling daughter, if I knew this was going to happen. You were right all along, I spent way too much time wrapped up in my work, and now look at what’s happened. I’ve lost you forever.”

Of course, that was now all in the past, and he now had a bigger problem.

“Yes, I thought... I think now I may have made a mistake…” Meadowbrook said, looking out to the nearby lake, Soulshine following her gaze with a thousand-yard stare. Out there in the lake was a massive rose bush, of sorts. It moved in the winds, and if Snap Shutter didn’t know any better he could have sworn the sounds coming from the bush itself were the wails of a young mare.

An eerie silence settled over the group as they slowly took in what they had created. A fusion of a pony, a rose, and the King of the Monsters himself. The G-Cell bottle lay shattered on the floor, Meadowbrook having dropped it upon realizing what exactly it had contained.

“I wanted to save her,” Soulshine whispered, the floor around them having massive roots growing through it. “I just wanted to save her. Honestly, I did.”

“And in the process,” Pharynx said as he walked up. “You may have done just that. But what else have you created?”

“Scootaloo…” Snap whispered to himself before turning to Pharynx. “Is she… is she still alive in… that thing?”

Pharynx’s expression hardened. “Find me the Shobijin.”

Twilight quickly heard the news and had locked herself away in her chambers. Starlight Glimmer was outside, begging to let her in. Twilight would not allow it. She just needed to be alone right now, collect her thoughts.

“I’m sorry Starlight,” Twilight thought to herself. “I… I know you want to help, but I’m not sure what you can do right now. And to be honest, helping others is what got me into this position in the first place, right?”

She knew this was all on her, she’d thought up the idea to bring on Mage Meadowbrook and possibly try and save what little left of Scootaloo there actually was. She’d paid Rainbow’s ranting no mind at the time, just wanting to help protect her subjects. Maybe she should have paid closer attention to one of her oldest friends instead of just trying to prove herself worthy of the crown.

In her gut, even back then she’d known Rainbow was right. She should have just let Scootaloo’s spirit rest. But she was too stubborn for that, and in the process of wanting to help Rainbow may have accidentally given Scootaloo a fate worse than death.

“Goddess, I’m no Princess…” Twilight said to herself in disgust. “At least, I’m not worthy of calling myself one right now. I’m just a wreck!”

She let out a scream and tossed everything off her desk, before breaking down into a small sob. All of her arrogance and her stupidity had finally caught up to her, and now a heavy price was paid. “I’m sorry… Scootaloo.”

Then the door was blasted open and Starlight walked inside her teacher’s chambers. “I thought I told you to leave me.” Twilight asked.

“And I know when you’re left alone like this,” Starlight began. “You generally do something stupid, or you get so wrapped up in your problems that you just lose yourself.”

“...Well, I think I’ve already pretty much done that, really…” Twilight grumbled. “Or have you missed the news about a gigantic rose growing in the middle of Lake Canterlot? You’re absolutely right Starlight. When I get so caught up in my problems I do lose myself. I caused this, don’t you understand? I caused this, by allowing it to grow and not shutting down the experiment at the start!”

Then she felt a sharp stinging slap and rubbed her cheek as she looked at Starlight, the mare having drawn back her hoof.

“Look at yourself,” Starlight told her sternly. “You’re the greatest magician I’ve ever known, you taught me all that I knew. You saved me from myself, and now just because you made one mistake you’re going to just lock yourself away from the world? No, that’s not you. Or maybe it is, and I was wrapped up in an illusion that the Twilight I thought I knew… well, it turns out she apparently never existed. Well,” she shrugged before going right for the jugular. “I guess Princess Celestia was wrong to place her faith in you. Looks like she and Luna retired a bit too early!”

Twilight stared at her, stunned before she looked furious. “Princess Celestia placed her faith in me for a reason!”

“A reason which I’ve yet to see right now,” Starlight deadpanned. “Because clearly the Princess Twilight she knew never existed, as the one I see in front of me just is too busy feeling sorry for herself to find any solutions to the problems presented to her! Oh no, she’d rather leave her subjects to fend for themselves and just hole herself away from the rest of the world. What a joke!”

She knew it was cruel, but Starlight also knew it was exactly what Twilight needed to hear. And Twilight knew it as well. “You’re… you’re right…” the alicorn sighed before her expression hardened. “No… there’s still a way to save her. I can still save Scootaloo. I can fix this. I can fix this! If her soul still exists, I can transfer it back into her real body, her proper body. I caused this mess, now I have to clean it up!”

It was the least she could do, after all, Twilight thought to herself as she began pulling books off the shelves in search of that one magic spell. Scootaloo shouldn’t have had to suffer any longer.

And Starlight smiled. “That’s my girl.”

Far away, on Monster Island, Battra had detected the stirrings in the earth and had heard Rodan’s awakening cries. If he could have sighed, he would have. Damn ponies, they never knew when to just leave certain Titans be. Rodan was an especially irritable Titan, and had a tendency to cause more trouble than he was actually worth.

Clearly, once again, he would have to clean up after the small ones and their messes. He doubted the Shobijin or Mothra would approve but what they didn’t know about wouldn’t hurt them right?

Taking to the skies, the Battle Moth unfurled his wings and let out a cry. Battra Leo was coming, and woe betide those who halted him in his mission.

Ocellus wandered through what remained of the town, demolished buildings on every side of her. Everywhere she looked was the remains of civilization. Ashes drifted in the air, a thick plume of smoke rising from the volcano, cries of an ancient creature echoing out in the distance. She knew he was here, Rodan. The problem is, well she didn’t know exactly where the giant pterosaur was. Storm clouds rumbled above in the gloomy night, and Ocellus shuddered. Either one of them could have been right above her, and she never would have noticed it until it was far too late to do anything about it. Maybe it already was.

“Well girl,” the little changeling thought to herself. “You wanted to get up close and personal with a kaiju? Well, looks like you got your wish. Presuming you survive this, or are found, you’ll have quite a paper to present!”

She laughed nervously. “Well… guess it’s time to find the way out of… here…” Ocellus breathed as she then halted in her tracks, not because of the lava stream in front of her but because she heard a cry for help. It was barely audible over the general calamity, but she could still hear it.

Ocellus broke out into a gallop, her wings buzzing as she took to the air. Eventually, she found herself in the ruins of what was possibly once the town hall. Looking behind the rubble, she saw a family along with whom she swore to be Star Hunter trapped behind some rubble.

“O-Ocellus?” Star Hunter stammered. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“...Um, graduate paper?” Ocellus blushed. “D-Don’t worry, I-I’ll get you out!”

“Yeah, as soon as I figure out just exactly how to do that!” Ocellus thought to herself. Then she had her lightbulb moment, remembering something she’d seen Pharynx do at times. A flash of green fire and Ocellus changed into the biggest thing she could think of. In her case, it happened to be a lizard with a bony white head. It was something she’d had in her mind lately, helping doodle illustrations for Gallus’ novel. She didn’t actually know if it would go anywhere but it helped to have a hobby. And now that hobby was saving lives, in a way.

Using her new form’s massive jaws, she pulled away as much rubble as she could before transforming back, practically collapsing in a heap. Star Hunter ran out and helped her up.

“...You foolish little nymph,” Star Hunter lectured looking quite furious. “You didn’t have to do that! Actually, what was that? I’ve never seen it in any book…”

“It… it was something I dreamed up for art class okay?” Ocellus coughed out as Star Hunter grabbed a nearby rag and wrapped it around her mouth to prevent smoke inhalation. It might not help them by that much, but every little thing to prolong their survival right?

“...Um, what just happened there? Why is she so… weak?” one of the ponies who had been trapped with Star Hunter asked delicately, searching for the right words. A mare, a dark forest green in color. She spoke with a Trottingham accent. Evidently, she’d been a tourist of sorts. Star Hunter honestly pitied her, such a fine holiday she’d been gifted with really.

“It’s all a matter of… well, a matter to mass exchange,” Ocellus explained as best as she could to the mare. “The bigger the creature, the harder it is for changelings to maintain the form.”

“Which is exactly why I wished she hadn’t done that!” Star Hunter snapped, his wings flaring in anger briefly.

“You mean… theoretically, at least, she could change into one of those?” the mare asked him. “One of those kaiju I mean?”

A nearby changeling who’d been trapped with her, well he simply smacked her over the head. Star Hunter looked like he’d been about to do the same had he not been beaten to it.

“No, you dipstick!” the changeling shouted, a bright yellow in chitlin color. “It could very well kill her!”

“Said ‘her’ is right here you know,” Ocellus replied giving him a flat, unamused look. “I… I think I can explain things for myself, really…”

She then shrank back into herself, before Ocellus regained her courage. She turned back to Star Hunter. “I didn’t know you knew so much about changelings.” she inquired eyes widened in surprise.

“Well, when your boss is one, you try and learn all you could,” Star Hunter said. “Just in case. I mean, I trained as a medic. It certainly doesn’t hurt to know changeling biology, just in case you’re ever out in the field and you need to know this crap. ...Not that you ever get put out in the field, because they decide you’re better behind a desk job half the time!”

Ocellus stared at him. “...you been holding that in much?”

“I… I may have been, yeah…” Star Hunter admitted. “...Actually, come to think of it, a nice cushy desk job, -and that’s assuming we ever get out of this mess- does sound mighty tempting really…”

Ocellus let out her first real laugh of the day. Then came a low growl from somewhere off in the distance.

“Oh Celestia and Luna above, please tell me that’s not what I think it was,” Star Hunter muttered to himself. “...Looks like the Rodans aren’t the only thing that we need to worry about. I mean, they’re certainly the biggest, but they are not the only thing.”

“W-What do you mean?” the mare asked.

“Well, when a city like this gets abandoned,” the yellow changeling, who was named Buzzclaw commented. “The local wildlife take over. That might have been a jaguar or a leopard. Oooh, maybe even a tiger!”

“A tiger!” Deep Forest, who was the mare shrieked out in fear and terror. “Oh goodness, we’ll all be killed!”

“We certainly will be if you don’t shut up!” Star Hunter snapped shooting her a deathly glare. “So shut your piehole eh?”

Deep Forest complied.

“Um… excuse me sir?” a small palomino colt asked nervously. Ocellus’ heart nearly gave out. She recognized him as one of her classmates. Pipsqueak, if she remembered right. “I… I don’t mean to interrupt, but you are going to get me and me mum out of here right?”

Star Hunter sighed. “...well, I can certainly damn well try to, at any rate!”

“Don’t worry,” a familiar soothing voice said and Ocellus gave out a relieved smile. She knew that voice. “Me and Star Hunter, we’ll get you out of here. I promise.”

“Fluttershy, as I live and breathe,” Star Hunter said as the butter-yellow mare wandered out of the gloom. “You seem to have a knack for getting up close and personal with kaiju. I mean, first, it was Mothra and the MUTOs, now this! We really should be offering you a job!”

“No… No thanks,” Fluttershy giggled. “I’m really rather happy where I am, really!”

“Professor?” Pipsqueak piped up. “What are you even doing here?”

“Well, I was actually here on vacation, like you really. I… I saw the battle, and I ran and hide…” Fluttershy admitted shamefully. “If… If only I could have helped, I might have been able to calm those creatures down!”

“Or you could have been killed,” Star Hunter said. “There’s no shame in running and hiding, especially when Titans are involved. At any rate, I’m so glad you’re here now. Between your skills with animals, and mine with field medicine, we might just make it out of here alive!”

“...Um, I don’t mean to burst anyone’s bubble or anything,” Ocellus squeaked out. “But I think we should be running now!”

She was right, and Fluttershy let out a shriek as a massive jaguar leaped out of the darkness with eyes flashing. 210 pounds of muscle barreled out, ready to render limb from limb. But Fluttershy stood her ground and looked at the massive feline dead in the eyes.

“Oh great, she has a death wish! So much for the Element of Kindness!” Forest said. “She’s going to let us all be killed, I guess it’s one for all now right!”

“Shut up!” Ocellus hissed out at her. “If I think she’s doing what I think she’s doing…”

“What, buying us time to escape by sacrificing herself?” Forest asked. “...well, I suppose that is kind in a way…”

But the jaguar decided to back off, the force of Fluttershy’s infamous Stare scaring it, and suddenly making it decide that there was better prey.

“Yep, I’ve still got it,” Fluttershy whispered. “...Though, I really shouldn’t be patting myself on the back just yet… We still need to get out of this city. There’s a trainyard nearby, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think there are any trains that we can actually, y’know, drive,” Ocellus said. “I mean, they were probably all crushed by Rodan’s little flight to freedom.”

“Well, it’s either that or brave the jungles, little missy,” Star Hunter said. “Between you and me, I favor the possibility of a train.”

“Point taken,” Ocellus admitted. “Now, which way do we go?”

“Say we make it there,” Buzzclaw said as the group headed out. “Does any one of us actually know how to even operate a train? I mean, it’s not like we just press a button or anything. Trains are complicated beasts.”

“My da has a model railway in his basement,” Pipsqueak piped up. “He’s… well, he’s a bit of a trainspotter really. He knows a little bit about everything regarding trains actually!”

“And don’t we know it!” Forest muttered. “...Celestia, I never thought your father’s bloody obsession would actually ever come in handy one day!”

Fluttershy looked pleased with this. “I’m so glad you’ve been paying attention to him! Now, let’s get moving, shall we? I’d rather not stay here for long, in case that jaguar comes back.”

“Agreed.” Star Hunter and Ocellus said, blinking in shock before smiling at each other.

“You know what?” Ocellus asked. “I think we might make it out of here after all…”

It was a bit of a journey actually making it across the city, with plenty of near misses and dangers to avoid, such as streams of lava. Several times, the group had to backtrack and actually find a different route across. It was trying, to say the least. Somehow, Ocellus had managed to get herself separated from the group, and was currently calling out to see if she could find them again. That, however, turned out to be not her biggest problem actually. She’d actually backed into something… rather large and only realized what she had come across when she felt the heat. She nervously looked up, and her eyes widened. She suppressed a sharp gasp when she looked up to see the massive Rodan male preening his mate.

They nuzzled as the male presented a massive hunk of meat to her, the female swallowing it. Ocellus let out a squeak before she covered her mouth in shock as she realized as what had happened. “Oh by the hivemother, I’m going to die. I’m going to die!” she thought as the female Rodan leaned down close to inspect her.

During this period, Ocellus got a very close look at the female. She was bright in color, almost fiery red with an equally bright yellow chest. Only her head was a dark color, almost black. Compared to her, the male was much darker covered in smoldering shades of crimson and gray resembling a volcano. He was also, as Ocellus had priorly observed, MUCH bigger.

Rodan inspected the small insect below her. She was certainly a brave one, even if her mate didn’t seem to think so. He leaned forward and nearly snapped her up. His mate had to drag him back into line, biting down on his head horns with her beak.

She actually felt sorry for the little one, it was clear she didn’t mean to be here nor did she actually want to be. She was… afraid of her, and it shamed the Fire Demon. She didn’t feel she deserved that moniker, and if anything wanted to live in… relative peace with the small ones. It was clear that they owned this planet now. While she’d never go as soft as Mothra and allow them to touch her and go out of her way to protect them she would leave them be.

Ocellus looked the Fire Demon in the eye, and her heart rate returned to normal. This… this was just an animal after all, and she deserved her place in the world just as much as Ocellus did. Gathering her courage, Ocellus reached out with a hoof to touch the Rodan’s beak. Maybe she was being foolish, maybe she had a death wish. But it was clear this creature was intelligent, she had saved her from its mate. Ocellus owed it the benefit of the doubt. For all of the destruction she had caused, the female had been only defending herself and her territory after she had been attacked.

To her great surprise, the female Rodan obliged her. Beauty and the Beast regarded each other, and made their peace with each other in the ecosystem. They would not harm the other. The male for his part looked furious and poised to strike.

“YOU!” came Fluttershy’s voice as she stepped forwards eyes blazing with a fury never before seen. “Step away from my student! Yeah, that’s right! I’m talking to you buster! Yes you, you great big… meanie!”

Ocellus gaped, and she could have sworn the female was as well as they looked at the normally timid pegasus berating the One Borne of Fire. The male for his part didn’t quite know what to think. It was like his mother had risen from the grave and was scolding him. Did this little flying creature really think she had the right, or the ability to treat him this way?

But Fluttershy was not backing down, not one bit.

“Who do you think you are?” she asked snorting angrily. Rodan took a few steps back in shock, the male pterosaur looking stunned. “Where do you get off on the right to treat my student like this hmm? Just because you’re bigger than everyone else doesn’t mean you get the right to treat her like she’s beneath you!”

The female Rodan decided then and there, well this one had her respect. It was not something she gave freely, as the rainbow one had learned. But this pegasus had it.

The male still didn’t know what to think, really. This was a tiny, tiny creature and it was treating him like he needed to be scolded! He was the Fire Demon, the Terror of the Skies and somehow this little one was frightening him so. Even more than his King, if you could believe it. Comically, he was now hiding behind his own massive wings, ducking his head not be seen.

It was all Ocellus could do to stop herself from laughing. She had to keep herself from laughing, save what little of Rodan’s dignity remained. Then she heard a high cackle, and it took her a moment to realize what it was. The female, she was laughing!

“Come on Ocellus,” Fluttershy whispered to the little changeling. “Back away now... Pretty please?”

Then she turned her wraith back to the male Rodan who looked betrayed by his mate changing her tune. “You… you… You do not get to eat my student! Nor do you have any right to even think of doing so! She is under my protection, understand! If there’s anyone you even fear, I will make you fear me more! My name is Fluttershy, tamer and friend of the Spirit of Chaos and I will make you heel to me!”

Rodan let out a squawk of shock, this little one had tamed the Spirit of Chaos and even befriended him? Okay, it was clear. This one frightened him even more than his Majesty! And he could breathe fire and face down the Golden One without breaking a sweat!

Ocellus hugged Fluttershy, as soon as she could finally break away from the pair’s gaze. She whispered many “thank yous!” over and over again. She hadn’t actually thought she’d be able to escape those two with her life.

“It’s what I do,” Fluttershy smiled weakly. “I would gladly give up my life to protect my students.”

Unknown to her, the male had heard. She would give up her life, all to protect her students and even face down one such as he? Clearly, she was either suicidal… or very very brave. He hadn’t made up his mind as to which yet. She was worth watching, that was for sure.

Fluttershy and Ocellus ran as far away from the nesting pair as they could, not wanting to stick around and bear their wraith. If they knew they needn’t have feared either, they probably wouldn’t have run so fast. But it wasn’t like they ever wanted to stick around and find out what either Rodan thought of them.

Eventually, they made their way back to the group, having reunited in a train yard where lo and behold transportation sat.

“Where were you?” Buzzclaw asked. “Goodness, I’ve been a nervous wreck!”

“He has been,” Star Hunter deadpanned rather unhelpfully. “He’s been flashing between forms for the past half hour or so!”

“Gee, thanks for giving away my dignity,” Buzzclaw deadpanned. “But seriously, he’s right. We didn’t know what happened to either of you! We thought you’d surely been eaten!”

“Never mind that,” Fluttershy said looking up at the massive steam train in front of her. Even in the gloom, the 2-6-0 wheel arrangemented train’s red paint shown. “Can you get it started?”

“Well, we can try at any rate!” Star Hunter said. “I’ll find some coal to shove into the boiler. It’s high time we take our leave, I think!”

Fluttershy smiled and blew the whistle. She blushed unashamedly. “...I always wanted to do that.”

Author's Note

Okay, yeah. So, a lot of things happening here. Sweetie Belle and Rainbow are trying to get the chance to grieve, Biollante's just been born and Battra Leo's decided to head off Rodan. Also, Fluttershy uses the Stare on the male.

The Bitch Bird 2019 award goes to... THIS GUY!

For the most part, this is a fairly quiet chapter. The way I figured it, after the chaos that was Rodan's awakening, you deserved a bit of a chance to breathe. Anyways, you know the drill. Thoughts, comments, and more go in the box below.

