Equestria: Kong's Dominion

The grasslands have given way to thick jungle again, Tailcoatl, leading the way again, making their way.

“Don’t separate,” she announces to her group of survivors.

The humid afternoon atmosphere continues to create an oven, mosquitoes and all kinds of strange insects surround them.

Suddenly Tailcoatl stops dead, and so do those following her.

“What the Tartarus is this?” Comet Trail asks.

With amazement they can see among the undergrowth and trees stacked rocks, not just stacked, but creating a wall that transforms into a semi-collapsed semicircular arch.

It is an old entrance.

“Ruins… just like the ancient temples in Ayacachtli or Tenochtitlan,” Tailcoatl said, entering through the arch without the central voussoirs. "But simpler."

Before them lies a vast collection of ancient buildings, a fascinating display of architecture, remnants of a once flourishing civilization that Fluttershy couldn't pass up without taking a photo.

Creepers and moss hang from the stone walls and monoliths, but there are also numerous carved and yellow-coloured stones.

The air is filled with mystery, the ruins look old, but not that old for some reason.

The strange symbols on these stones are seen everywhere.

Fluttershy pointed her camera at one of the symbols to take a photo.

Her heart jumped as eyes opened from the glyph, staring piercingly at her.

With a scream she almost dropped the camera.

Suddenly, dozens of equines emerged from the ruins. Their stripes perfectly resembled zebras, but their colors made them blend in perfectly with the surroundings of the jungle and those ruins.

Their striped fur was stony and greenish in color, and they were all armed with metal-tipped spears.

The group's cries of confusion were immediate, forming a circle as these equines surrounded them. They were greatly outnumbered.

“Back off, back off!” shouted those with a gun at the zebras staring at them, closing the encirclement.

They were completely silent, but staring at them menacingly.

“No, no, no, no,” Tailcoat, equally startled, told her group, trying to calm them down. “Don’t shoot.”

The natives were so close that if they had taken one more step, they would have fired.

Suddenly, from the other side of the ruins, a group of more zebras enter and stare at them.

Comet Trail was about to pull the trigger, Tailcoatl also aimed at the one who looked like the leader of the group.

Spike pumped the shotgun.

“Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!” shouted a stranger as he pushed his way through the zebras.

Everyone turned to see how a hippogriff emerged from the group of zebras.

“No! There is no need, gentlecreatures,” he announced.

In front of them was a hippogriff in a military uniform that was a little too small for him, with a bomber jacket and a cap with the Hippogriffian symbol. He looked to be about forty years old or older.

“Everyone, keep your wigs on!”

Everyone looked at him in disbelief.

“Let’s not make a fuss, shall we?” he said reassuringly.

“What?” Comet Trail asked.

“I didn’t believe it when they told me you were coming. I spent the whole morning thinking about how Dusk and I dreamed of this moment happening. And now you’re here.”

The group lowered their weapons a bit.

“Twenty-two years, four months, and eight failed attempts to return to the world…” he said, a smile appearing on his face, gesticulating with his claws. “And now the world comes to me? What a crack…”

With a humble laugh he turned to look at the natives who did not move an inch, “They never smile.”

“Did you crash here?” Fluttershy asked, fascinated.

“Oh, excuse me, miss.” The hippogriff immediately stood to attention and saluted. “Lieutenant Sky Cluster, 12th Fighter Wing of Her Majesty Queen Novo’s Royal Navy Air Force, my pleasure.”

He took a break and continued with his conversation.

“I even put on my uniform for you guys,” Sky Cluster laughed a bit more.

Fluttershy looked at him curiously.

“You guys are more beautiful than a tuna sandwich and a beer, at Taloncaster Stadium, on opening day,” the hippogriff told them, pantomiming a sandwich and a glass with his claws, staring at his imaginary food with nostalgia and longing.

“But you guys are real…” He said, closing his claws. “Right?”

Everyone looked at him with curiosity and confusion, except the natives, who didn't even flinch.

Sky Cluster turned to his fellow zebras, “Told ya, didn’t I? I told you. It’s okay.”

The natives, unfazed, looked a little calmer and lowered their spears.

“That’s it, calm down," the hippogriff said.

“There’s something out there in the jungle, dude,” Comet Trail tells the hippogriff nervously.

“Oh, there’s a lot of stuff out there.”

Everyone looked at him with caution and relief.

“Come on, we have to go home…” He said with a smile. “You don’t want to be here at night, do you?”

Lieutenant Nick Trotland continued to explore its perimeter, coming across an idyllic lake between the cliffs.

His heart was filled with relief as he looked at the scenery and sat down on a rock on the shore. The lake was serene, surrounded by tall trees and green cliffs covered by a light mist.

He looked around, but there weren't many landmarks to guide him. He didn't notice the waves forming in the middle of this body of water.

Calmly, he placed his rifle on the sides of the rock, walked into the water up to his knees and took out his canteen; and filled it from the lake. The water did not look very clean or crystal clear, but it was the best there was.

Dipping his hooves into the water, he raised enough water to clean his wounds, especially on his head.

The blood diluted by the vital liquid fell down his cheeks so that it could be cleaned by him.

Suddenly he heard something creak and turned towards the green cliffs surrounding the lake, making a blind spot behind the corner.

It was the sound of trees creaking, putting him on alert again.

Suddenly, from behind the cliff, a huge ape emerged, walking on two legs in water that reached the titan's knees.

Trotland looked at the huge animal, which for the moment had its back turned to him.

He admire the titanic ape.

Suddenly she turned towards him and advanced, making him run and hide behind the rock on the shore.