5: Innocence Lost

Titanosaurus swam, something was wrong in the world. He’d heard the roar, the one that shook him down to his very core.

It was a cry of terror, one of pain. A new Titan had emerged, lost and confused upon their place upon this new world they’d found themselves in. He knew the King had heard it as well, seeing the massive maple leaf style spines jutting up from the waves, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.

And then he saw the look in his King’s eyes and shuddered. Pure rage. He’d only seen that look once or twice in his life before, and every time Titanosaurus hoped to never see it again. Someone… something was encroaching on his territory. An Alpha to rival his own. Titanosaurus’ yellow eyes widened in terror. No, it couldn’t have been… could it? Had the Golden One finally made his return?

No, it wasn’t the Golden One, Titanosaurus corrected himself. If it was, everyone would have been on edge. Mothra seemed to be less antsy than Titanosaurus would have expected if the False King was out and about. Then there was that roar, that mournful howl. The one of pain and terror. It sounded like a ghostly wail, a spectre of the mighty King of the Monsters’ own.

Titanosaurus would have sighed if he were capable. And just when he thought things had been settling down, it seemed the Kamacuras hoard had been driven off for now.

He frowned at the thought of the battle he’d waged in what the small ones designated as Baltimare. He’d seen the casualties caught up in the crossfire between him and Kamacuras.

During his titanic tussle in the harbor, he’d seen that small pegasus knocked into the churning waves. He’d dived, as best as he could before bringing her up out of the waters. He closed his eyes in remembrance, even still he’d failed to save that little one.

No, there was no time to think over failures, not now. He let out a growl to his King, asking for him to halt.

The King of the Monsters turned to look back at him, eyes narrowed. Many a Kaiju would have backed down from the expression on his face. But as Titanosaurus explained, he began to nod in understanding. He would give him time, the ability to hopefully talk to this Titan. But if that failed, then he would come to call and strike them out of existence.

None must be allowed to remain as a threat to his reign, nor none must be allowed to remain a threat to the ones below.

If Titanosaurus could sigh in relief, he would have. He’d bought himself some precious time. Then, he heard it, twin echoing calls from miles away. He shared a look with his King and knew he heard it as well, these twin calls had been heard several times over the past few nights. Originally, it had been planned for Mothra and Titanosaurus to come and calm these two Titans.

Obviously, with the emergence of this third factor in the scenario, those plans had been… derailed.

So, the obvious question was what to do now? Deal with the newly emerged Titan, or handle these two others?

A loud screech from up above, and a dark shape flying through the otherwise clear blue skies above changed things even further. Godzilla let out a growl of annoyance, the new Battra had always been a bit of a pain in his side.

He was young, foolish and possessed almost none of his mother’s wisdom. Instead, he dealt with threats the old fashioned way. Instead of trying to talk them into heel, he just dealt with them until they stopped moving.

Titanosaurus rolled his eyes as he sank beneath the waves in pursuit, that kind of attitude would get Battra killed one day, he just knew it. It almost had with the MUTOs, had the Queen and Mother of All not arrived to bail him out.

He let out the kaiju equivalent to a groan, he so wished that the Shobijin’s connection with Battra was as strong as it was with Mothra. But Battra was too violent, too battle-hungry to form a proper connection with.

...either that or the Shobijin didn’t particularly care for Battra. Titanosaurus hadn’t really been able to figure out which was which yet. He suspected it was probably a little bit of both, honestly.

In any case, it fell to him to bring Battra back under control before he did something really stupid and got himself close to getting killed. Again. Titanosaurus had to suppress a laugh at the thought of how the original Battra had died. His pride had ended up getting him killed, first his wings were drowned in waters and then he was lured into a canyon where they were just ripped off.

Credit where credit was due, the small ones were a lot smarter than most of the kaiju gave them credit for. Out of all the awakened ones thus far, it seemed only really Manda and Mothra really respected the little ones, being as old as they were. Titanosaurus didn’t know how his King felt, as he was very hard to read at even at the best of times. He was also very old, and very stubborn as just about any Titan could attest to. Did he respect the new rulers of the planet now? Possibly. He couldn’t tell.

Titanosaurus certainly did, given one had probably saved his life from that one Kamacuras. If he ever met up with the rainbow maned one, he would have to thank her somehow.

But that was for later. Right now, he had a Battle Moth to reign in. Hopefully this wasn’t going to be too much of a challenge.

Oh, who was he kidding? Battra possessed a stubborn streak possibly even worse than that of his King’s. And then there were these two other kaiju to worry about. Who knew what they thought. He hoped they were smart enough not to get into a brawl with Battra, or that Battra didn’t do anything too rash.

That third kaiju would have to wait, Titanosaurus had more immediate problems.

“So then,” the Shobijin said looking up at the massive rose out in front of them, resting in the lake. A low fog had begun to settle in, casting an eerie glow over the lake due to the light of the moon. “You claimed you… saved her?” they asked in their ever eerie and ever-present unison.

Meadowbrook and Soulshine wilted under their stares. “I… I did what I had to do,” Soulshine whispered before he corrected himself. “No, what I… what we wanted to do.”

The Shobijin glowered, the hatred of a thousand suns boring into the souls of Meadowbrook and Soulshine. “No, you've accomplished nothing more than furthering the suffering of an innocent child.”

They pressed their hooves against Soulshine. “You’re a monster. How in the world can you not see that?”

“Calm down.” Pharynx rested a hoof on the Shobijin shoulders. “You shouldn’t speak when in this sort of mindset.”

He chuckled to himself at the irony, he was far from the calmest changeling really. Yet here he was, playing mediator. How times had changed.

He turned his attention back towards Soulshine and Meadowbrook, who’d shrunk back, their gazes focused on the ground. “Do you see why I said this was a bad idea? How can you possibly think that that abomination is really still Scootaloo?” Pharynx asked.

“Well, presumably, if her soul is still-”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Pharynx growled at Soulshine. “You gave up the right to speak about this as soon as you got this genius idea. I was talking to Meadowbrook. I repeat… How can you possibly think that that abomination is really still Scootaloo?”

The rose in the lake continued to move, its massive leaves blowing in the wind. A harrowing wail settled out over the lake, chilling Meadowbrook to the bone. She stifled a sob, and looked away, unable to face her… creation. “...what have we done?” She fell to the ground, burying her face between her hooves. “We’re monsters.”

“Congratulations genius, you’ve finally realized what anyone with a moral compass saw from the get-go!” Pharynx drawled throwing up a hoof in the air in frustration before rubbing his forehead feeling a headache coming on.

“I know I don’t have the right to speak,” Meadowbrook said. “But-”

“Yeah, you really don’t,” the Shobijin on the left said with a disgusted look. “You were playing God and now you’re suffering the consequences of your foolishness. Now gaze upon in it and know that you’ve ripped the soul of a child and made it into a creature that’ll never know peace.”

Her twin gave her a disappointed look. “Calm yourself, sister,” she said. “Pharynx is right. You’re in no state to speak with that mindset.”

“Miana,” the Shobijin on the left said. “She calls herself the best medic in the world, and now look at what she’s done! She’s created an abomination against nature! She deserves to be its first victim!”

“Cease this at once, sister,” Miana said. “You have to understand that Meadowbrook made a mistake. Nobody’s perfect, you do seem to forget that. She had every best intention in mind.”

“You were berating her as well!” Maina snapped. “So don’t go ahead and start painting yourself white!”

Miana gave her a look, taking several deep breaths. “Be that as it may,” she continued in a firmer tone. “You need to remember Meadowbrook is just as much of a victim here of her own stupidity as Scootaloo. And by the way, I’m not quite sure Scootaloo would ever eat her fellow ponies, even as she is now!”

Both twins noticed the group of three staring at them.

“Yes?” both Miana and Maina asked.

“...I’m sorry, it’s just we never knew you both had… names, and didn’t always speak in unison.” Pharynx commented.

“We prefer to be nameless,” Miana said. “We aren’t quite fond of our names. They… don’t come from the best of places in time and history.”

“So I see,” Twilight acknowledged as she strode up onto the small dock, her mane blowing in the wind. “It does explain a bit though. However, this is neither the time nor the place. Is Scootaloo still alive in there?”

“Barely,” Maina replied. “Her soul’s there, but if we don’t act quickly, she’s going to be consumed by the hatred of the monster her soul inhabits now. Or worse, something else will rip her vessel apart and she’ll die once more and bringing her back will make her more of a poltergeist than a pony.”

“Then we talk to her,” Meadowbrook said regaining her composure. “First things first, we need to know her mental state, how far along she is, and how long we have before her Titan side consumes her.”

“Well, you’d better hurry up then,” Maina said in an icy cold tone. “If you don’t act really quick, you’ll lose your friend—again.”

Twilight’s horn glowed and then so did both of the Twins. “There, you should be able to speak to her now, as you do with your Goddess. At… at least that’s the theory anyway.” the Princess said, as the two twins climbed inside her mane. Twilight extended her wings and flew as close to the giant plant as she dared.

“Scootaloo,” Miana asked with no small amount of trepidation. “Are you in there? Please, speak to me. Princess Twilight’s here too. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

The rose turned its head, the petals opening and closing a bit too frighteningly like a mouth for Twilight’s tastes. She swallowed, so it… no, Scootaloo she corrected herself, still reacted to her presence. Okay, this was good. This was very good. “Scootaloo?” Twilight asked. “It’s me, Twilight. Y-you remember me, right?”

The rose’s petals all shut, save for two of them at the top that gave the appearance of eyes. It tilted its head, a bottom petal beckoning to Twilight. A vine extended out towards Twilight like a hand, and Twilight took it.

She hesitantly landed on the vine and trotted forward, her legs shaking. “I’m your friend, Scootaloo. I want to help you.”

“She’s right,” Miana said gently while Maina trembled. “You know her, even now she’s working away in her head on how to get you back to your original body.”

“He-eeeelp meeee?” a garbled voice, stuck somewhere between the innocence of a filly and the vehement disdain of a wrath-filled beast, asked. “Y-yes! Help me, Twilight!”

Suddenly, a roar filled the air; vines lashing out in every which direction. Poor Miana and Maina were nearly thrown off and eventually were before Twilight grabbed them in her hooves and pulled them close to her chest. “You cannot h-help her, no, us! She’s mine—MINE!”

Miana reached out with her mind, in the same way she’d reached out to her Goddess so many times before. She reeled and had Twilight not been holding her she’d had plummeted into the water like a stone. She felt rage, unbridled rage like she’d never felt before. And a desire to burn the whole world to a lifeless husk. She knew where the rage came from, it came from the creature’s other half. In all essence, she was speaking to a newly born Godzilla in some ways.

“...By the Heavens…” Maina whispered before letting out a shout of “MIANA!”

“I’m… I’m alright,” Miana whispered. “But… but there’s something else inside that mind. Rage, pure unadulterated rage. Like that of… him.”

“H-Him?” Maina whispered. “You don’t mean…?”

“Yes,” Miana replied. “The one they call Godzilla.”

“I’m not letting you have her,” Twilight said narrowing her eyes, not even sure how to address this thing’s other half. “She’s one of us. You’ll give Scootaloo back to us. I speak to you now as the Princess of the Sun, Moon, Tides, and Friendship. You will release Scootaloo to us, or I will be forced to take drastic measures.”

Pharynx, from his point on the docks, watched. “...Come on Twilight, get out of there,” he muttered. “Just do your thing, and get out of there!”

He hated feeling so useless. Then again, what could you do when you were staring at a giant kaiju with the rage of Godzilla directly in the face?

“...How long do you estimate we have before her Titan side takes over, completely?” Pharynx questioned, directing this question towards Meadowbrook.

“About five minutes, give or take,” the mare replied. “If Twilight’s going to do something, she’d better do it now!”

Twilight’s horn glowed with a sharp light, visibly strained as she began pulling a ghostly white substance out of the massive rose creature. “...I… I can’t…” she whispered. “That thing, the other personality, it’s too strong!”

“You’ve got to try!” Meadowbrook shouted as she watched the impromptu game of tug of war. “If that creature gets it back, Scootaloo’s lost to us!”

“I know that!” Twilight shouted. Suddenly, she looked at the docks seeing a small figure running up. Her eyes widened. “...Sweetie Belle?”

“S-Scootaloo?” Sweetie asked. Gallus, having trailed up behind her panting and sweating before finally falling faint, his golden helm falling right to the ground as he did so. “It’s me, I’m here. I… I heard about what happened. Professor Starlight told me. I tried not to overhear her, but I just couldn’t help myself! Cutie Mark Crusaders forever, right? Isn’t that what we promised?”

“Y-Yeah, we did!” Scootaloo’s voice echoed out of the misty white substance.

“Come on, you can fight this, can’t you?” Sweetie asked. “Please… for me? I… I understand what you were trying to tell me back then. Back in Baltimare! You… you love me right?”

“Y-Yeah,” Scootaloo replied as Twilight began to pull her out of the massive plant which comprised her form. “Yeah, I do. I… I didn’t know how to tell you, I didn’t know what to say or how to express myself. I… I just didn’t want to come across as all mushy, you understand?”

“Y-Yeah, I do!” Sweetie Belle answered. “Please, you can fight this. You can fight that… thing, can’t you? For me, and for Rainbow Dash!”

“Yeah, I can…” Scootaloo said before a terrifying roar cut through the night.

“You can’t have her!” the creature’s other side roared. “She’s a part of me now! You and all your ponies will let me have her, she gave me life! I protect her!”

“You call this life? You call this protecting her?” Twilight snarled. “If you really cared about Scootaloo, you would be able to see she was in pain, and in misery!”

Finally, she was sent flying backward by a powerful swing from one of the many frailing vines as Scootaloo screamed. The creature looked upwards visibly straining itself, and golden spores were released covering the hills.

Then Twilight looked out towards the river, Meadowbrook following her gaze. A sharp orange sail was erupting from the water, a massive draconic creature muddled with small spots over his deep brown scales rising up out of the water.

“...Titanosaurus…” Soulshine said finally finding his voice. He watched as Titanosaurus slowly strode forwards, water cascading off his massive form. The spores from earlier, they’d covered the hillsides and the entire valley was now awash with color as flowers bloomed.

“One… One last gift…” Meadowbrook whispered turning her head away.

“What… what are you talking about?” Twilight asked. “Scootaloo’s still in there! SCOOTALOO!”

Titanosaurus looked at the rose creature directly in the eyes. So this was the third kaiju they’d all been hearing. It wasn’t one ancient titan emerging from his slumber only to find the whole world changed as he’d previously thought. No, Titanosaurus corrected himself as he gazed upon the creature and caught a familiar scent. This was one made by pony hooves.

He looked at the creature, and he nodded in understanding. He then raised a claw, and Sweetie Belle’s screams cut through the night…

Azteca:

The train trundled along the tracks, columns of thick smoke filling the air, choking it as a sharp whistle cut through the night, one bright lamp on the front of the train scything through the dark.

“Well, I’d say we made it,” Star Hunter said slumping to the floor of the train in obvious relief, ash and soot masking his midnight blue features. He’d been hard at work tending to the fire, shoveling coal to keep it alight as the train thundered down the tracks, now passing a massive lake. “...we made it.”

In the sole passenger car, Ocellus’ wings buzzed in agitation, as she looked out the window to the lake beyond, the moon reflected on its surface. She knew she should be sleeping, it was still a long way till the next station. And yet… she couldn’t find herself sleeping. They’d just barely escaped that city.

“You alright?” Fluttershy asked in a soft tone as she walked up to her, the trundling of the wheels below and the rattling of the rails having lulled everyone into a gentle sleep. “Can’t sleep? It’s alright, I can’t either.”

“It’s about the Rodans isn’t it?” Ocellus asked, looking back to where she could see embers rising into the night sky from what remained of the town. “....we barely escaped them, and yet…”

“You want to go back to them, don’t you?” Fluttershy answered. “...so do I. I don’t know how to explain it, but I saw a look in at least one of their eyes. They looked…”

“So alone?” Ocellus asked. “I’d like to believe you, I really would, but they tried to eat me. So excuse me if I’m not going to extend the hoof of friendship to giant pterosaurs any time soon.”

“Then what was that I saw you doing back there?” Fluttershy asked with a small smirk. She’d seen it, clear as day, the female Rodan actually allowing Ocellus to touch her beak. She had to smile at this. If anything it was clear the Rodans were actually intelligent and could probably be reasoned with. She hadn’t missed the male of the duo actually recoiling from the power behind The Stare. The gaze of an unthinking, perpetually angry beast that was not. They were just as alive as any other creature, and Fluttershy knew it. She’d swear by it.

“...okay, you got me there,” Ocellus admitted. “I… I just saw that look in their eyes. They need a friend, and the way I see it, friendship should start with just one small thing.”

“...You’ve been paying attention to Pinkie, I see,” Fluttershy said with a small approving smile. “I knew her bringing in Princess Skystar that one day was a good idea.”

“...You really think Rodan can be befriended,” Ocellus asked nervously. “Both of them, I mean?”

“I’m sure of it,” Fluttershy answered with complete and utter certainty. “I am sure of it. Both of them, they can be befriended.”

Then, an almost familiar screech filled the air.

“CHEEEEERRRRRRRNNNNTTTTTT!!!!!”

For a moment, Fluttershy thought it Mothra. She then realized this squeak was much lower in tone, and far more frightening. A dark shape, bright orange and yellow wings temporarily blotted out the moon, twin dark red eyes narrowed in what could only be described as fury.

“Is… is that Battra?” Ocellus asked watching the Battle Moth settle itself atop a hill, and let out a screech in challenge to Rodan. “What’s he doing here?”

“I think I can wager a guess…” Fluttershy whispered as Rodan’s familiar squawking roar cut through the air. “He’s still a Guardian of the Planet, after all…”

Battra knew one or if it came to it, both Rodans had to be brought to heel and stopped. They were a pair of cataclysmic, uncontrollable forces of nature. One of his past lives had met with Rodan before, possibly one of the parents of the two living now. The best way he could describe that one was like a living A-Bomb, able to flatten entire cities with just a single flap of his wings. These Rodans hadn’t quite reached maturity, and it would take a very long while for that to happen, admittedly, but they had to be stopped here and now before they even had a chance to grow.

His King was a fool to even think about having a Rodan as one of his chief allies because as loyal as they may have been, they were still often ill-tempered and quite destructive.

This, of course, was Battra ignoring the fact that you could really say the same things about Godzilla. The Battle Moth wasn’t exactly what you’d call smart like that. No, Battra was the equivalent to a meathead in the Kaiju kingdom!

Or, well, that's what the Golden One would've said before cackling like a hyena. Rodan was probably second in line for the meathead spot, honestly.

Battra launched himself at the massive pterodactyl, letting out a screech as he flew forwards, before he spat his silk at Rodan, stringing him to the side of a mountain. The massive creature barely had time to react as a 30,000 metric ton bullet train barreled right at him smashing through the mountainside. Rubble flew everywhere, massive boulders littering the sides of the train tracks below.

Star Hunter cursed and swore as he desperately kept the train moving as what remained of the mountain fell all around him. He looked up, and saw Battra and the male Rodan -at least he hoped it was the male- striking at each other, Battra trying to impale Rodan with his horns. Rodan meanwhile just bit and snapped at Battra, or used his talons to try and rip him open.

From her spot in the passenger car, peering precariously out the window Ocellus could see the world become repeatedly become enveloped in the shadows- brief moments of light appearing for the blink of an eye- before the wings of the two titanic avians above blotted out the Sun. Battra struck, lashing out with his stinger, Rodan screeching out in pain before Battra grabbed him and tossed him through the trees, sending them flying like toothpicks.

Battra then let out a screech of pain as he was attacked from behind, pure hot magma scalding his very carapace. The female Rodan perched herself on the remains of the mountain her mate had been tossed through and let out a squawk of rage.

Battra would have sighed if he had the ability, of course, he’d forgotten about the female in his battle frenzy. The other half of the meathead whose mind was dedicated to being the sensible one. At least, that’s what his mother told him. Battra rarely listened. He probably should have, now that he thought of it.

The male lunged, grabbing Battra by the stinger, before slamming him into the ground, dirt flying like batter from a blender. Flapping his wings, he let out a distinctive powder that had the female gasping for air, before Battra used the distraction to rocket upwards and escape into the cloud cover above.

The male, of course, was having none of it and his eyes narrowed before he followed after his foe, leaving a trail of embers in his wake. No one, especially not some lousy and good for nothing armored moth, stabbed him and got away with it!

It was, after all, common decency to lay down and accept defeat like a man. Rodan let out an enraged squawk as he chased after his foe, talons extended.

Letting out another squawk, Rodan flapped his wings, the trees below being flattened like an insect beneath the hoof of a minotaur. He extended his talons and clawed at Battra's carapace, only to slash the air as his target zipped to the side and slammed into his wings.

Battra’s eyes narrowed before he released more of that same orange-gold powder from his wings. Rodan was left coughing and gasping for air, eyes stinging with the fury of a hundred thousand wrathful hornets. He darted away as if almost daring for his enemy to follow.

Battra opened his eyes, only to narrow them once more. This meathead masquerading as the so-called Lord of the Skies was more arrogant than…

Well, he was arrogant. It was unbelievable!

Screeching, he darted after the male, his eyes no longer narrowed, lest he not see from his peripheral vision. Of course, this was his second mistake, the first obviously forgetting about the female. Battra had gotten so cocky, he’d forgotten dueling with Rodan at such close range was a really grievous error in tactical judgment. As he quickly found out when he was slammed into a mountainside. He found himself moving his head just so, as Rodan snapped at him with his massive beak, with Battra just narrowly avoiding it being bitten clean off.

Battra then spat out more of his silk, webbing up Rodan’s head, and the massive pterosaur fell backward onto the ground, calling out for his mate in anger and in outright fury. Battra’s eyes glowed, ready to deliver the final blow with his Prism Beams. He was then grabbed by the female of the duo and thrown into what remained of the town, rubble flying everywhere creating a thick, caustic cloud of smoke and embers. Lava ate away at Battra’s wings, the fibers flickering with flames licking away at them.

The female stood over him, seemingly judging the Battle Moth for what he was, an arrogant young Titan in way over his head. She shook her head, and walked off, leaving Battra to lick his wounds with hopefully a lesson learned. This was her nest, and Battra would do well to leave it alone.

Battra struggled to pick himself up off the ground, pained squeaks filling the air. This was absolutely humiliating. Not to mention unfathomably agonizing. Mostly humiliating though.

In the nearby river, Titanosaurus swam. He’d heard the sounds of battle and had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Of course, that idiot Battra would have charged into battle without trying to reason with the pair of Titans. That was his way, and yes, he had the best of intentions of keeping the planet safe but there was more than one way of doing that aside from just killing all threats. Diplomacy is what helped the Kaiju world get through the harshest of times!

Manda had said so after all and who was he to question the wisest Titan he knew? Generally, the massive dragon had his head on straight compared to someone like say… Godzilla. He loved his King, that he did, but even Titanosaurus had to admit the King of the Monsters had his temper issues.

Thank the Maker for Mothra really.

Now, if only half of Mothra’s wisdom ever got passed to her counterpart. And he wasn’t thinking of Godzilla. Titanosaurus grumbled something under his breath, Battra could be such a handful really. He was like an angry teenager who never really grew up.

Rising up out of the river and letting out an annoyed snort, smoke blowing from his nostrils, Titanosaurus strode forwards towards the two Rodans. He shook his head at the sight of Battra. Of course, the idiot would have gotten himself so badly damaged even his wings were on fire. Did he have no sense?

Titanosaurus gave him a sharp glare that most other kaiju would have wilted under. Tuning out Battra’s complaining and general bitching, he turned back to the Rodans and let out a roar. Hopefully, they at least would listen to reason and he’d be able to salvage the mess Battra had made. He so looked forward to the berating Mothra would soon be giving her son. It would almost be worth having to deal with this.

Briefly, he thought back to the new kaiju he’d put out of her misery. He hated killing young kaiju, but even he could tell that one was in so much suffering and in so much pain that death was nothing more than mercy. He still didn’t have to like it though, and Titanosaurus wondered what could have been. He recognized his King’s genes when he saw them. If allowed to grow to full maturity, that plant-based clone could have been possible family to his King, something he knew that the Titan wanted so dearly after the massacre of his kind by the Golden One and his followers.

So caught up in his thoughts, Titanosaurus missed the Rodan male lunging at him and somehow managing to tackle the massive dinosaur to the ground beneath. The very earth trembled from the power and force behind the Titan hitting it.

From their spot on the train as it rounded a corner, Fluttershy and Ocellus were forced to watch. The thunderous quake of the gargantuan beast striking the ground caused the train to shake; small hairline cracks opening up in the very earth itself. A shriek filled the air as the male raised his head up and bite down, the dinosaur moving its head out of the way just in time to dodge a maw of certain death.

Titanosaurus struggled to push Rodan off him, having no real desire to fight unless forced. Picking himself up off the ground, he used a powerful swipe of his tail to force the Rodan Male back onto his wings. With him went anything and everything that had once been rooted or nailed into the ground.

Titanosaurus glared at the creature, maybe now he’d have learned his lesson about picking fights with those who had no real desire to battle. Hopefully, now he could…

Titanosaurus let out a sharp roar of pain as the Rodan’s mate jumped to his defense, having bitten into his leg with her massive beak. Eventually, Titanosaurus managed to force her off but blood was oozing out of the wound in his leg. He let out a low growl and finally went on the offensive as his massive tail was used to generate hurricane-force winds forcing the pair back.

He let out another roar, assuring them of his intentions and that he had no real desire to fight.

The male roared back, Titanosaurus was encroaching on his territory just like Battra had been a few minutes before! It was his right to defend both his nest and his mate!

Titanosaurus roared back, trying to tell him different. He would let Rodan keep his mate, and his territory as long as he stopped bothering the small ones below.

Rodan went silent. Could this sea-brained behemoth have a point? Was he in the wrong this entire time? Perhaps… perhaps he was-

No, he couldn’t be wrong. He just couldn’t be! He was the Lord of the Skies, everything he saw was in his domain! He lunged and bit down on Titanosaurus’ shoulder as the dinosaur roared out in pain. But Titanosaurus grabbed ahold of Rodan and tossed him into his volcanic lair.

The battle was over, and his mate was bowing down.

Then came another shriek. A shrill agonized one.

Blood oozed from the female Rodan’s chest, only to gush out like an overflowing river as Battra withdrew his stinger, now caked in it. She slumped forward, the light in her eyes dimming before finally going out.

The real tragedy of all this, well it was simple. The female Rodan would have been perfectly happy to just leave the ponies alone or simply relocate to somewhere more convenient for all. But Battra in his arrogance and stupidity still saw being humiliated by the pair as a slight against him.

Fluttershy gasped in shock at the sight, while Ocellus had to bury her head in Fluttershy’s fur as the male Rodan nudged and gently tried to coax his mate back to life.

No, she… she simply couldn’t have been. They’d been together for millennia, and had just woken up from a long hibernation. His eyes were alight with rage but he took to the skies, knowing he was outmatched by both Battra and Titanosaurus. The battle of Azteca was over, but at a grave cost.

Far and away, Maina and Miana had felt the Battle Moth’s actions through their psychic link. Miana reeled, falling up against a tree whispering: “No… No… No…” to herself.

Maina gasped. What had Battra done? He’d attacked an innocent, one who was submitting! That insufferable buffoon had taken away the one thing that kept Rodan restrained. Worse yet: now the Lord of the Skies no longer had a Queen by his side.

“...what is he going to do next?” Maina had to wonder. “Rage against us? Denounce his loyalty to the King of the Monsters, and pursue Battra to the ends of the earth?”

She’d really rather not think of the consequences.

With a heavy sigh, Maina wiped away a tear that ran down her cheek. Suddenly, she felt a twinge of sorrow. Not the sorrow of one who’d lost a lover, no. Something… innocent. Something pure.

Something that she knew shouldn’t be. Something she knew that still shouldn’t even exist in this world. And yet, there it was. It couldn’t have been… could it?

She’d seen, just like everyone else watching, Titanosaurus end Scootaloo’s misery. But why did she still feel the faintest twinge of her consciousness? Was it the link Twilight had established between the Shobijin and the filly turned plant still persisting on? It defied logical explanation.

Clearly, the gods were laughing at her, if they still wanted to have the two of them feel this.

“Maina…?” Miana asked nervously. “You feel that as well? Don’t you?”

“Yeah, sis, “ Maina answered in reply. “Yeah, I do… I’m not sure why I feel it but-”

A flash of images, a massive crocodilian mouth opening wide as massive vines frailed about in every direction possible. Something so gigantic, it just barely made itself larger than the King of the Monsters himself. An impossible roar, and the sound of buzzing wings. Massive praying mantises. No, not praying mantises. Kamacuras.

“...It seems things have only just begun…” Maina whispered.

Author's Note

Okay.... so... um, yeah... Not really a happy chapter to say the least. The female Rodan's dead, and Scootallante is sorta dead. Sorta. After all, she still hasn't achieved Biollante's more famous form yet.

And... yeah, Maina and Miana. Okay, so Godzilla forgive me if I reference that abomination of a trilogy but... well... I had to give them names eventually as let's be honest, keeping on calling them the Shobijin would get confusing eventually. Plus, it allowed me to give them individual personalities. I have to say, as much as I hate to admit it, the Anime Trilogy did have some good ideas -feel free to gasp- but executed them pretty poorly. Like Void Ghidorah as I like to call him.

And yes, I know Moll and Lora are a thing, but then I'd have to explain where Belvera is. And as much I don't actually mind Belvera, it'd have been one too many elements introduced.

Also, please do give Vertigo a shout out again, major help here.

6: Scootaloo

Scootaloo awoke with a gasp, taking a few deep breaths and gasps of air, her last memory being… “Y-Yeah, we did!” Scootaloo’s voice echoed out of the misty white substance.

“Come on, you can fight this, can’t you?” Sweetie asked. “Please… for me? I… I understand what you were trying to tell me back then. Back in Baltimare! You… you love me right?”

“Y-Yeah, I do!” Sweetie Belle answered. “Please, you can fight this. You can fight that… thing, can’t you? For me, and for Rainbow Dash!”

“Yeah, I can…” Scootaloo said before a terrifying roar cut through the night.

“You can’t have her!” the creature’s other side roared. “She’s a part of me now! You and all your ponies will let me have her, she gave me life! I protect her!”

“You call this life? You call this protecting her?” Twilight snarled. “If you really cared about Scootaloo, you would be able to see she was in pain, and in misery!”

Oh yes, that. Was she dead, was she alive or was she somewhere in between? Scootaloo’s head simply ached from thinking about it. She was not what you’d call a thinker, more of a doer. She chuckled to herself, was this what purgatory was like? “Sweetie....” she whispered as she grasped at the air only to remember that of course that the unicorn couldn’t hear her. How could she?

Scootaloo swiped at the air in a fury whispering to herself: “Celestiadamnit! Why can’t I…?”

Her breath caught in her throat as she choked back a sob and fell to the ground. Was it fair to ask for one or two more moments with her before death? Was that too much to ask? No, of course, she couldn’t have happiness, at least… not for long anyways. Thinking back, the young mare felt cursed.

“Are you sure Doctor?” a voice asked, whispered in such a way that it was obvious the owner hoped Scootaloo wouldn’t overhear. Mane Allgood, Scootaloo’s mother. “I mean… can’t you check again?”

A voice let out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry Mrs. Allgood, but I’ve been checking again and again, testing and re-testing. The tests have shown that-”

“Well, CHECK AGAIN!” Allgood shouted before choking back a sob. “...It… she…”

The second voice let out another sigh. “I’m sorry Mrs. Allgood, but you will have to face the facts, I don’t like it either but your daughter… There’s very little chance she’ll ever be able to fly. Her wings…”

“Yes, yes, I know, they’re underdeveloped,” Allgood said and the sound of trotting came from inside the office, back and forth. Back and forth. It was obvious to anyone’s ear that the mare was pacing, deep in thought. “But that doesn’t always mean… I mean, with years of therapy and a proper coach…”

She sounded as if she was trying more to convince herself more than anyone else. The desperation in her voice, sounding as if she was just barely trying to fight back tears. Scootaloo tried to block it out, flattening her own ears against her head. “No… No… No,” she whispered to herself fighting back tears of her own. “It just can’t be…”

“I hate to be harsh Mrs Allgood, but between you and your husband’s lines of work I doubt either of you will be able to…”

“HOW DARE YOU?” Allgood shouted before taking several more deep calming breaths and recomposing herself. “We can take care of our own child! She’s our filly, and… and yeah, sure we can’t always be there for her but-”

“That was not what I was implying, far from it,” the doctor said calmly unfazed in front of Allgood’s panic. “I am just saying it is highly unlikely you yourself will be able to properly be that flight coach your daughter needs for her… special considerations. One of your sisters is a pegasus are they not?”

“Y-Yes, Lofty. She might be able to…” Allgood replied. “It’s just that…”

“I understand, ma’am, I truly do. You want to do this yourself, but from what you’ve told me you cannot just up and quit your own job at the drop of a hat,” the doctor said in reply before taking another deep breath. “...It has to be hard doesn’t it?”

“...Y-Yes, it is, I’m constantly being called away from my own home, goodness knows I’ve missed several of my own daughter’s birthday parties because some damn creature needs to wrangled…” Allgood whispered. The irony wasn’t lost on her, for the first time in years she’d been able to attend her daughter’s birthday party and then the tests came in. “A-And n-now this happens…” she continued sounding as if she was only several seconds away from breaking down in tears again.

“I understand ma’am,” the doctor said. “I’m a father myself you know, my girl? I’m constantly putting her with foalsitters just because I’m called away from something here at the hospital. She understands of course, and supports me but… it’s hard. My advice to you, Mrs. Allgood, treasure your daughter, hold her when she needs it. Her life from here on in, it’s not going to be an easy one.”

“I… I will.” Allgood said and when she exited the office she just held her daughter tight even as the two cried together. Of course, what Allgood said she’d do and what her and Scootaloo’s father actually did was another matter. They didn’t actually mean to distance themselves from Scootaloo, not maliciously at any rate but all the same, that’s exactly what they did. It just… happened Scootaloo supposed, the two throwing themselves more and more into their work. They took jobs that increasingly led them far away from Equestria. Granted some of this, yes, could be blamed on Monarch needing their expertise but all the same, Scootaloo grew increasingly… disconnected from her own parents.

She found her family more in her Aunties and in Rainbow. Scootaloo was unsure why she idolized the pegasus the way she did, but maybe it was because she was just always ‘there’ it seemed, for Ponyville or as time went by for her. Yeah, partially it was because she was the Element of Loyalty and she had a reputation to uphold but she was the embodiment of loyalty because she was just… so Rainbow. Scootaloo didn’t know how to explain it beyond that.

Scootaloo fought back a bitter laugh at this, the one time she finally tried to connect with her own father and her father seemed to actually be willing to put in the effort… this happened. Of course, that was the way the cookie crumbled with her, wasn’t it? Oh well, at least she still had Rainbow she supposed. No other better demonstration of loyalty or her sisterly bond was exemplified than during the Equestria Games.

“...What's gotten into you, Scootaloo?” Rainbow asked in an almost fury looking the smaller pegasi dead in the eye. In one corner of the room sat a box filled with torn down posters and a distinctive bright rocket red scooter. In the back of the room, both Sweetie and Apple Bloom watched nervously. Sweetie walked forwards hesitantly but Apple Bloom held up a hoof to stop her. This was something Rainbow and her sister had to work out for the time being.

“I didn't want to ruin their chance to win just because I couldn't fly,” Scootaloo mumbled to herself casting a glance to her all too tiny wings. She couldn’t read her honorary sister’s expression or more likely didn’t even want to. Rainbow was probably so ashamed of her, because of course what else would it be? She’d flaked out of the tournament all because of this damned disability.

“And who said you had to?” Rainbow snorted.

Rainbow could probably guess who was responsible for her sister’s change of heart. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out -and Rainbow would self-acknowledge she was no genius when it came to most matters- and she wanted to scream. Those two hoity-toity brats were probably responsible, and she did have to wonder what went through Filthy’s head at times when he never reigned his child in. It boggled the mind because really, Filthy was a nice enough stallion with a good head on his shoulders. No, Rainbow decided. She knew why Filthy never reigned in his own daughter. It was because of his wife. She choked back a bitter laugh. Spoiled Milk, how fitting for that witch. Never had a mare been more aptly named.

“But flying's what Pegasus ponies are supposed to do! You flew when you carried the flag in the games!” Scootaloo shouted near tears and Rainbow blanched. Of course, that’s what this all came down to in the end. Her. Scootaloo idolized her, not that Rainbow could blame her. She was simply THAT awesome. But all the same, Rainbow reasoned, Scootaloo really should try at least to become her own mare. As much as she’d have loved her own personal mini-me, Scootaloo had her own life to live. And Rainbow had to let her sis know it.

But that was me! You're you! And it just doesn't matter if you can fly or not,” Rainbow pleaded She made a mental note to talk to both Filthy and Scootaloo’s Aunt Lofty. There were certain matters relating to the squirt’s self-esteem issues that needed to be resolved and soon. For now though, this had to be handled. Rainbow wanted to see Scootaloo carry that flag, flight or no. The squirt was simply amazing, even if at times she didn’t know it. “Your routine was amazing 'cause it represented exactly what makes Ponyville special. You do still know what that is, right?” Rainbow asked pointedly and the other two members of the Crusaders stepped forwards.

“Friendship…” Sweetie Belle started and Scootaloo felt her heart flutter slightly at the words even if she didn’t know exactly why at the time.

“...Three kinds of ponies livin' together as friends. Just like us. Earth ponies…” Apple Bloom went on.

“...unicorns…” Sweetie Belle said.

“...and Pegasi,” Scootaloo finished with a small sigh before asking: “But Rainbow Dash... what if... what if my wings never grow? What if I never fly?”

Now, of course, Rainbow was having none of this and brought her sister in for a hug.

“Listen, Scootaloo. Maybe you'll fly someday, or maybe you won't,” she shrugged before nooging her sibling. Scootaloo let out a little giggle as she did so. “You're all kinds of awesome anyway. Who's the toughest little pony in town?”

“Rainbow…” Scootaloo breathed out taking a few steps forward, her mind covered in what looked to be vines that were once blooming with dead flowers. Roses, Scootaloo could guess. Because, of course, what else would they be? Given she’d now been fused with a rose bush and was now a half-giant rose monster. A kaiju of some sorts, Titanus… Bio something or other probably. She’d think about it later, the name was still a work in progress. Could she think about it later? Scootaloo didn’t honestly know. She supposed she had all the time in the world really, now that she was… you know, dead and all, trapped in purgatory. Funny that. “...wonder if you’re proud of me now, kaiju Scootaloo. ...wonder if I can breathe fire like the Big G? Guess I won’t be worshipping Mothra any time soon, eh? Guess I’m going to have to give that church a little rain check really!”

Scootaloo stopped in her tracks, she shouldn’t even have a mind anymore if she was dead. ...should she? She supposed regular logic didn’t really apply where kaiju and death were concerned. Probably. She didn’t know. Continuing to walk forwards, Scootaloo heard a brief voice whisper to her, warm and loving.

“...If there’s a God, fine time for you to go ahead and finally come to collect me,” Scootaloo remarked in a deadpan. “...what kind of creator puts their children through this kind of Tartarus anyways?”

Yep, she was so switching to worshipping Mothra after this!

The voice breathed out her name again. It sounded feminine to her ears. Scootaloo corrected herself. Okay, Goddess. Because, of course, the most powerful being in the universe would be female!

“I’m… sorry,” the voice breathed again sounding a bit like Celestia but… older somehow. And more motherly if that were even possible. Ancient and all-knowing, but still filled with the warmth of a mother’s love. It almost sounded a mix of Celestia and her own mother’s voice, Scootaloo noted. “...I didn’t mean to put you through this, child.”

“Yes, well, I suppose no God or Goddess ever does,” Scootaloo answered. “But these things just sort of happen don’t they? Luck of the draw and all that!”

Scootaloo had to blink at the faint glow, growing even brighter by the moment. Finally, the burning light finally faded, and Scootaloo looked up and found herself staring into the very beginnings of the universe. Stars exploding and life just beginning to come into being. The mare in front of her was tall, Celestia-sized possibly a bit larger with her wings reaching a frankly impossible span. Her entire body was made of crystal, seemingly changing at each and every moment, from emeralds to rubies to pearls. Her form was amalgamous, constantly shifting and yet not reaching the point of outright discord. Every shift made her body parts stay in harmony with each other.

“...Yes, well, I can’t control everything can I?” the mare noted her tone surprisingly casual. “It just wouldn’t do for me to micromanage every part of my little ponies' lives. I’m not a tyrant. It’s the only way they’ll ever learn and grow.”

“Who… who are you?” Scootaloo asked and yet somehow, in the back of her mind she just knew. It was the cutie mark across her flanks and cast all over this mare’s regalia that clued her in. It was a symbol that she knew all too well, everyone did. Six gemstones arranged almost like a star. “W-Wait, you’re… her aren’t you? The Goddess, the one who embodies…”

“Harmony?” the mare asked trotting over to a vine and waving her hoof. The vine suddenly flowered in radiant colors before the Mare smiled and sat down. Again, she waved her hoof and conjured a tea set. “Yes, that’s one name for me. But Creation or Inspiration is the one I prefer. I only created the Elements, I never embodied them. To think anybody can embody a fundamental concept of the universe is folly. Go on, sit.”

“B-But you just said…” Scootaloo stammered.

“Harmony and Inspiration are two very different things. Harmony holds the universe together, keeps it descending into chaos. Think of it like… super duct tape if you will. Inspiration is something less… abstract I’d guess you’d say. Maybe. I don’t know. Now, sit!” the Mare said.

“You know, for The One, you seem… awfully casual,” Scootaloo said awkwardly as she joined the mare. “I-I mean…”

“Yes, well a mother has to bond with her children somehow yes?” Inspiration said with a small giggle. “I am proud of you Scootaloo, you do know that right? You’ve faced so much adversity and look at how much you’ve grown…”

Scootaloo found herself blushing under the praise in spite of herself, not really sure how to respond. Not that you could entirely blame her, after all, how could you even reply to one of the most powerful beings ever to exist? This was so odd, Scootaloo thought to herself as she felt her headache began to grow into a powerful throb. Inspiration looked at her, and with a sad concerned smile rubbed the young pegasus’ forehead, dabbing at it with a soft cloth. “...Um… thanks?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s the least I can do…” Inspiration smiled. “I… apologize for the actions of some of my other children. It’s only natural at times that they get ideas and want to implement them. I cannot fault them I suppose, Titanosaurus just wanted to protect while Meadowbrook wanted to save you.”

“I’m getting the feeling you can’t fault anyone, can you?” Scootaloo asked taking a sip of the offered tea. It didn’t taste like tea, because of course, that would have been far too normal. No, it tasted like a coke from the Hayburger on a hot summer’s day. Scootaloo smiled at this, it was the little things.

“No… I cannot,” Inspiration admitted before smiling. “I suppose some would consider that a fault of mine but everyone needs someone to love them, don’t they? Even those that don’t know it, even those that love nothing but themselves.”

“Hey! Mage Meadowbrook doesn’t…” Scootaloo began before she quickly quieted herself upon remembering who she was speaking to. “...I mean… sorry miss. Madam. My Lady.”

Inspiration could only giggle, hiding her laughter behind a hoof. “Your defense of her is admirable, even after she’s responsible in part for your… current predicament?”

“Well, it's as you said, she was only trying to save my life. Meadowbrook didn’t know that…” Scootaloo said gesturing to all around her. “Well, all of this would happen. She couldn’t have!”

“Quite,” Inspiration said with a smile. “She’s definitely one of my children, having this… drive to save and care for others no matter what the cost.”

“Your children definitely seem to be a varied family don’t they?” Scootaloo remarked noting the fact that Inspiration had referred to Titanosaurus as one of her children. She didn’t even know why she was surprised at this, and yet…

“Yes, well they can’t all be ponies can they?” Inspiration said. “That would just be favoritism! No, no… me and Grogar’s children come in all shapes and sizes. Okay, yes, he’s more responsible for the children you readily deem as ‘monsters’ but I love them all equally.”

Okay, now she sounded like she was judging her, Scootaloo noted. Finally finding her voice after a time, Scootaloo stammered out: “W-Wait, Grogar? He exists?”

Scootaloo mentally chastised herself. Of course, Grogar existed. His bell obviously did, so that could only imply that...

“Yes, he at… one point did, even if my children have all but forgotten him,” Inspiration said with a resigned tone looking away from Scootaloo. She knew that tone, Scootaloo had heard it often enough herself. It was one of one thinking of happier times, reminiscing of things that could have or should have been. “...and perhaps at times, I do wonder if that’s not for the best. Better to spare them the pain of knowing what their father was actually like. He was a wondrous creature at first, devoted to creation like I. But then, as all things should be,” here Inspiration let out a disgusted snort. “They balanced themselves. Good must have evil, and evil must have good. There can never be too much of one force in the universe. My love’s inspiration turned to darker matters.”

Inspiration waved her hoof and the scene changed. Reality warped itself and no longer was Scootaloo standing in a sea of vines. Instead, she stood in a sea of primordial power, volcanoes erupting in the background as waves crashed against a stormy shore. A massive creature erupted from the sea, bow-legged but with a head sharpened to a point like a knife as it carved a path through the landscape. It walked towards a mountain, but Scootaloo realized something long before the creature did. Mountains didn’t glow.

The ‘Knifehead’ -as Scootaloo would call it- was incinerated in a flash of blue plasma and flame even as massive bat-creatures pecked at the King of the Monsters drawing blood. Flashes of light and magic lit up the skies and the ground ripped itself apart great gashes forming in the land. And from those gashes, great things crawled forth. Whispy, icy creatures resembling ponies but far more malevolent, freezing everything they touched. And the sky, oh the sky! Lightning flashes flickered illuminating two great entities horns locked in battle. One was a massive goat being, the other an alicorn of impossible size both made not of flesh and blood but cloud. Both were all but impossible to describe as each reared up on their hind legs. And most horrible of all, in the middle of all this, was a being able to truly oppose the King of the Monsters. It was given a great golden expanse of wings. Lightning and the storms were his domain, and it seemed it was true that the devil bore three heads. While Godzilla represented balance, this creature surely not of this planet could only represent destruction. This entire thing could only be described as a madman’s paradise and Scootaloo just wanted to shut her eyes and block out the horrible sound of it all.

“I am… sorry,” Inspiration apologized sounding genuinely horrified by what Scootaloo had to witness. “But now you see what my husband’s madness created. Nothing drove him to become the way he did, except the universal balance. I raged at the heavens after the great battle. I wanted the creature I’d come to love returned to me. But I knew it to be an impossibility. A great… impossibility.” she said sounding close to tears. Again she waved her hoof and again reality changed.

The world resumed its course as if Grogar had never existed. Ponies, griffons and other creatures came into being ready to fill the void now that the Titans had been slain. Encampments were created for beings to gather and find shelter from those that lurked in the darkness. They evolved to become towns. Eventually, these towns became cities and kingdoms rose and kingdoms fell. The Titans became nothing but a horrible, distant memory. Nobody remembered the Golden Demise, it was as if the very planet itself tried to block it out. Scars, vague memories of course remained. The Ghastly Gorge was one such scar. Stories were told in hushed whispers of the planet’s original rulers, and the Elements of Harmony were left in the minds of certain ponies. Possibilities, just in case for one day when some great disaster were to ever threaten Inspiration’s kingdom yet again.

“I am… sorry if this is all overwhelming,” Inspiration apologized again. “I did not mean to frighten you, my child. But you must understand what legacy you are apart of. The King’s DNA now rests within you.”

She gestured to Scootaloo and like a funhouse mirror, the young mare saw herself but twisted. Moss-like growths hung off her mane, and a glowing yellow orb rested in her chest pulsating. Crocodilian fangs jutted out from her mouth. Scootaloo shut her eyes, not wanting to face the beast that she’d become.

“You will one day have to accept this other half of yourself, Scootaloo,” Inspiration said. “You may not want to accept it just now, but you must find a balance between your kaiju blood and your original self. One must not be allowed to overrun the other. That is why your friends’ plan failed because they do not understand. One half cannot coexist without the other.”

“But… but what if I don’t want to become a monster?” Scootaloo asked near tears. Inspiration placed a hoof to her mouth.

“Shh… Hush, my child,” Inspiration said. “You can’t become a monster, not unless you will yourself to be. You are Scootaloo Allgood, your destiny is yours alone to shape. But you must embrace both halves of yourself, otherwise… you will never know peace.”

“I… I don’t know if I can,” Scootaloo said and Inspiration gave her a sympathetic smile.

“I believe you can, you’re stronger than you look after all,” Inspiration said before she frowned. “Oh deary me, time’s running short. The Kamacuras hoard is on the hunt, and Rodan runs rampant without his mate.”

She sighed, she loved her children but sometimes they made really stupid decisions.

“Nature must bring guidance back, it must protect the planet. Go now!”

With that, Inspiration gave Scootaloo a gentle shove and the whole world went white...

Author's Note

So... Um... Yeah. Bit of a trippy chapter, but I like it. It gives us a good look into Scootaloo's psyche and hopefully explains a few things amongst the worldbuilding and acid trips.

And gives us a total ripoff of Harmony from the Bridge but... Yeah. I wanted Inspiration to come off as this all-loving if not somewhat exasperated mother figure who is just trying to help Scootaloo through her newfound Kaiju-Hood. (Is that even a thing? I dunno.)

YMMV on if I actually succeeded. In the original draft, this chapter was very different. It focused only on Scootaloo's perspective of events as she fought to control her Biollante half and looked back on the story so far. That quickly became obvious an impossibility for my writing ability. I've never been one for first-person stories, though now I've gained a greater respect for those who do write them. See, this is what happens when you let me off my leash!

7: Plague and Pestilence (AKA Giant mantises suck okay?)

“So, uh, remind me why we’re all the way out here again?” a stallion, clad in royal guard armor asked practically shaking in his boots. Fizzlepop tossed him a look, before casting a glance upwards. Off in the distance, glowing in the dark were streams of lava cascading down the mountainside like fiery rivers. Like hell itself had sprung up from the depths, bubbling and bringing with it an anger unseen by all for generations.

A fierce roar, not even tempered by the ages echoed off in the distance. “Well, we’re here to check on His Royal Highness,” Fizzlepop drawled as she nervously took a few steps forwards.

Already a tent had been set up on the barren grounds, and for the moment the former tyrannical mare shivered. Another roar, and then another. She closed her eyes and whispered: “I’m sorry…”

She was no fool, and while she was no Fluttershy even the former enforcer could hear the sheer emotion in that cry. The pain, the agony. It wasn’t a cry of rage against the heavens, it was one of a creature who’d lost his mate, lost his way. Fizzlepop could only begin to guess what Rodan was feeling really. He’d been awoken from a long nap, only to find the world had changed. It was one of horses and steel and fire and industry. It wasn’t the prehistoric jungles he knew, and the only thing that was even remotely familiar was his mate. And now even that was lost to him.

“He’s miserable,” Fizzlepop whispered in stark realization. Another harrowing cry, another song of mourning.

“He also killed dozens, if not hundreds of ponies when he woke up,” the guard to her left reminded her. “I lost friends, a brother in that awakening. So excuse me if I’m not feeling any sympathy for his Royal Highness. Hah, Lord of the Skies my ass. I don’t care what they’re calling him nowadays, he’s a menace!”

Oh right, Fizzlepop mused. He was Soarin’s brother, wasn’t he? Gently, she shut her eyes and gave the fallen Wonderbolt a moment of silence.

“He was only acting within his nature,” Fizzlepop said kindly.

“So it’s within that beast’s nature to be a killer?” the pegasus replied, his green eyes narrowing. Facehoofing, Fizzlepop cursed herself only just now realizing how that could have been taken. Goddess, she wished she was Fluttershy at times, she really did.

“Not remotely what I meant,” Fizzlepop clarified. “Imagine, if you will, if you were asleep for generations and awoke only to find your whole world changed. And then you found yourself under assault by who, as an animal, you’d probably consider rivals to your territory. You would defend your home correct?”

“Possibly… but… but…” the pegasus mumbled. “He’s still a monster, we should all just find a way to put him down!”

“Careful, that line of thinking leads to dangerous stupidity. The kind of thinking Hardsteel let himself be led astray by!” Fizzlepop said. She knew it was a low blow, the horrors Hardsteel sank to rocked the guard. But it was a necessary evil for this pegasus to see sense.

“...You’re right,” said her companion. No, not her companion Fizzlepop corrected. A guard by the name of Breezy Air nee Skies. “I suppose maybe in some respects, Rodan is just of a thinking being as you or I. In time maybe we’ll forgive him, maybe I will.”

“Perhaps one day, we’ll find a way to live in peace with these creatures,” Fizzlepop agreed. “The world belonged to them once, and it is only within their right -no, our right- to let them take a little of it back. Perhaps sometimes, the only way to heal our wounds is to make peace with the demons who created them.”

“Serizawa used to say that.” Breezy whispered. “You really believe that?”

“Don’t you? Isn’t that why you are here?” Fizzlepop asked pointedly and Breezy was silenced.

“Hold up, something’s happening!” another guard said as he peered through a telescope. “Big Bird’s on the move!”

Sure enough, Rodan was taking off and into the moonless sky. With a cry and a howl, he flapped his powerful wings and all three ponies were nearly crushed into the ground. “...Ugh, anyone get the number of that minotaur?” Breezy asked.

“Now where’s he going in such a hurry?” Fizzlepop mumbled as she picked herself up off the ground. “And the first pony who tells me it’s for a food, fight, or a fuck is winding up cleaning the barracks for a solid month.”

“Well, I mean, who can he even fu…” Breezy started before closing his mouth at Fizzlepop’s ice-cold glare. “Shutting up ma’am.”

“I don’t know where he’s going, but something tells me we’re going to find out…” Fizzlepop uttered.

Dawn broke over Ponyville, and when it did the farmers were in for a very large shock. Mile after mile after mile of orchard, grove, and plantation was stripped to the bone. Trees, once covered in leaves and fruit were now ripped barren and topsoil had been ripped apart with every crop removed. It was as if some great force, during the middle of the night had swept everything away.

“I just don’t get it…” Applejack murmured to herself as she walked through the now barren orchards. “...what in Celestia’s name could possibly have done this? I mean, I know we get thieves from time to time but they couldn’t have possibly have done this!”

“Bats, you think?” Rainbow asked as she trotted alongside her. Applejack looked at her, and Rainbow stammered out a: “W-Well, I-I mean it’s not like it hasn’t happened before! I mean, let me just call up Fluttershy and she can have a word with the local fruit bats and-”

“Has to be one big bat,” Big Mac rumbled. “Now, our family has worked these fields for generations and not once, not ever have we even heard of a bat this big. One that can rip branch from branch and strip an orchard barren in a single night.”

Applejack took off her hat and rubbed her forehead with a hoof. “Yeah, now I dunno Big Mac. I’m getting the feeling that this ain’t not bat behind this. Least, no normal one.”

“Well, come on! Clearly it’s no normal bat!” Rainbow shouted. “Has to be a bat through, a huge swarm of ‘em. Came right during the night and picked as you please. It was like a sale on apples!”

“Well, if it is a bat swarm, I swear I’ll be having Fluttershy be having words with ‘em. They wiped out a year’s harvest and then some!” Applejack shouted shaking a hoof angrily at the sky. “Oh, there’ll be hell to pay for this!”

“Well, I mean no offense to Flutters because she’s good with animals and all, but what do you expect her to do?” Rainbow asked and here Applejack and Big Mac looked at her. “W-Well, I mean think about it. They’ve got the taste now, right? That means they know where the food is and chances are they probably know when it harvests. Mark my words, next year and then the next after that they’ll be back!”

“Yes, thank you for summing it up like that,” Applejack deadpanned. “Yes, thank you for dashing any hopes we might have had in resolving this here mess.”

“Look, I’m just being realistic!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I mean, you of all ponies should understand honesty right?”

“Yes, well you can stop being honest and realistic Dash,” Big Mac rumbled.

“Because oh yes, giving you false hope might have suddenly magically made things all better,” Rainbow returned. When it looked like the two might have come to blows, Applejack stepped in between them.

“Now now, let’s not get all huffy just yet,” Applejack said. “Now I’m sure we can all work out a solution to this dilemma peacefully. Our family’s weathered worse, and we’ve always come out on top. Dash, can you see if you can find Discord? Maybe he can reverse this… thing.”

“Uh, yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, about that…” Rainbow stammered out nervously.

“Rainbow…” Big Mac started. “What did you do?”

“Oh, I didn’t do anything,” Rainbow remarked. “So why are you suddenly looking at me? It’s not like I personally offended Discord or anything! I have a natural ‘charm’ about moi.”

“Well, can you use some of your ‘natural charm’ and just be out with it?” Applejack asked.

“Well, what basically happened is, -and I heard this from Spike after our last game night so it’s the truth- well Discord apparently had some long lost relations he needed to reconnect with.”

“Convenient,” Applejack muttered in disgust before sighing. “Well, I suppose I can’t blame him, coming from a large family myself…”

“Still pretty poor timing on his part,” Big Mac remarked before sighing himself. “...right, I did remember him mentioning this, now that I think about it. Well, there goes the obvious solution.”

“You ever notice how the obvious and easy solutions are never around when you need them?” Rainbow commented casting a glance skywards. “I swear… Anyways, but yeah. That’s what Discord’s up to. But I think I know someone who can help. Mage Meadowbrook.”

Here both Big Mac and Applejack turned back to look at Rainbow.

“Now, will you two stop looking at me like that? I swear, that’s the third time this morning…” Rainbow grumbled with a small little huff.

“Mage Meadowbrook, are you sure?” Big Mac asked. “Dash, after what she did, I’d think she’d be on your persona non grata list.”

“Okay, A, and first off I’m really surprised you even know what persona non grata means,” Rainbow said.

“So am I with you,” Big Mac replied. “I read.”

“So do I, now if you let me finish dude?” Rainbow remarked in abject annoyance. “Okay, good. B, and secondly, Mage Meadowbrook was just trying to do her job. She was just trying to save my sister. I can’t ever hold that against her, despite the… outcome.”

“That’s… surprisingly mature of you,” Big Mac appraised.

“What, you saying I can’t be mature?” Rainbow sniped. “But yeah, anyways. Mage Meadowbrook. I’m thinking she can get out here and do some of her magical mage stuff, maybe bring along Lady Mistmane or something and get your garden growing again.”

“Yeah… yeah, that might work actually…” Applejack mused with Big Mac nodding along. And so, as it were, both the Element of Beauty and the Element of Healing came to the Apple Family Farm.

“Mhm, yes this is a plight upon your lands, non?” Meadowbrook said as Applejack looked on. “I shall see what I can do. Truth be told, ma chéri I am surprised I am welcomed back after my… failure.”

“Yes, well, if Rainbow Dash is willing to forgive you, then I think we’re all squared right?” Applejack asked. “Haven’t you heard, this is Equestria? We’re big on things like forgiveness and all that!”

Through teary eyes, Mage Meadowbrook let out a: “Thank you…” before Mistmane waved them over.

“Something else is going on here as well, young ones,” the wizened old mare said. “I’m not quite sure but it seems as if in this section of the orchards, all life has been sucked away. Drained, really.”

“What, like a parasite?” Rainbow asked.

“If you like, yes,” Mistmane said. “I’m not sure how to describe it except it was as if something larger leached away the energy -and still is for that matter- from the plants.”

“Great, more mysteries…” Applejack grumbled. “Can you still help us with our orchard?”

“Yes, give me and Mistmane some time,” Meadowbrook agreed. “I think together, we can come up with some sort of solution to your woes. But I still do not understand what possibly could have done this? It is like a plague of locusts!”

“Please, don’t say locusts…” Big Mac asked fearfully. “Like, the last time Equestria had locusts it was nearly starved to death!”

“But I am calling it as I see it,” Meadowbrook said. “But these are faster than any locusts I’ve ever seen. Like, they would have to be the size of a house…”

“Say that again.” Rainbow Dash said her voice suddenly urgent and fearful. Gone was the jokey attitude from before. Now returning was the Element of Loyalty, defender of Equestria.

“I said they would have to be the size of a house. Whatever is the matter?”

“I know exactly what did this…” Rainbow whispered before galloping off.

“What’s her problem?” Applejack asked before she realized with Meadowbrook soon to follow. “...Oh. Oh, crabapples.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you two at the funeral,” Pharynx said stepping into town. “It was all a bit of a haze really, kinda just… wanted to get it over with and then get drunk.”

One mare, slightly thinner than the norm and a pegasus. The other mare, a bit chubby but not unpleasantly so. Pharynx vaguely knew both of them, Scootaloo’s aunts if he remembered right. Honestly, he didn’t even know why he was in town to just… talk. Personally, he wanted to come to see Lady Mistmane’s findings and be done with it. Then he could get back to his next worry, oh god he needed a stiff drink. Was this what being the Director was like? Suddenly he held no envy for his brother, having to deal with mess after mess after mess.

Well, at least Pharynx for his part, had it slightly luckier than his brother. Slightly.

“I’m amazed you even came,” Lofty said. “You… you didn’t have to. It’s been a month now, really. Time’s flown by.”

“Yes, well you can thank being overwrought for that, with mess after mess after Titan related mess to deal with,” Pharynx said to the mare. “But I would have come anyway.”

“She wasn’t even your family, nor were you even involved in her death,” Holiday said. “So why…”

“Because it was Titan-related, so Scootaloo’s death by proxy is my fault,” Pharynx said. Lofty gave him a hard look.

“So, is every death via a Titan your fault? Was this Serizawa character’s death your fault, was Soarin’s?” Lofty asked. “Did you attend their funerals as well? Everyone who’s ever been killed by a Titan? Because that’s a long list.”

“Serizawa and Soarin’ weren’t kids!” Pharynx snapped before he took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I’m a parent as well now. A day or so before… that incident, I was gifted a little grub of my own. Don’t see her as often as I’d like, but my little Moongleam is…. Well, yeah.”

“I… I understand,” Lofty said. “But you’re still going above and beyond what you really need to do. That money you sent the family, our family? It was too much.”

“Yes, well Scootaloo’s father was one of my employees and if I had anything to say about it, so would Rainbow. They deserve at least something for all of this, I doubt the money helps but it’s something,” Pharynx muttered.

“Why are you even in town anyways?” Holiday asked. “Nothing to be concerned about right? No Titans? I run a travel business, and my clients are already scared stiff as it is.”

“Holiday!” Lofty hissed.

“What, I’m still a buisnessmare. I still have work to do, besides it helps with… You know.”

Lofty wrapped a comforting wing around her wife, kissing her atop the forehead. “I understand,” Pharynx said before he chuckled. “Well, if it helps any, I hear Titanus Gojira is on the move. Might pay a visit to the tropics, that’s a tourist attraction right there!”

That got a few chuckles from the mares before they stopped dead in their tracks. “What’s he doing here?” Holiday whispered as Soulshine walked about. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw the mares.

“Oh dear…” the golden-maned stallion muttered. “You’re… Oh yeah.”

“Why they let you out and about in Ponyville is beyond me,” Holiday snorted. “You’re an abomination of a stallion, after what you tried and pulled…”

“And here I thought we ponies were all about forgiveness,” Pharynx muttered before he tried to cleanse the situation. Clear the air. “Look, the only reason Soulshine is here is because-”

“No no, I don’t need you to fight my battles director,” Soulshine said. “But yes, I live here. As… repentance. To see how she lived, if that makes sense. Live with my shame. I’ve sold off most of the business anyways, stocks were terrible after the whole giant angry lava pterosaur awakening.”

“Well, you deserve it!” Holiday snapped.

“Holiday…” Lofty hissed.

“No no, she’s right. I do deserve this. It’s my own personal ball and chain now, I have to live with it. Both me and Meadowbrook do. The only thing we can do now is move on, and try to make amends. Meadowbrook by continuing her medical work, and me… well, me doing janitorial duty for Princess Twilight at her castle. Been a while since I’ve held a mop anyways, it’s… humbling,” Soulshine said softly. “Now, if you want to throw me off a bridge if makes you feel better, by all means, do so. Maybe it’ll allow me to make amends with the child I helped get killed.”

“Strangely…” Holiday admitted. “I don’t think it’ll make me feel any better. Scootaloo wouldn’t want that anyways. You’re… well, maybe you’re not such a terrible pony after all. I don’t like you, and probably never will but…”

“In the Ponish language there are orphans and widows, but there is no word for the parents who lose a child,” Soulshine said and Holiday’s eyes widened in recognition.

“My Sister’s Keeper?” she asked and Soulshine nodded. Holiday’s eyes softened and not even knowing why she hugged the stallion. “I’m… I’m sorry. Oh goodness gracious, here I am crying again.”

“There really should be a statute of limitations on grief,” Soulshine uttered and despite all this Holiday laughed. Like, joyously laughed and Soulshine was soon to follow.

“So, what have we got?” Fizzlepop asked upon return to Canterlot and Monarch headquarters. “We need answers boys, double time!”

“Well, Rodan’s on the move and quite fast actually,” Star Hunter said. “We’ve got multiple images of the big guy circling the Maginet really. It’s almost like he’s a tourist attraction.”

“Well, Titans are big news these days,” Fizzlepop uttered. “Really too big if you get my meaning…”

“See, uh, too big and Titans, that’s uh pretty clever ma’am,” Star Hunter laughed. Fizzlepop looked less amused. “Okay, um stopping with the jokes now Captain.”

“Honestly, ponies would probably survive these things more often if they just exercised basic common sense,” Fizzlepop grumbled. “You see a Titan, you head for the nearest shelter. It’s not exactly a complicated subject to wrap your head around.”

“Oh, hold up. Just nabbed us a slice of video!” Star Hunter said before his eyes widened with a soft: “Whoa…”

Breezy and Fizzlepop walked over and saw Rodan, atop a high mountain peak in Haywaii. High above the jungles he perched himself, before he flared his wings and generally made himself look more massive than he already was. No small feat, mind you. The pterosaur let out several screeches and then a squawk sounding almost as if it was a… warning of some sort.

“What is he... is that like when eagles and other birds threat display? Like, is that what this is?” Star Hunter asked, and then to his amazement the veins of lava Rodan sported began to glow. Like, actually physically glow as if he was communicating with something. Or trying to ward something away. The ponies below, maybe? “Is he like a gorilla pounding his chest?”

“Possibly, probably yes,” Breezy agreed. “It’s exactly like that. Well, consider us… very intimidated.”

“No… no, I’m not sure it’s for us,” Fizzlepop said as she watched Rodan tilt his head almost in a curious fashion. “It’s like he’s listening for something. Now if I remember correctly, some birds do actually hear things on the infrasonic scale, like below the range of our hearing. So what’s out there?”

“And more importantly, do we even want to know?” Star Hunter asked. “Actually… Do we have territorial routes? I mean, the big guy’s had to have left his volcano sometimes right? Everyone’s gotta eat, even him. Shame we can’t just stuff him with a big hayburger and call it a night.”

“What are you thinking?” Breezy asked. “Why? What’s with the routes?”

“Because we want to start a boat tour! Use your critical thinking skills featherbrain, I know you have them,” Fizzlepop said. “All of this, the light show, the big wing flaring and now Rodan in Haywaii? He’s spooked by something, clearly. When an animal leaves his or her hunting ground, its usually because it’s threatened by something. I doubt this one is no different!”

“And I’m not sure we want to know what he’s actually listening for,” Star Hunter muttered. “I mean, he looks spooked. If something can scare him, than… hoo boy. Like, is everyone else very suddenly freaked out or is it just me?”

“You’ve got a call coming in from Ponyville,” a red-furred pony said peeking his head in. “Yeah, uh, you might want to hear this.”

A panicked Rainbow Dash pacing back and forth was revealed. “Okay okay, Dash, it’s cool. You’re all cool, we’re all cool. Monarch’s on the other end of the line and we’re all totally not going to die here…”

In her head, Rainbow saw flashes, images of things she’d rather not remember. A city under siege, a massive reptilian creature rising out of the waters. And oh, the buzzing, the horrific buzzing. Like a thousand deadly angry wasps but much worse. Oh, so far much worse than that. Massive eyes peering out through the smoke and the fog, and sickle-like implements attached to their owner.

“Rainbow, Rainbow,” Fizzlepop said calmly. “I need you to stay with me. What, what is it? What’s the matter, what did you see?”

“You… Fizzlepop, is that you?” Rainbow asked as Applejack walked up, rubbing her friend’s shoulders in a calming motion.

“Easy Dash…” AJ’s voice said. “You just take it nice and slow, now pardner. I’m sorry Captain… er Fizzlepop. Something’s got her right spooked, not sure what. Like, I haven’t seen her this spooked in ages, something’s really got her riled.”

“Yeah, you and me both,” Fizzlepop agreed as she looked behind her. Rodan’s veins glowed once more before he let out a screech and a shriek. Then, with powerful flaps of his wings, he took to the skies once more. Fizzlepop sighed to herself. “...Yeah, that one’s going to be interesting to deal with.”

“Was that… was that Rodan?” Rainbow stammered looking ready to start panicking again. “Please tell me he’s not coming here again, like please tell me he’s seriously not!”

More flashbacks, more imagery. The roar of a demon and a powerful explosion as that demon took flight. Ponies ripped from the air, the life leaving their wings. The thunder of explosions, lightning ripping open the skies.

Fizzlepop watched the poor mare’s panic grow with each passing minute. She searched for anything that might help reassure her. She opted to lie to Rainbow, she didn’t know if Rodan was going for Ponyville or if he was going for somewhere else. “No Rainbow, he’s going home. He’s just going out for an explore, that’s all. Now tell me, what’s the matter?”

“I’ll speak for her,” Applejack said handing Rainbow a bag to blow into. “Well, we were investigating the orchard. See, our whole harvest for the year got smashed, stolen. Somebody mentioned locusts, think it might have been Meadowbrook, I don’t know. Then Rainbow freaked and said she had to place a call to you.”

“No no no no no no no no,” Rainbow swiftly corrected. “Not locusts, something a little worse. No, much worse. The same thing that attacked Titanosaurus. The Kamacuras. They’re coming.”

Fizzlepop’s eyes widened as things all started to make sense. Of course… Of course… “So that’s who he’s afraid of. Rainbow, thank you. You, you don’t know how much you just helped.”

“Just do one thing,” Rainbow said. “If Rodan and Kamacuras are going to come to blows? Make sure you take them both down.”

Fizzlepop’s eyes widened.

“Are you sure that’s what she said?” Twilight asked, calming waves coming off of her in an otherwise raging storm of fear and anxiety. “The kamacuras?”

“Well, Rainbow Dash seemed pretty sure of herself, so yeah I’d say that’s what she said,” Fizzlepop replied before she frowned. “Twilight, Rainbow… I’m worried about her. She’s terrified. Like, I didn’t notice it before and I’m not sure how but I’m noticing it now. She’s been put through hell this past month. First, she had to fight Kamacuras, then she lost Scootaloo and then there was Rodan.”

“I’m well aware,” Twilight murmured before Fizzlepop glared at her.

“I’m not sure you are,” the Captain of the Guard stated. “Mess after mess after mess has been piled atop her head and I’m not sure how much more she can take. She’s this close to cracking Princess, and to be honest I’m amazed she hasn’t cracked earlier.”

“So what do you suggest I do? Huh?” Twilight asked. “You know Rainbow, she’s always been stubborn as a mule. It’s not like there’s much we can do to stop her!”

“I know, that’s what I’m afraid of…” Fizzlepop murmured…

A pestilence and a plague, they were once called. In ancient times, they came from parts unknown and savaged lands well beyond repair. The badlands were once thriving until they came. The hoards. The kamacuras.

It was only after a great wizard devised a spell to keep them locked away that the plagues were finally stopped. But then after centuries of decay, the spell finally broke free and out they came.

The kamacuras were originally a part of the natural cycle, but as Titans of old passed or hid away in hibernation very few were left to keep them in check. So they ravaged the lands. And now they returned to old habitats ready to begin again the cycle. To their surprise, they found something awaiting them, bugs smaller than them coming out of their hives to face them.

Slashing and slicing, one of the kamacuras smashed through a dwelling before it let out a screech of pain. The leader, clearly by his colorful garments stood tall and firm. His bright orange horns clicked and clacked together angrily, wings buzzing in agitation. Twin sickles were raised and one slashed downwards. But to the giant mantis’ surprise, no blood was drawn. Instead, the leader was holding the sickle firmly in place with his horns. With a great mighty heave, and then a toss the kamacuras found himself thrown into a nearby mountain pass.

While the kamacuras had been hidden away, the small ones grew in strength. Now they could fight back against the encroaching hoards. The kamacuras let out a shriek, wings buzzing in fury. This small one dared to interfere?

Then a massive explosion as a wave of rainbow light filled the sky, a gritty determination in the maker’s eyes, several changelings taking to the air to support her. Several actually dogpiled the kamacuras that had dared to attack their leader. Thrash as he might, the kamacuras could not throw them off, and eventually, he heard it. The continuous vibration of wing muscles eventually created heat, a lot of it in fact. So much heat that in fact that the massive insectoid kaiju was actually roasted alive. The body dropped to the ground with a nearly cataclysmic thud, the shockwave leveling some smaller dwellings.

Rainbow meanwhile was trying to outpace another member of the hoard, dashing between mountain peaks with the monster in hot pursuit. The mantis was fast, but she was faster.

Then, surging upwards she actually looped behind the massive insect, and just in the nick of time too. The kamacuras actually plowed through a mountainside, rocks and rubble flying through the air and battering the poor creature. Eventually, it found it hard to stay aloft, and crashed into the ground, carving a great gouge through the earth and rock.

“Oh yeah, still got it…” Rainbow said before circling back around to re-engage another member of the hoard. Down below, she could see a massive flash of green flame as Thorax changed into a kamacuras himself, and ripped open a member of the hoard with his twin sickle arms.

Changing back as he detected something behind him, Thorax grabbed another kamacuras with his horns. He lifted the massive creature, groaning under the strain before bringing it back down again with a mighty thud. The broken body twitched slightly, before falling silent. Rainbow let out a squeak of shock. She knew certain insects could lift 5,000 or something times their own body weight but Celestia… That was something else!

Rainbow then took a sharp left turn as another member of the hoard slashed at her with a sickle arm. The massive mantis poured on the speed and with barely any warning zipped around a mountain peak. Rage filled the mantis’ body. These small ones, they dared to interfere with the cycle, they dared to interfere after they’d been locked away for so long by magic spells? Now Rainbow found herself on the defensive as she dodged strikes from the Titan again and again. One wrong move and that would be the end of her. A wing sliced off, or her head ripped open. No more Element of Loyalty. “Really not the way I planned to go out, I mean sure I’d like my death to be awesome please but by a giant bug? I mean, that’s not awesome, that’s just humiliating! My epitaph reading: “Rainbow Dash, dead via giant mantis!” Like, that is so uncool it’s not even funny. Alright then big guy, you want a race? You got a race! Come and get your mare, big guy. Titan or not, I will not let you harm Equestria!”

Far and away, unaware of the battle that was rapidly developing on the Changeling Kingdom’s borders Mistmane continued to track the death and decay. Applejack and the Lady Mistmane had stayed behind to see what parts of the orchard they could save. The sun beat down on them as the morning turned to afternoon, Big Mac and Meadowbrook turning out into the fields.

“Welp, least we know it’s not just us who’s been affected by this… blight,” Big Mac said to himself as he walked the barren fields of the Sunrise clan. “Whatever Rainbow Dash was so terrified of, it seemed to be fairly indiscriminate.”

“Animals often are,” Meadowbrook said as she began shaking something. The dried gourd sprinkled dust as it was gently waved over farm fields. Little by little, new sprouts began to spring up. Though it would be a while yet before any of them bore fruit. “Still, I don’t think anypony’s ever seen a razing this bad. At least, not while we were living back in our time.”

“I don’t think anypony in any time has ever seen a razing this bad, Lady Meadowbrook,” Big Mac rumbled. Meadowbrook smiled softly, her eyes widening in surprise before they twinkled with delight.

“Lady Meadowbrook?” the healer remarked. “My my, mon chéri, you do know how to flatter a mare!”

“Well, I, uh…” Big Mac stammered as Meadowbrook let out a giggle, using her hoof to hide her laughter.

“Think nothing of it, mon chéri,” Meadowbrook smiled before that smile faded. “...our time huh? Celestia, it has been a long time since those years.”

“I personally, don’t see the problem,” Big Mac said. “Y’all are finding new ways to fit in here, every one of you.”

“I know, but seeing how the world has changed in many regards, I do often at times long for the simpler times. Before monstrous threats of every size, these… Titans and all that they bring with it,” Meadowbrook said. “Sometimes I do wonder if I’m in over my head…”

“If you are talking about Scootaloo, then…” Big Mac started before taking a deep long sigh. “You did the best that you could, that’s all anybody could have asked of you. You did what you thought was right, nobody should have the right to hold you to that.”

“Thank you…” Meadowbrook whispered before she gave a blushing Big Mac a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, mon petit chou.”

Big Mac didn’t quite know why, but somehow he felt that statement would make him blush even redder. If that was possible. Meadowbrook chuckled. Her cabbage, a perfect little nickname for her little farmer.

Panting and sweating, a mare with a deep red mane ran up. “M-Mage Meadowbrook,” Strawberry said as she recognized the mare. “O-Over here, to the south fields, you want to come and see this. It’s… well, it’s something alright. Never seen anything like it!”

For the record, neither had Meadowbrook. A massive bulb surrounded by a grove, an actual grove of flowering plants with spores floating all around. “Well, this is… new,” Big Mac remarked. “I think we discovered what was leeching life away from our plants…”

And then, little by little the bulb began to open and a loud shriek filled the air….

Back in the Changeling Kingdoms, Thorax had discovered that even with the might of the army behind him, he could only hold back the massive mantises for so long. Several hives had already been smashed apart, the hoard reclaiming the area as their own. “Well, this is a bit of a predicament, isn’t it?” Rainbow asked as she and Thorax eyed the kamacuras.

“I think we’re already past the point of predicaments,” Thorax returned. “Like, I think we’re in crisis mode, actually.”

“You could have at least let me have my fantasy…” Rainbow muttered to herself. Thorax began to bark out orders.

“Everyone, to the hives, and quickly now!” Thorax shouted. “Single file, we’ll get underground and wait this out. They’ll leave eventually when they’ve had their fill, and we can rebuild then!”

Rainbow was all too keen to follow, really. “You handle yourself well in a crisis,” she remarked. “Really sturdy, I suppose. Like, if I was in your place I’d be freaking out. Amazed I haven’t started doing that already.”

“Oh, yes, well when the adrenaline dies down I think we can start Twilighting,” Thorax teased.

“Twilighting?” Rainbow asked. “We’re using her as a verb now?”

“Well, Rarity said to me that you started it!” Thorax returned. Rainbow made a ‘fair’s fair’ motion with her hoof before muttering something under her breath about gossipy fashionistas. Behind them, Ocellus had only now just managed to slip into the caverns, before tripping on a tangled root in her panic. Landing face first in the mud and the dirt, she looked up and saw it. A kamacuras gazing down at her, massive orbs staring right into her soul. Thorax’s head whipped around when he heard the scream.

“Ocellus!” he shouted, taking a quick u-turn and running back to the younger drone. He didn’t even know if he could make it in time, as even now the kamacuras was digging out the tunnel. Light began to flood in, before it was covered by a deep darkness as the massive mantis blotted out the sun. A slash of the arm downwards, and Ocellus braced for the death that never came.

When she felt nothing, she looked upwards to see Thorax holding back the sickle with his horns. With a great tug, the blade was ripped clean free of the monster formerly attached to it. Ocellus took her chance and ran for it. Another sickle blocked her path, and then another. She looked upwards, a second kamacuras staring down at her. And then a familiar roar filled the air as cinders began to rain down. Both kamacuras were ripped free of the ground by massive talons. Rodan, the Lord of the Skies had arrived, and he roared in challenge.

Author's Note

Okay, so yeah, No real excuse for taking this long, well maybe Christmas chaos last month but... Right, anyways, did reading quite a bit of animal behavior for this chapter and had my facts checked when necessary.

For one thing, the changelings roasting one kamacuras? Based on behavior on certain bees and how they deal with wasps. Rodan's intimidation display? Based on real-world birds. Now, admittedly I'm not sure if it's possible to make one's veins glow but you can compare it to Rodan having false eyes on his wings or something. Now, changelings being upscaled versions of ants may be fudging it as well, but it's cool none the less. I wanted to give them at least some fighting chance before Rodan showed up.

8: Sky VS Earth

Author's Note

So, I think this is acceptable after such a long wait eh?

8: Sky VS Earth

Cinders continued to fall; the Lord of the Skies had arrived and the pests that glowered back at him attempted to size him up. Rodan, in response, sized up his opposition and gave a dismissive grunt, eyes narrowed. Flaring his wings, the massive pterodactyl let out a screech.

Yes, this was his territory now. It didn’t belong to the small ones, it didn’t belong to the other flyers and it certainly didn’t belong to bugs that barely knew their place. Rodan, while never exactly the brightest bulb on the planet had heard of the kamacuras hoards. They had been a known problem for generations, managing to raze even entire forests to the ground in a matter of hours. And forests razed to the ground meant no wildlife. And no wildlife meant no food for him. I think you can see the problem.

...well, almost no food given now that he thought about it, as roasted mantis sounded tasty enough. Rodan was a simple creature with simple pleasures really. They were alive. They were crunchy. They were on his turf.

And they looked to be challenging his dominance.

Such an act was inexcusable! Nobody—not even that three-headed behemoth who smelt of rotten skunk—could challenge him! He was Rodan! The One Born of Fire! The Fire Demon! He was fire, he was death and more importantly: he was really hungry!

...and he was alone against what was basically an entire hive. Okay then, not exactly a well thought out plan. Wait, there was a plan here? This wasn’t just an all you can eat buffet? Okay, well maybe Rodan did have sort of a soft spot for that one little one his mate seemed to like. Not that he’d suddenly just start helping the small fry. No no, the only reason he was doing this was because of a suddenly very convenient meal. Not because he had soft spots! Titans didn’t get soft spots. They were indomitable, they were eternal and they were everlasting. Agh, no matter! Enough clowning around. Letting out another screech, the kamacuras in front of him was sent flying back by powerful gusts of wind. Rodan reached out and grabbed the massive mantis and- CRUNCH!

Mhmm, very tasty Rodan mused. Indeed, the Lord of the Sky had the table manners of a hoover vacuum. In one swift movement, Rodan consumed the mantis; body and, presumably, soul. Oh, who was he kidding? These creatures didn’t have souls, they weren’t even evolved enough to have them! They were just that, meat!

And meat was what was on Rodan’s menu in the morning, afternoon, evening, and every other conceivable time of the day that had yet to be conceived! As I said, he was a simple creature of simple pleasures. Lifting off into the air, he barrelled towards the other walking meal, flattening whatever was beneath him until he struck the beast beak-first. A high pitched scream cut through the air, and green blood splattered Rodan’s face before it hissed and steamed. Evaporating almost instantly on contact, the blood was barely an annoyance. Rodan was grateful for this, as he was ever so vain. Nothing was allowed to stain his glorious personage!

The only time he’d allow blood, sweat and tears to stain him was if it was his own, or the blood of a truly worthy opponent. And these insects were decidedly not any such thing!They were weak, pitiful, but delicious beyond all comprehension. They were high in Vitamin C, B2, and great at reducing cholesterol.

With a triumphant screech, Rodan took to the air. Off in the distance, he could see ten—nay, at least thirty of the mantises; all welding pitiful weaponry that would matter less than an arrow to his magnificent skin. In a flash, he dove down. his talons grabbing them, eating and throwing them into others as the cinders from his wings fell down, singing their carapaces. That’s how the cycle went: grab, eat and throw. One of the many kamacuras tried to scramble away but Rodan was having none of it. He slammed his talons down into it’s flesh before lunging forwards. With a single chomp, the creature had gone from existing on this earth to being hundreds of small pieces in his stomach.

It tasted just like chicken. Wait, was that an insult to his species? Oh, no matter. What mattered was that it tasted good. It was lunch! Rodan saw several more of the creatures flying towards him, and roasted them to the bone with hot flame. Medium rare mantis, a truly unique delicacy! One mantis tried to sneak up behind him, a scythe-like forelimb raised to strike him in the back. Without even looking Rodan raised his wing and slapped him, sending the insectoid back one hundred feet until it landed with a resounding thud. And they called him dumb! Obviously the other kaiju hadn’t seen dumb until they’d fought with massive mantis! Mantsi? Or was it mantsisis? Agh, no matter. Lunch was lunch!

Spinning around, and kicking up a massive cloud of dust in the process, Rodan rushed towards the Mantis and devoured it. Ahead of him, three more mantis insectoids drew closer. In the blink of an eye, all three had vanished; Rodan having swung his right wing and sent them careening west like three bipedal bowling balls before lunging towards them and devouring each one.

Oh, okay even this was starting to get boring now. These creatures all tasted the same, and honestly there was no real challenge to just devouring them all. It was kill, eat, rinse and repeat. He liked his meals to put up more of a fight really. Made it all the more satisfying to tear into them when all was said and done. He was Rodan, Lord of the Skies! Yeah, sure he was bathing in the blood of his enemies but he wasn’t really enjoying doing it. Just killing by the mass was rapidly losing its appeal even with an all you can eat buffet. With a grunt, he turned his attention to the remaining insectoids and growled.

Meanwhile, far away, Meadowbrook and Big Mac stood in front of a gargantuan bulb.

Thud.

A bulb that had begun to shake.

The two ponies took a step back, a rhythmic thud emanating every few seconds. Soon, the skin of the bulb was noticeably disturbed, petals from surrounding plants being knocked off by the force of the ever-intensifying thudding until the ground itself shook with the force of an earthquake.

Then, just as quickly as it’d begun, it stopped; the grove becoming deafeningly quiet.

Meadowbrook let out a heavy sigh. “Sweet Celestia, what the—”

“Ooooo...”

Her voice was drowned out by an ear-piercingly high-pitched squeal, eerily reminiscent of a whale’s song. It repeated—over and over. Endlessly. Maddeningly. The sound drowned out everything; thoughts anyone and anything had were replaced by the sound.

The grove then sprang to life. The bulb tore itself apart from the inside. Its skin peeled. Petals were shredded. Roots rose from the ground, taking entire trees with it. Spores were scattered in every direction.

The earth itself had come to life. And it erupted, massive vines snaking out from the very veins of the ground itself, dripping with acidic sap. “Hold on!” Big Mac shouted as he grabbed Meadowbrook by the scruff of her neck with his teeth.

One vine tried to wrap itself around Big Mac, but with a powerful buck of his hind legs, there was a snapping sound. Like bark ripped off from a tree as a comparison. The vine smashed to the ground, half ripped apart as a bleeding stump frailed about. Another sound, horrific in nature. A creature crying out in pain. Big Mac shuddered as he slowly began to break into a sprint. It was then he noticed the problem. He may not have been moving but the ground certainly was. Twisting and turning, it was all Big Mac and Meadowbrook could do to keep their footing as another vine toiled beneath. Far larger than the last, Big Mac didn’t dare look down to see its owner. But look down he did, and he let out a sharp gasp. Rows upon rows of teeth in a truly gigantic crocodilian maw, each razor sharp and erupting from plant fiber.

Another howl as the creature’s massive head slowly raised itself up from the soil. Twin yellow eyes scanned the horizon as the creature drew back its head and roared to the heavens.

Vines whipped and frailed around as Big Mac and Meadowbrook made a run for it, scaling the vines and trying very hard not to meet the creature’s eyes. A tree in all the chaos had been pulled right from the ground and was sent directly their way. Big Mac, at the very last moment whirled around and it with one powerful kick reduced it to splinters. A low rumble sounded off in the distance and already gray storm clouds were beginning to gather. The calm before the storm was over, and already droplets of rain were beginning to splatter and spatter.

“By Celestia…” Meadowbrook repeated as she gazed at the monstrosity of nature. It was like Gaia herself had decided to take up arms against the creature, forgoing the very laws of Creation. Or maybe… just maybe this was Creation’s doing, just a sharp but altogether simple reminder there were greater things than ponykind.

The creature snarled and snapped at the air, vines still frailing. It was only just about then that both ponies noticed the vines had heads. Or buds or fly traps or whatever but whatever the case each vine bore teeth of their own. Like the world’s most demented venus flytrap the creature knew exactly when prey had landed upon it. One vine rocketed towards the two ponies, dripping more toxic sap and ready to snatch them up.

Meadowbrook reached into her pouch and tossed… something, well Big Mac wasn’t sure what. Some sort of dust and the vine seemed to actually lurch in pain, the creature letting out some terrible howl. Its gaze turned back to them, and angry eyes followed the movements of those trodding upon their owner. It daren’t snatch the two small ones up with its jaws, not unless it wanted to bite off one of its many limbs. However, it did not need to use its main set of jaws.

Twisting and twirling like a den of snakes, the vines came again. Big Mac saw the first one coming, and grabbed it in his jaws. Pulling hard, plant matter and fiber was no match for him. Another vine collapsed to the ground below, with the farm pony running and then leaping to another of the many limbs. Meadowbrook was shortly behind, and just barely made the next jump. With a bit of effort, the mage pulled herself up and then tossed more of that dust into the air.

“Some sort of hoodoo dust?” Big Mac asked as the creature roared in pain once more.

“Even better! Great grandmama’s special spices!” Meadowbrook smiled. “Ole family recipe! Never doubt the power of cajun cookin!”

“Well now I do hope you’ll share that recipe with the family!” Big Mac drawled. “Anything that can do… well, that ought to put hairs on your chest!”

“Oh, even better!” Meadowbrook said. “It puts them hairs on your eyeballs!”

“...well now, Applejack was never one to turn down a challenge…” Big Mac admitted as the two continued running. He blinked, swearing the creature bore pinkish purple moss down the back of its head. But that was impossible, no moss he knew of came in that color. But then again, he admitted, no known plant that he knew of was this big or this intelligent. And make no mistake, this creature was intelligent -to some extent anyways- given it seemed to recognize threats to itself when it saw them. A little voice at the back of his mind nagged at him, swearing he’d seen or at least heard of something like this somewhere before.

Was that… Scootaloo?

No no, that was physically impossible. It had been months since… that incident. Yet, all the same, that voice nagged at him. Something inside of him screamed at him. This was Scootaloo. It echoed in his mind. It lingered in his heart. It was slowly driving him mad.

He didn’t get time to think on it much longer, as a rainbow blur rocketed past, kicking the creature in the head. It howled in pain, it. It. It. It. No. Not her, not Scootaloo. This creature could not be her.

Rodan looked up, his beak still stained with blood. He heard it, he heard the call. Another Titan. One daring to encroach on his territory! His territory! His! Such an act of aggression is inexcusable and irredeemable!

Then he listened to the call. It sounded vaguely like… Oh no. It sounded like him. The King. And yet all the same it didn’t. It sounded different in some manner.

And if it was different… well it wasn’t the King was it? Taking to the skies once more, Rodan let out a roar. So let it come!

Rodan observed his foe as he soared over the destroyed orchards. Yeah, it had some of the King’s DNA in it all right, there was no mistaking that set of teeth. Those teeth and teeth and oh yes plenty of teeth. Had to be what they called an orthodontist's worst nightmare. Oh yeah, he would not want to be near those teeth.

Rodan let out a harsh roar as he swooped in wings pressed against his side like some massive falcon. Biollante roared and vines shot out from her body and grabbed Rodan by the legs. Even as he tried to claw the kaiju’s eyes out with his talons, Rodan was tossed into a nearby mountainside, a gargantuan portion of it being decimated by the impact. Thousands of rocks flooded down, destroying anything and everything in their path.

Oh well, he thought to himself. At least it was largely immobile. So all he had to do was get close enough to… oh. Oh by Mothra’s divine wings. It was moving. Slowly but surely, and picking up speed on tiny little legs the massive plant moved forwards. Another roar, and if Rodan didn’t know any better it sounded like the creature was almost in pain. Well, it would be in pain by the time he got through with it!

Before the Lord of the Skies could take back to his unrivaled domain, a massive wing shot out from the side of the creature. Then a second. They weren’t as big (or as graceful) as his own, but they were still imposing—and horribly ugly. Wait… what? What!? WHAT!?! This creature dared? It dared to imitate him, and it dared to take the sky as its domain? Okay, that did it, this creature really needed to be taught its place.

Rodan picked himself up off the ground and flared his wings; the magma in his veins glowed a bright orange in the stormy weather. Some of it seeped out from open wounds and burnt the land beneath him, some of the shrubbery that wasn’t scorched catching fire. Lightning flashed even as Rodan let out a shrill cackle. One last warning had been given. Now it was only a matter of seeing if this creature headed it.

Taking to the skies, Rodan shrieked once more. Biollante took no heed to this though. Instead, she reacted with aggression. Vines shot out from the creature’s body and wrapped around Rodan, constricting him like a snake around its prey. It was a sea of biting and chewing as the massive bird was treated like a bouncy ball with wings of fire. He was slammed into the ground—repeatedly. Each strike tore up the earth; grass and dirt flying up into the domain that Rodan had called home.

Now, it was looking like the 50-foot-deep hole that Biollante had made from Rodan was his new home.

At least the worms were medium-rare. Biollante’s form continued its shifting, branches snapping and entire limbs retracting and appearing in another location like an ever changing gelatinous abomination to the concept of life and the universe as a whole. Within seconds, the monster had assumed a vaguely draconic form and she took to the skies, the ground below being flattened in the process.

Rodan let out a low growl and tended to his wounds. He briefly glanced up and watched as the monster flew off, before his eyes narrowed. No, this injustice would not stand. This domain was his and his alone! Nobody else could have it—even if they pried it from his cold, dead wings. Even in death, the skies belonged to him and him alone!

With a roar and a reinvigorated sense of pride, he took to the air once more. Using the clouds as cover, he stayed well out of Biollante’s line of sight. Then, as lightning erupted through the clouds, he struck with his talons at the ready. He lunged at Biollante, tackling her through a mountain, destroying an entire chunk of it in the process. The two barreled through the earth, creating entire cavern networks that held untold secrets of the world; biting and snapping at each other. Finally, they erupted from another mountain side. Rodan pushed himself off Biollante and noted the glowing core on her belly. Hmm, that was interesting. Was probably important in some way.

His throat glowed with an eerie orange light before he spat out a stream of fire. Biollante let out a horrible howl before vines erupted from her body and pulled Rodan close. Spinning like a drill, Biollante had successfully managed to disorient the Titan. Up was down, and down was up and left was right and right was left.

Practically seeing stars, Rodan slowly strode forwards in a daze when he was finally released. Feeling as if he was about to be sick, he could do nothing even as Biollante assumed her original form. He roared in pain, vines going right through his wings and dragging him ever nearer to those dangerously sharp teeth. They glistened and they glimmered with drool. Rodan was drawn nearer, even as he tried to rip himself away.

But then he saw it, a light in the storm. A thundering crack as the clouds exploded in a shower of light…

This is what it’s like to be Rainbow Dash right about now. Your little sister has been the light of your life for years. She’s made you a better mare.

Then she dies, if not temporarily and gets turned into a giant rose monster.

You’re angry at the world, and you’re angry at the mare who turned her into such a thing. But you manage to keep your cool.

The rose monster version of your sister is soon taken away from you in a mercy killing.

But then she returns as a true kaiju. You know it’s her, because what else could it be? Nothing makes sense in your world anymore.

So what do you do? Lash out? No no, you do what you do best as the Element of Loyalty and try to protect your home. It’s what your sister would want.

So you observe, and to your surprise you realize Rodan himself is at your side. However, what you also notice is despite his immense power, even he needs a little help. So you do what you do best.

That was what it was like to be in the mind of Rainbow Dash. Surging forwards with a powerful thunderclap, she struck. The sound barrier had been broken in her grief and her confusion all turned asunder. Once again, she had to see this. Once again, just barely hanging onto a mockery of life was Scootaloo. Now all she could do was help Rodan put her sister out of her misery for good.

A flash of recognition came into Biollante’s eyes. Biollante’s. Not Scootaloo’s. Biollante. It was better to call this creature by another name, distance herself from it all. It was easier for Rainbow that way. She didn't dare hope her sister was still in there. Not after last time.

All the same, Biollante seemed to be actively hesitating in eating Rodan. Maybe, just maybe… No. No. No. Rainbow had to force that thought down. This wasn’t her sister, not anymore.

Rodan had the power to stop this creature, that much she knew. But Rodan needed help. So Rainbow would gladly provide it. She didn’t hate the Titans, not all of them anyways. Hell, she couldn’t even hate Rodan even after all he had done. He wasn’t evil, not like Chrysalis or Cozy Glow or any of them. He was an animal, one struggling to find his own way in a changed world. Rainbow had been given a lot of time to think really. A few months ago, yeah she would have told you she hated Rodan. But now? She respected him even, he was here before her and probably would be here long after. He was one of the first to take to the skies, claim it as his own. As a fellow filer, it was Rainbow’s… honor(?) to help him. No, it was more than that. It was her duty!

Another seeming flash of recognition. Was she deluding herself? Did she really think that underneath all of that, there was still a small trace of Scootaloo in there? Rainbow honestly didn’t know. What she did know was in the here and now, Ponyville was under attack. Her sister’s soul or not, she had to protect it.

So once again, she came around for another pass and coated herself in lightning…

Ocellus meanwhile was in a state of utter confusion. Genetics, kaiju, giant plant monsters and ancient fliers. When did her life become so… well, just so weird? Then again, she supposed it had always been weird. It had just gotten weirder. Ask her a few months back, she would never have thought she’d be this close to kaiju. She would have snorted at the thought and called it a nice dream but just that, a dream. And yet here she was.

Rodan had saved her, that much she knew. Strange as it was, there was no mistaking it. Fluttershy had been right, a little kindness went a long way. Rodan had needed a friend after his awakening, and yeah maybe he hadn’t realized it at the time but he had one in Ocellus. Maybe she hadn’t even realized it at the time. Ocellus admitted to herself maybe she only saw an arrogant monster at the time. Well, what else could she have seen with a giant beak ready to snatch her up?

In any event, she… well, she honestly didn’t know what she was going to do. How could she help? Could she really interfere in a clash of the Titans? Maybe not, but she could help evacuate Ponyville.

Lightning flashed in the skies above, fitting she mused. Everything just seemed to be boiling over and here came the storm. There was an old Changeling myth, one that Ocellus had never put much stock into. Myths were myths after all, hardly factual. But the myth went of a rain god who drowned whole cities, only for the cities to undergo some sort of rebirth. And Ocellus felt like she was drowning. Maybe not literally or metaphorically but she was drenched and oh, there went the wings.

Out of the corner of her eye, Biollante spied the changeling beginning to fall. It didn’t quite know why, but it gently extended a vine and allowed the young nymph to land softly on pedals and flowers. A distant memory, a happy one of things past. Rainbow, of course, had seen this. She didn’t know what to make of it. Was it possible that…? Again, she really had to wonder. Was Scootaloo alive inside that collection of ferns?

Rainbow didn’t honestly know how accurate her hopes were. Scootaloo was alive inside that mess of plant matter. Buried deep inside, fighting back against her Titan instincts. Fighting back against the raw anger and rage and power that came with the King’s DNA.

Inspiration had meant well, however there were laws of magic even she had to follow. To resurrect someone, she had to do a perfect resurrection. As in completely perfect meaning whatever DNA was inside Scootaloo at the time of her death had to be resurrected as well. And that meant the Titan DNA had to follow Scootaloo’s spirit with her.

So Titanus Biollante was born...

A shriek pierced the rainy night and far and away in Ponyville both Soulshine and Twilight heard it. Twilight went for the door, only to be stopped by a faint glow. Her eyes widened as little by little an unknown alicorn stepped into the room. “I apologize Princess Twilight, but I cannot hold myself here that long,” Inspiration said. “Creating a physical form for myself is not easy. My plain of existence and yours are very different things. Holding a link between them is not that easy, even for one such as myself. But please, you must listen to what I have to say.”

Soulshine meanwhile bore witness to Rodan prying himself free of Biollante’s vines, the massive pterodactyl biting and snapping at the many limbs. Sparks and embers flew from his wings only to be quickly snuffed out by the pounding rains. Lightning flashed, illuminating his form as he climbed higher into the skies going around for another pass.

Biollante turned her head only at the very last second, Rodan’s massive talons ripping through plant matter like a knife through butter. More vines snaked out to capture Rodan, twisting through the air and entangling his wings. For all of about five seconds anyway, as the massive Titan managed to pull himself free. With a roar, vines were ripped from Biollante’s body with Rodan flapping his wings and sparks managing to catch. Biollante snapped at him, grabbing the large Titan in her jaws.

Rodan was dragged along the ground, his body ripping up the earth. Another searing blast of fire coated Biollante’s body but the pounding hail and rain was ensuing each blast was less and less effective. Rodan snarled in anger. This was ridiculous, and more so quite demeaning!

Then Rainbow Dash charged in encoated in lightning. Biollante howled in pain throwing her head back to roar at the heavens. Rodan pulled himself away and went down for another pass. Once again, vines sprang up to meet him and he pulled upwards at the last moment to avoid being entangled and grounded.

The Titan rocketed upwards punching a hole in the clouds, Luna’s moon at his back with a triumphant cry. Biollante scanned the skies, and saw a shadow over the moon. Then the shadow was right on top of her, as Rodan had looped de looped and charged downwards like a bullet from a gun. Talons extended, finally Rodan drew blood.

With a cackle of triumph Rodan swooped around using the mountains as cover. Landing himself atop a high peak, he flapped his wings creating powerful winds. Hurricane force in fact, ripping up trees like toothpicks and sending the very earth flying. Pelting Biollante with ruins and rubble, Rodan laughed mockingly. He was winning! Giving an appreciative glance to the pegasi defending their home the Titan took to the skies once more. This time, he tore no pegasi from the skies. He minded them with a sort of curiosity before settling to his usual indifference. Tucking his wings in tight, he went down for another pass.

However, like Icarus before him he had flown too close to the sun and gotten burned in his pride. Vines once more enlarged and dragged him along the ground, wooden spikes springing up to impale him. Suddenly, several purple magic blasts destroyed these spikes and Twilight threw up a shield to defend herself against tossed blobs of acidic sap.

Rodan growled, this was supposed to be his victory. His victory! He appreciated the help of the Small Ones but he could handle his fellow Titan and bring her to heel.

Twilight meanwhile paid the proud pterosoarer no mind. She went over Inspiration’s words to her. “The one you call Scootaloo still exists in that mess of rage and confusion. You just need to find a way to bring her out.”

The question was, how could she even do that…?

Little did Twilight know an opportunity was beginning to present itself. Soulshine knew, he at once knew who had returned to haunt him. “I never should have interfered,” the stallion said as he looked Biollante directly in the eye from atop a hill. “My company caused this genetic nightmare, grabbing ahold of Titan DNA. We should have very well just left it alone.”

Biollante looked at the small one, the pony postulating himself before her. Another personality fought for control, but she pushed it down. She would not be slave to her weak half’s demands!

Twilight’s eyes widened as she saw Soulshine, shouting: “Get out of there!”

“No, I’m sorry Princess. I caused this nightmare, time to hold myself accountable,” Soulshine said. “It’s the least I can do.”

“I order you to-”

“This is one order I’m afraid I can’t follow,” Soulshine said running a hoof across Biollante’s jaw. The Titan looked at him in confusion, no surely not. And Soulshine seemingly nodded in response. “No, it’s okay…”

He saw the speared vine coming and knew no more. Twilight fought back tears, it wasn’t Scootaloo’s fault. Not entirely. It was another personality, fighting for dominance. And now she knew how to reach the Crusader. Flying forwards, she ignored the vines sent to spear her and simply hugged the Titan. No actual violence and no magical maneuvers on her part, just one simple act of kindness. And a soft little whisper of: “I’m here… Scootaloo. I’m here.”

Finale: The Power of Love

“I’m here… Scootaloo. I’m here.” Twilight continued to whisper.

For a moment, however brief Biollante was caught off guard. This… this pony thought that they could understand? In the back of her mind, something urged her. Something she was trying to push aside, and keep from returning from the depths.

A guttural voice rose up bubbling from Biollante’s throat, erupting in a: “H-Heeeellllllppppp meeeeee…” before that voice turned to a wail. Biollante shrieked and grabbed Twilight with one of her vines before sending her flying. Twilight smashed through several buildings and rolled into a park. She looked up, Biollante now uncomfortably close to Ponyville. The massive plant threw back it’s head and roared, limbs flailing about wildly.

“Oh boy…” Twilight thought to herself. She flashed back.

“I apologize Princess Twilight, but I cannot hold myself here that long,” the strange alicorn said. Twilight blinked and lit up her horn before easing off. Twilight didn’t quite know how, but she knew that this strange newcomer meant no harm. In the back of her mind, something whispered to her. Inspiration. Inspiration. Inspiration. Inspiration. But it couldn’t be, could it? Inspiration was just that, a myth. But then again, myths had an odd habit of coming true as of late. “Creating a physical form for myself is not easy. My plain of existence and yours are very different things. Holding a link between them is not that easy, even for one such as myself. But please, you must listen to what I have to say.”

“Who...? Who are you?” Twilight breathed out. But she knew, somehow she just knew. “But… no, you’re impossible. Simply impossible.”

“Impossible is just another word for extraordinary, isn’t it?” Inspiration asked. “You know who I am, don’t you?”

“Inspiration, the Mother of All…” Twilight breathed. “Some say it was you who gave life to both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. But… I thought you were just a myth!”

“Yes, well, all myths seem to be coming true these days don’t they?” Inspiration asked. All around them, the office faded away and images flashed through Twilight’s mind. Images of the mare’s many creations.

Far and away deep within a jungle on a perilous treacherous island, a massive ape came into view, looking back at Twilight with age-old eyes. Gruffly snorting, the ape walked into the misty mountains and vanished. Deep within a sea, Titanosaurus thrashed with a giant shrimp, grappling the creature and tossing him into a giant squid of similar size. The shrimp lunged forwards, -after freeing himself from the squid’s grip- only for Titanosaurus to rip off one of its arms and began beating him over the head with it. A world of violence and savagery, but a world of nature keeping the balance. And a world of beauty and wonder as well, as shown by the next image. Mothra, Mother of All raising her wings and taking a gentle fly over Honolulu to the awe of a crowd.

“My children are many, and some of them… need guidance,” Inspiration continued as Battra’s battle with Rodan was shown, before another image replaced it. Two Frankenstein-style monsters battling it out on a savannah, zebras looking on in wonder and in fear. “The problem is, not all of them understand that they no longer rule this world. Godzilla and Mothra can only do so much. They need a bridge if you will.

“So you brought back Scootaloo as a Titan, knowing she’d go on a rampage!?!” Twilight shrieked, her horn igniting itself in her anger. The very air began to crackle with magic. She didn’t care that this was Inspiration, a goddess. She was mad at her for using Scootaloo in her own personal chess match.

“Please do not misunderstand,” Inspiration said calm as ever. Raising a hoof, she touched it to Twilight’s horn and out with a flash went her magic. “I did not intend for all of… this to happen. There are certain rules of magic even I must follow to their fullest. What Scootaloo died with, she must be brought back with. Even I cannot subvert the laws of magic that are beyond even my control. If you have an issue with them, you can take it up with a higher deity.”

“Great…” Twilight mumbled sarcastically to herself.

“The one you call Scootaloo still exists in that mess of rage and confusion. You just need to find a way to bring her out,” Inspiration continued even as her body began to flicker and fade. “I’m sure you’ll find a way, I have faith in you.”

She had faith in her, great. Just great, Twilight thought to herself. So how was she supposed to stop a rampaging Titan?

This was what it’s like to be Twilight Sparkle right now. You’re the most intelligent mare alive, if not a little anxiety-ridden. Okay, maybe a lot anxiety-ridden. You just want to curl up under a blanket and go home.

But you cannot, at least not right now. Your kingdom, the one your teachers left you, is in need of your services. And you know you are one of the only ones capable of saving it.

So no pressure there, huh? But as I said, you are an intelligent mare. You know magic others do not, and you have your friends at your back.

Not to mention one massive pterodactyl known as Titanus Rodan. Arrogant beyond belief, a little bit stupid but powerful and courageous. He is the guardian of the skies, just as Biollante is the guardian of the earth itself.

A plan begins to form in your mind, you know every resource at your beck and call. You know exactly how to use them, you know exactly how to use the spells at your disposal.

You know there is a young mare relying on you at this very moment and that you cannot fail her no matter what you do. You know she is your subject, your friend and you know you have to save her.

And most importantly, you know exactly how to do so.

This is what it’s like to be inside Rainbow Dash’s head right now.

Your sister in all but blood, long thought dead is suddenly revealing herself to be alive and… well, not quite well but still alive. She’s a plant monster now, okay that’s kinda cool and you can deal.

One of your best friends say they have a way to retrieve her, and they require your help. Almost immediately, you say yes. You lost your sister once, and now you know you can get her back.

You don’t care if your sister is a giant plant monster and currently on the rampage. Your sister is still your sister. Nothing will change that.

So obviously you must pitch into help and save her. It’s the only right thing to do, it’s the only sisterly thing to do. But no, Twilight tells you. You don’t engage in battle directly, no you have to fetch someone. Someone who will be the only hope of bringing Scootaloo back. Someone who loves her more than you do.

At first, you wonder who this could possibly be, but then it hits you. Of course, who else could it possibly be? Then you rocket off in search of this pony.

Let it be said Rodan was never an easy Titan to catch by surprise, he’d seen plenty of shit all throughout his long life. Yes, he was rude, proud and hugely arrogant but he had every right to be one of these things. He was self-assured in his position, he had earned it throughout ages of battle. He was… well, I suppose you already know what he was by this point. And I suppose you already know how damn well proud of his position he was.

So when one of the Small One’s voices was inside his mind, well… Rodan was understandably caught off-guard. This was new. Was this one an Alpha of her kind? Was she like… him? The Golden Demise, whispering words of venom inside his head, wanting him to lash out against… No, no she wasn’t. An Alpha she may have been, but she wasn’t like the False King. She was more like the Queen of the Monsters in some regards. Kind, and gentle. An understanding sort.

More importantly, she needed his help. That must have taken some courage, a Small One bowing down to him and asking, no begging for his help. Well, after a display like that then, well… who was he not to oblige her? So, Rodan took to the skies and looped-de-looped around before tucking in his wings and dive-bombing Biollante. Pinning her to the ground, Rodan kept his mighty beak poised to strike. He didn’t want to rip open into her brain or rip open her core but he would.

“And stay down…” he growled lowly to the plant kaiju. Godzilla’s sister or daughter or whatever she was, he didn’t honestly care. He was just so done with her nonsense. Well, he supposed the King could have gotten a worse family member. At least this one bore a slight resemblance to his Majesty.

Rainbow Dash rocketed through the town, and nearly crash-landed inside Carousel Boutique where every dress was sweet chic and… oh Celestia, Rarity was rubbing off on her. Rainbow Dash did not do frilly frou-frou dresses and she did not dress in style. Righting herself at the last moment, the mare skidded to a halt with an almost comical screeching sound.

“Rainbow…?” Sweetie asked as she and Rarity peeked their heads out from behind cover. Rainbow wasn’t sure how that would have saved them, but whatevs. Least they were easy to find. The last thing Rainbow wanted to do was turn the entire shop or worse the entire town upside down looking for them. Time was not on her side right now. Or anyone’s for that matter.

“Right, sorry about the door, I promise I’ll repair it!” Rainbow said rapidly. “Right now I need Sweetie!”

“Um… pretty sure I’m a little young for you Rainbow…” Sweetie said and Rainbow looked somewhat embarrassed. She could have worded that a little better. Okay, way better. Sweetie gained an impish grin before saying: “Besides, not sure this is the time…”

Rainbow groaned, trolled by Sweetie Belle. Oh, that was humiliating.

“L-Listen, I uh… kinda maybe sorta need Sweetie’s help?” Rainbow asked hurriedly rather eager to regain her lost pride. “So, if you just…”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity snapped. “Whatever it is, I’m quite sure it can wait till after we’re done being ATTACKED BY A GIANT PLANT MONSTER! ...Oh, I’m never going to look at ferns the same way again after this…”

Indeed, all of the ferns had been in Rainbow terminology ‘yeeted’ out of the house. Rainbow then said, narrowing her eyes: “It’s about Scootaloo.”

This is what it’s like to be Sweetie Belle right now. You’ve been trying not to think about your lost friend for several months now, but then Rainbow waltzes back in and says her name. Her name.

You’re a whole mix of emotions, angry, sad, a hopeless wreck. But then Rainbow goes on to say both she and Twilight believe that you’re about the only way to save her soul.

You love Scootaloo, you hadn’t realized it until after her demise -painful irony there- but you’d realized it. So anything to help her, even the faintest hope you’d take.

You aren’t sure if you should, false hopes and all that. Or maybe you’re setting yourself up for heartbreak all over again. But then again, if if was Scootaloo and you were in her position you know she’d do the same for you.

You’re an idiot, maybe, but an idiot in love. An idiot in love with her best friend and you want to save her no matter what it costs you. Yeah, even if she has to come out half-plant. She’s still your marefriend to be right?

So you say these very simple words: “What do I have to do?” and Rainbow smiles in relief.

So the final phase of the battle began, Starlight contributing with her own considerable magical skill. She created whips and lashes of magical energy to hold Biollante down, and hold her down they did. Every time a vine tried to rise up to strike at Rodan or the two mages, another whip of magical energy wrapped itself around the vine ever tighter.

Starlight didn’t even look visibly strained by any of it. A testament to her fortitude indeed, the unicorn holding back globs of acidic sap with shields springing up to greet them.

Twilight as she calmly strode up to Biollante’s gaping maw, Sweetie and Rainbow following behind nervously had a flashback.

““Barely,” Maina replied. “Her soul’s there, but if we don’t act quickly, she’s going to be consumed by the hatred of the monster her soul inhabits now. Or worse, something else will rip her vessel apart and she’ll die once more and bringing her back will make her more of a poltergeist than a pony.”

“Well, you’d better hurry up then,” Maina said in an icy cold tone. “If you don’t act really quick, you’ll lose your friend—again.”

No, that would not happen again here. No, this time she would not fail. She was Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, regent of the Sun. She was Twilight Sparkle, currently Princess of Equestria and ruler of all that was. She was Princess Twilight Sparkle, the successor to the regent of the sun and this time she would not let Scootaloo’s soul slip away.

She hesitantly landed on the vine and trotted forward, her legs shaking. “I’m your friend, Scootaloo. I want to help you.”

“She’s right,” Miana said gently while Maina trembled. “You know her, even now she’s working away in her head on how to get you back to your original body.”

“He-eeeelp meeee?” a garbled voice, stuck somewhere between the innocence of a filly and the vehement disdain of a wrath-filled beast, asked. “Y-yes! Help me, Twilight!”

Not this time, that horror would not happen again. This was Twilight’s time, with a perfected spell and the faith of Inspiration herself behind her.

She was not yours, Biollante, Twilight thought to herself. She never was. She was Scootaloo Dash Allgood, a pony just like everyone else. Inspiration may have intended Scootaloo to be a bridge between the two worlds, but right now the mare could suck it. Twilight was more concerned with saving her subject than the desires of a goddess. She could not, no she would not fail her ever again!

Sweetie Belle looked up nervously at Rodan, the massive pterodactyl eying them warily. She wasn’t sure if she could trust the Titan, it looked more like he was more interested in a light snack over helping them. One look at Rainbow seemed to confirm that she was thinking along the same lines.

“...Geez, never thought I’d see the day where we had to trust His Royal Highness,” Rainbow muttered as they clambered up plant matter. Rodan’s beak was looming dangerously above them, the talons digging into plant fiber. One vine poised to strike at Rodan’s back, but Twilight blasted it away, cleaving the top half off the vine entirely.

Rodan blinked in surprise, that was… shocking. Why would the Alpha Small One even begin to help him? Was it a simple matter of convenience? A ‘You die and I die as well’ type of deal? No, that wasn’t it. It seemed the Alpha of these ponies was actually interested in helping him. It was rather… well, he felt rather ashamed. He hadn’t actually done much to deserve their help. He’d ripped and torn into their society with giant claws and disrupted daily life. Oh sure, he’d helped Ocellus but in the grand scheme of things he doubted he was particularly welcome.

But then again… helping others who couldn’t help themselves was a Titan’s job, wasn’t it? They lorded above the small ones. They were gods to them. He supposed it was a god’s responsibility to look after those he ruled over. A humbled Rodan had a realization about then. Being good… well, it actually felt… sorta nice actually. So, he continued his part in matters and kept on holding his foe down.

Yes, sure she shrieked and wailed and she could do it all she liked but she was not moving any further.

“Don’t even try…” he hissed out at her. “That mare right there is a mare on a mission and she will not be stopped by the likes of you.”

This is what it’s like to be Rodan right about now. Your whole world has been turned topsy turvy.

In the span of a few months, you’ve been woken up from a long slumber, found your world has changed and had your mate slain by the Battle Moth a few moments after.

Then it changes again, with the arrival of a relation to the King. You soon find yourself aiding the small ones in stopping her. Then you find out you actually like doing it. What has your world come to?

You honestly don’t know, but you’ll figure it out. You always do. You hadn’t survived this long by not adapting to the changing times. Aside from that, you feel your mate would be proud of you for doing this. She always was the kinder one of you two. At first, you thought her an idiot for being like this, but then you discover you loved her even more for that.

Speaking of love, with a simple tap of her hoof atop Biollante’s head, Sweetie Belle was now inside the monster’s mind.

Rainbow was at her side, and really what they saw was a…. Jungle of sorts. Plant matter and magic mixed to create this place where wild things grew, ripping away at clouds. Vines stretched up to the heavens and pulled them down. It was remarkable that neither went insane.

But they knew they had to press on, Scootaloo was somewhere in here. The question was… where?

“F-Follow the clouds I guess?” Sweetie Belle squeaked out as she jumped onto a puffy white cloud, and then another using them like stepping stones. “Y-You know, if you ignore the wild vines it’s almost… heavenly.”

“Yes, well, when it stops looking like a demented version of that old beanstalk fable I’ll be happy,” Rainbow muttered. “Come on, let’s find the squirt.”

“Y-Yeah…” Sweetie agreed.

“You know, if we get out of this,” Rainbow said following alongside the mare. “I’m going to have to give you the whole big sister intimidation speech. You know the one, about how if you hurt her, I hurt you and all that.”

“Oh trust me, after all of this…?” Sweetie said gesturing around them. “I wouldn’t even dare to dream of that. Like, I wouldn’t even…”

“Yeah, didn’t think you would,” Rainbow said. “...Just needed to get that out there, you know right? I mean, hello it’s my job as her big sister.”

A few chuckles were shared between the two. They continued on. It soon became obvious where Scootaloo was, as memories passed by in a blur. The moment of Scootaloo’s first meeting with Rainbow, for once.

Rainbow wiped a tear from her eye, she remembered that memory well. It was… yeah, she didn’t recognize it at the time but that little filly had touched her heart. Her, the super ultra-cool lone wolf daredevil. Well, apparently as it turned out having a little sister was even cooler.

Then the fateful camping trip passed by, the one that cemented their relationship as sisters. More memories flew by, such as the Equestria Games. Scootaloo befriending Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Rainbow knew they were getting close, as the memories were getting more and more recent. They just had to be. Another memory, this one of Rainbow’s parents. Another, this one of Scootaloo’s parents returning after so long.

Truth be told… Rainbow was divided on the two. Yeah, they had big important jobs but coming into her life like that after so long? Demanding that she up her roots and go with them to God knows where? Rainbow… was less than pleased. Not to mention the timing, considering there had been plenty of invasions before. The Storm King had been more dangerous to Equestria then Sombra had. Scootaloo’s parents didn’t uproot their daughter then.

Part of her wondered if the two just wanted to be seen with the now hugely famous Cutie Mark Crusader. Maybe Rainbow was being salty, but it wasn’t a coincidence that the two appeared only after the CMC’s talents of helping others with their talents had really hit the gossip chain. Honestly, Rainbow knew she would make a better parent to Scoots over those two. At least in her mind. Maybe she was biased. Maybe she didn’t know the full story.

Or maybe Sweetie shared her views, considering the look on her face when she saw her best friend’s parents. It was… actually pretty condemning actually. Ouch. Like, serious ouch. Yeah, Rainbow knew she certainly wouldn’t want that look directed at her anytime soon! That was for sure.

“Hold her tight kid, and never let her go. She’s a keeper,” Rainbow mused, though who the thought was directed to… she wasn’t entirely sure. Maybe it was directed to both of them, probably was. If anyone deserved a happy ending out of all of this, it was these two.

Then, at last, they saw her. “R-Rainbow? Sweets?” Scootaloo whispered, looking a cross between half-plant and half-pony. Oh yes, sure the basic shape was there but Scootaloo’s fur had turned a dark earthy brown, and her mane was now a deep moss green. And then there was the pulsating orb in her chest. Freaky, but kinda cool. “Y-You came?”

“Of course we did!” Sweetie Belle squeaked out.

“What, you think we’re going to just leave you behind to get consumed by this monster?” Rainbow asked with a roll of her eyes. “Yeah, I didn’t think so! Now, come on kid, let’s get you out of here!”

“But… the others, what will they think of me?” Scootaloo asked in a moment of self-doubt. “I mean, I’m hardly normal now am I?”

“So what?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I… I don’t care. You’re still you right?”

“Kid’s right. You’re still the most awesome pony around right?” Rainbow added.

“And besides,” Sweetie Belle asked. “If we don’t get out of here, how are you going to take me out on that date you wanted?”

“D-Date?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah, duh!”: Sweetie said. “I… I care about you Scoots, I… oh, to hell with it!”

At this, she slammed her lips onto Scootaloo’s own. Scootaloo’s eyes widened, but she accepted the kiss just as the world faded to white. A shriek was heard, but neither cared even as plant matter began to die all around them. What was left of Biollante’s body was already beginning to rot. Neither cared, all they cared was getting lost in each other.

“Should… should we, uh, break them apart?” Twilight whispered to Rainbow.

“Those two?” Rainbow asked, ignoring the big gust of wind that was Rodan taking to the skies, his job done. “Nah, if anything I think they’ve earned the right to suck each other’s faces a bit. They’ve earned this. They’ve earned each other. Hey Scoots, I better be your best mare, alright?”

Scootaloo smiled and nodded before going back to kissing Sweetie again. Her Sweetie. Her Sweetie.

“Well, I guess that’s the end of that…” Meadowbrook said as the last of the rotting plants were burned away. The clouds were beginning to clear, revealing an absolutely beautiful sunset.

Big Mac walked up. “Yeah, it’ll take a bit, but Ponyville will move on and rebuild. We always do.”

“You’re more talkative than usual,” Meadowbrook noted.

“Yes, well, don’t expect me to make a habit of it,” Big Mac said and Meadowbrook giggled.

“I suppose I should be getting on home. My swamp hut sounds nice this time of year. I mean…” Meadowbrook said as she trailed off looking at Scootaloo and Sweetie. Then she looked at Rainbow. “I’m not exactly sure I’m welcome here really…”

Then Scootaloo walked on over, Meadowbrook had to refrain herself from staring at her new appearance. Then, to Meadowbrook’s surprise, Scootaloo hugged her.

“It’s alright.”

“...even after what I did?” Meadowbrook asked.

“Pfft, I don’t have it in me to hold a grudge, I don’t think most ponies do. It’s just not in our nature,” Scootaloo said, the orb on her chest pulsating softly.

“You know the murder victim shouldn’t be forgiving the murderer, right?” Meadowbrook asked, sounding near tears.

“Yes, well, I’m not entirely sure I’d call it murder really…” Scootaloo said. “You did what you thought was best. I can’t hold that against you. Besides, I came out smelling like roses right? ...Actually, I think I did that literally. Hmm, never was a perfume girl but…”

“I like it!” Sweetie Belle said nuzzling herself up against the half-plant pony. “You’re always smelling like you’re ready for love!”

Scootaloo nearly choked as Meadowbrook blushed red. Big Mac blushed even redder amazingly, now an interesting shade of crimson. “Um… yes, well…” Meadowbrook trailed off.

“Ah, how good it is to be young and in love again right…?” Big Mac said quickly changing the subject.

“Yes, well, you’re still young!” Meadowbrook pointed out.

“Not as young as I used to be!” Big Mac argued. In the background, Sweetie and Scootaloo made kissing noises until a glare from their sisters silenced them.

“So… uh, what now?” Meadowbrook said.

“I mean, I guess we all go back to our normal lives so…” Big Mac trailed off.

“No, I mean really what now? I mean, we shared a moment or two back there so…” Meadowbrook said. “I mean, we can’t just ignore it can we?”

“I… I’d have to talk to Sugar Belle about it, I mean I’m not sure she’d be happy about…” Big Mac trailed off when Meadowbrook kissed him on the cheek.

“Well, doll, when you figure it out, come talk to me. I’ll be a-waiting!” Meadowbrook said, sauntering off an extra sway in her step, Big Mac rubbing the spot where she’d kissed him.

Life went on as normal, okay a new normal but slowly but surely everyone was settling into it. Reports of Titans filled the newspapers, such as Godzilla paying a welcome visit to a cruise line of the coasts of Equestria. Rainbow had to chuckle at that, the King of the Monsters treated as an honest to goddess celebrity of all things. News of Rodan reached the reporters as well. Apparently, he’d settled onto a volcanic island off Haywaii and was currently nesting there. There were rumors he was nursing little chicks, but so far they seemed to be unconfirmed.

Mind you, what the reporters were focusing on nowadays was something else entirely. Take, for instance, Sweetie Belle, or Dame Sweetie Belle as the reporters called her. World-class fashion model and songwriter. The Princess of Ponyville if you like. Pop superstardom spurred on from encouragement by both Rarity and the former Countess Coloratura.

Rainbow looked at the picture on her wall, framed in a place of pride. It was something a reporter had snapped in the wake of the whole Biollante incident as it was starting to be called. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, lips locked in a kiss. Yeah, sure it was a bit mushy but it was sweet. Goddess knew the two deserved it after the whole thing was said and done.

“Rainbow, stop fussing!” Rarity said.

“This thing is uncomfortable, I can’t believe I let them talk me into this…” Rainbow groaned, mostly resigned to this by this point.

“Well you’re the one who lost the bet, now stop fussing and let me work,” Rarity huffed. “You want to look nice for the wedding, don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow said with a sigh. Never mind the fact that there was never a bet in the first place. More like a promise. Rarity just chuckled a little. She looked back at the picture for a moment and smiled again after a moment. “It feels like it was only yesterday that all happened.”

“I still can’t believe how hard it was to design a dress for Scootaloo, I mean what works with brown and green?” Rarity said. Rainbow remembered the… er, let’s say minor meltdown the fashionista had when she realized she’d have to be the one designing the dress for a half-plant half-pony. Several fainting couches were involved, along with a brown paper bag. Rainbow and Applejack happily provided, all the while rolling their eyes.

“Well, at least she’s back… that’s something at least,” Rainbow said softly. “I’m happy for her and Sweetie. Even if she’s changed, she’s still Scootaloo, that’s what matters to me… to us.”

“To us?” Rarity teased prodding her friend in the chest with a hoof. “Oh, dearie, are you confessing your love to moi?”

“What? No, no, no, I meant… all of us, who care about her, you know!” Rainbow said quickly, trying to correct herself.

“I know dear…” Rarity said with a giggle. “But a mare is allowed to have her fun, no?”

“You’re enjoying this way too much aren’t you?” Rainbow groaned. She muttered something about rather frilly frou-frou fashion horses who spent way too much time with their romance novels. Rarity gave her a small whack over the head for this. Rainbow laughed nervously.

“I can read what I want, someday soon my Prince Charming will come,” Rarity affirmed. “Just you watch and wait! You’ll see!”

“You sure it’s not a Princess Charming?” Rainbow leered wiggling her eyebrows in comical fashion.

“Yes, now hold still while I work,” Rarity replied with a roll of her eyes. “The longer we’re talking about this the longer it will take to finish you know.”

“Are you sure? I’ve seen the way you look at…” Rainbow started to say before Rarity silenced her with a hoof.

“Finish that sentence and I’ll sew your lips shut,” the Unicorn said as she glared at Rainbow Dash. She held up some fabric in a dangerous fashion, her horn aglow. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yesh…” Rainbow said muffled.

“Good, now let me get back to work,” Rarity said as she continued to work on the dress. “Oh, I dare say this is my best work yet!”

She stuck a rose into Rainbow’s collar, which made the pegasus let out a little yelp of pain.

“Ooooof, stick it in a little harder why don’t you…?” Rainbow muttered wincing slightly.

“Oh, don’t be such a big baby. Be a big girl for Rarity, would you dear?” Rarity asked before narrowing her eyes. “You do want to pay tribute to your sister, right dear?”

“Yes, of course I do,” Rainbow answered. “I wouldn’t be putting up with this otherwise. But all I’m saying is, I have seen you making ‘the eyes’ at AJ. Now, as her best friend it is my job to tell you that if you hurt her I will toss you through a wall. You being my friend be damned, are we clear?”

“What was that?” Applejack asked, peeking her head into the room.

“Uh… nothing?” Rainbow asked nervously, sweating a little.

“Good, it better be nothing, because if I hear you playing protector on my behalf I’ll buck you into next week. I think if anyone hurts me, I can hurt them back.”

Rainbow swallowed and turned to Rarity saying: “Yeeeeeeah, you’re totally whipped.”

“Do you want me to put that rose somewhere else?” Rarity said as she looked at Rainbow sternly.

“I’ll be quiet now,” Rainbow gulped.

“Good!” Rarity said shoving Rainbow out of the room. “Now let us hustle! We have a wedding to attend to. And trust me, being fashionably late would not be good in this instance at all!”

Scootaloo swallowed as she sat atop the altar, fussing with the roses in her mane. Good grief, she hadn’t been this nervous since she graduated! Looking out at the audience, she smiled nervously and waved at Rainbow who was walking up.

“Come on squirt you got this.” the mare said.

“How much convincing did it take for Rarity to get you into that?” Scootaloo asked, raising an eyebrow. She snorted. “Love the rose!”

“Oh, you have no idea…” Rainbow muttered. “If I had my way I’d be going commando! But this is the one time you dress up so…”

“Admit it, you like looking pretty,” Scootaloo teased. “I’m sure at least someone likes it.”

“Yes, well, if I do, I’ll never tell,” Rainbow said before lowering her voice. “At least not in public.”

Scootaloo cast another glance out into the audience, where she saw Big Mac sitting with both Sugar and Meadowbrook. She chuckled, after much poking and prodding -from Sugar of course- the two had welcomed Meadowbrook into their relationship. A nice little three-way herd. In the back of the room was Vinyl along with another pony. Lemon something or other, she was really Sweetie’s friend. Scootaloo never bothered to catch the name. In any event, the two of them manned the DJ booth.

Princess Twilight strode up even as Vinyl began to play the first chords of the wedding march. Down the aisle came Sweetie Belle looking absolutely radiant. Scootaloo thought she might faint at the sight of her, petals literally falling off her dress.

“...gee, think we went overboard the flower theme?” Rainbow muttered and Twilight silenced her with a glare. For all of about five seconds. “What, just sayin’! There’s thematic and then there’s just plain tacky!”

“Hush!” Twilight hissed at her. She cleared her throat even as Sweetie Belle walked up. Rarity was dabbing at her eyes, her mascara already ruined. She blew her nose, Applejack muttering something like ‘oh brother’ to herself.

“Ladies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of…”

The vows flew by in a blur, not as remotely terrifying as Scootaloo thought they’d be. Now came the fun part, the dancing and the party!

“Awwwwwwwwwrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiight!” Vinyl said as she punched the air, and put on some peppy pop song. “This is where the fun begins. This song, my peeps, goes out to our two special little lovebirds!”

As the two danced, Sweetie twirling Scootaloo along the dance floor ponies cheered them on. “So, this is where our life begins right? Like, our real life, right?”

“Sure looks like it doesn’t it?” Scootaloo said. “I still remember how you proposed, you were nearly falling over yourself. I thought the Princess of Pop had more confidence!”

“Yes, well, as it turns out I’m not entirely confident as I would have liked. I mean… uh, yeah sure I proposed to you on stage but…”

“You nearly dropped the ring into the crowd?” Scootaloo asked. “Yeah, I remembered. That was… yeah, frightening.”

“You weren’t the one who bought it!” Sweetie said as Scootaloo this time twirled her. “I mean, I’d have probably have just died if someone trampled all over it!”

“Nobody did, and if you died I wouldn’t be able to marry your cute face!” Scootaloo said kissing her on the nose. “And. that. would. have. been. such! a! shame!”

She punctuated each statement with either a kiss to the nose or the lips. Whichever she preferred at the moment.

“Someone’s getting frisky, aren’t they?” Sweetie teased.

“Hey, not my fault I can’t get enough of you…” Scootaloo said.

“True, and you’ll get plenty of me tonight!” Sweetie replied. Nearby, the other guests were sharing amusing stories and anecdotes with each other. All about Sweetie and Scootaloo, and all -of course- designed to embarrass the two lovebirds to the max.

“So, there she was okay?” Applejack said barely holding back chuckles herself. “Marx glasses, as a disguise! Not even sure what they were for, but I saw her with them. Never mind the fact that it actually draws more attention to yourself, right? She should have just gone as herself!”

A few chuckles and snorts came from the ponies nearby. Rainbow smiled at the memory before she looked out into the crowd and her smile faded. Scootaloo’s parents had… declined to attend. Somehow she suspected that might have been due to the fact that Scootaloo had cut them out of her life.

See, here’s the thing okay? As it turns out well, your parents suddenly become a lot more interested in you when you become half-plant. They’d meant well enough, at least starting out, but as scientists well… their own daughter was an interesting anomaly. Somewhere along the way, Scootaloo had thought that she was being treated more as a trophy rather than as a person. There’d been a big blowup, and probably some lingering resentment from being dumped with her aunts all the time had fed into things and… well, the less said about what happened next was probably for the best.

Sweetie had sent out the invitation, from what Rainbow had heard but neither parent had come to attend. Guess there was still too much bad blood really. Bit of a shame, really. Rainbow may not have been the world’s biggest fan of the two but they at least deserved to see their daughter’s wedding day.

“You alright?” Mrs. Cheerilee asked. Yes, Mrs. Cheerilee. No longer was the mare a single woman. She’d recently taken up residence with a nice stallion -nobody caught the name- but seemed to be fairly happy with herself.

“Yeah, just wish…”

“That Snap and Allgood could make it?” Cheerliee reasoned. “Yes, it is a damn shame but… well, nothing we can do about it. If they don’t want to attend, well they don’t want to attend!”

Rainbow nodded. Yeah, that was true. It was still a bit sad, at least for Scootaloo. Okay, maybe she may not have wanted to admit it but Rainbow had seen that look in her eye. That little disappointed look where she’d noticed her parents had failed to attend. Guess that really settled matters, she supposed. Her parents were out of her life, even after all the attempts to mend things.

Rainbow speculated, she honestly did. Maybe, just maybe something in Snap had… broken after Scootaloo’s ‘death’ and he’d given up trying to be a real parent. She could only guess. Rainbow knew nothing about Allgood, she’d barely said two words to the mare even before all of this.

“So, what will you be doing now?” Cheerliee asked as the two walked. “I know you plan on helping Applejack manage the family farm, but what about your Wonderbolts career.”

“I’m getting old Cheer,” Rainbow said, passing by Maina and Miana atop their tigers. A third tiger passed, carrying another pony. Their triplet, Bel or something. She’d apparently been dragged kicking and screaming from their little island. Apparently, Battra had been reborn into a new form and it was Bel’s job to care for her. Sure enough, there was a little grub atop Bel’s mount as well. Huh, that was interesting. “I’m no longer as fast as I used to be, I’m slowing down. Us athletes only have a certain prime time before we have to just hang up our flight suits. But I’ve achieved my dream, and hell I’ve inspired a new generation of flyers. That’s all a mare could ask for right?”

“Yeah, I suppose…” Cheerilee said sadly at the fact that the legendary Rainbow Dash would soon no longer be a staple of the Wonderbolts air shows. Nearby, an older and wiser Ocellus badgered a rather annoyed Bel with questions. The Mothra triplet just sighed and answered each as they came.

“Who’s a good little edgemoth, yes you are… Yes, you are!” Ocellus said as she rocked the Battra grub. Maina and Miana shared a giggle. There were rumors that the changeling would become one of the next guardians of Mothra’s temple. Nobody knew for sure, though looking at this sight did leave Rainbow to wonder...

Titans had changed the world around them. For example, King Kong, rather recently, had protected the city of Manehatten from an invasion of creatures called the Nebulans. They had a truly strange creature at their beck and call. A monster termed Gigan, covered in saws and blades. Really rather edgy. The battle was long and arduous, but eventually the Eighth Wonder of the World had triumphed. The Nebulans had been sent away packing. Some integrated themselves into pony society. They were welcomed, all things considered. Rainbow had dated one once. Once you got past the bug thing, they were sorta cool.

A low roar split the skies, and gasps echoed as Rodan flew overhead before ascending into the clouds once more. It seemed even the Lord of the Skies approved of this union. Or just wanted to stay on Scootaloo’s good side. Who knew, honestly? The Princess of the Titans was not one to be trifled with.

Speaking of the Princess of the Titans -as the news called her- she was now making her away to a carriage with her new and lovely wife. Royal Guards stood ready to life off. Scootaloo gave a wave, Sweetie Belle soon to follow. Scootaloo plucked a rose from her mane, and tossed it. Rarity caught it, and shared a grin with Applejack.

Then, the carriage lifted off into the sky. Scootaloo smiled, and turned to Sweetie: “You ready to face the world?”

“With you by my side? Always!”

The End

Author's Note

And so we reach the end of our tale. Now, huge thanks to my co-writers, they know who they are for helping me with this. Now, I'm leaving this tale as is, but you're free to imagine what happens next and what happened in-between the scene with Meadowbrook and the wedding. Did SpaceGodzilla show, did King Ghidorah return? You decide. This is just where I end things.

(Credit to Faith for inspiring Scootallante's design)