But the primate did not notice him, he only looked around and contemplated his wounds. He touched a serious wound on his arm and grimaced in pain.

The ape then crouched down closer to the water and continued to look at the wound on his right arm. He then raised his right hand and saw the cuts on his palm.

Nick Trotland looked at the animal in amazement from his cover.

After roaring lightly in pain, he looked back down, the lake water reflecting his massive body.

The primate touched the water with his finger before dipping his left hand into it, creating waves.

He brought his hand to his mouth and began to drink the water as the excess fell like a waterfall from his palm.

The primate drank it for a while.

Suddenly his inquisitive eyes opened again to see something staring into the water.

He stopped drinking and with his other hand he lunged at something in the water.

Trotland took cover behind the rock again.

The primate grabbed something and pulled it with all his might. Trotland didn't see what it was, but the thing was screeching aggressively.

A tentacle emerged from the water, then another and another, and the primate was immediately surrounded by several. He struggled.

The squid's limbs wrap around the ape's body as it continues to struggle and roar furiously.

As he pulled at the tentacles and arms, his attacker's body rose from the water, revealing the massive cephalopod holding him. The squid screamed.

The animal suddenly stomped furiously on the cephalopod's body, releasing a lot of ink accompanied by a higher-pitched screech.

The arms and tentacles around the biped loosened, allowing it to break free, tearing one of its limbs free.

A piece of tentacle flew towards Trotland, who shielded himself behind the rock.

Suddenly the ape calms down, sitting back down.

The little pony peeks out from his hiding place to see the titan tear off pieces of his new prey and eat them like spaghetti.

With awe and terror, he realized the magnitude and brutality of the island, it was a majestic and ominous sight at the same time.

The primate continued to devour his new meal, savoring the seafood until he stood up once more.

The primate turned around and turned its back on Trotland, dragging the squid along with it.

The pony just stared at the ominous animal going away.

The party now followed the banks of the river, guided by the hippogriff and his native companions.

As they turn around a bend in the river, a huge wooden wall reveals itself before them, several stories high, protecting something between the two walls of the enormous cliff.

“You must have noticed a lot of strange things on this island,” Sky told them, leading the group through one of the small entrances in the wall into a village of thatched roofs, wooden walls, and linen cloth. “As long as we stay here where the zebras live, we’ll be fine.”

They crossed the river towards some piers that gave entrance to the village on the banks of the river.

Spike looked back at the wall, tall, imposing, made of massive logs, some with sharp points pointing outwards along their length. The jungle around them was filled with a cacophony of creature sounds, they felt watched.

“That wall… Is it supposed to keep that thing out?” the dragon asks.

“Nah, he’s not the one they want to leave out,” the hippogriff said, walking again.

“What?” Jade said, falling in step.

“These zebras still live in an era long before us, and it seems they will continue to live like this for centuries to come.” Sky Cluster told them, passing between the zebras going about their daily business: cooking, saddlery, textiles, carpentry, construction, fishing; but everyone stopped what they were doing to see the strange creatures arriving.

Their well-known winged lion-horse, accompanied by three equines with similar colors, two with wings, one with a horn, a purple lizard with wings, and a bluish equine with bat wings. Definitely outsiders.

“There is no crime, no private property,” the hippogriff tells them, as the crowd surrounds them. “They are beyond all that.”

In front of them were two zebras, male and female, elderly, they were definitely the patriarch and matriarch of the village, with different colors in their stripes and different ritual paint; behind them were more warriors.

Sky Cluster approached them with his wings spread and a gentle smile.

The old zebras looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded and left.

“Thank you, thank you,” Sky told them, whispering and nodding.

He turned to them.

“Good news, they say you can camp here.”

Tailcoatl looked dumbfounded and tried to keep up with her guide hippogriff.

“I didn’t hear them say anything.”

“Ah, they don’t talk much, but when you live here for so long, you start to understand. You’ll see.”

Suddenly Jade Finder stands in Sky's way.

“Listen, wait a minute. We can’t stay here, we have to leave the island…” He tells them desperately. “We have life, I... I have life out there.”

“Jade, now is not the time,” Tailcoatl interrupts, calming him down.

“What comes here, usually stays here, my friend,” Sky replies with a smile in his face.

They continued walking until they came upon a huge ship stranded in the marshes surrounding the village. On its bow the words ERNS Colton could still be seen.

It was a cargo ship, rusted metal, corroded paint, vines and moss were what made it up now. Parts of the metal had fallen off, revealing the metal structure of the hull.

“As far as I know, this ship ran aground here ten years before I arrived, I presume their civilization advanced to the Iron Age with this gift from their gods,” Sky said, cheerfully.

“You've been here since 1012?!” Fluttershy asks, amazed.

“Yep.”

As they approached the metal frame, they entered through one of the holes in the ship.

“Hey, what happened to the war? Did we win?”

“Which one of them?” Comet asks.

“Typical… The North Zebrican one?”

“Oh, yes. They won it.”

“Really? Against the three countries? Wow! How?”

“It’s… It’s a long story actually,” Tailcoatl tells him.

“Meh… We’ll have time.”

The ship appears to have been repurposed as a temple, Sky led them through the corridors to what was once the ship's cargo hold.

“This is sacred ground for them, if you value their hooves, don’t touch anything.”

Before them was a large open space inside the ship, light provided by torches on a pole and gaps in the metal plating.

Sky Cluster took off his cap and walked respectfully through the temple.

“Wow,” Fluttershy said, whispering.

“Twilight would've loved this,” Spike added.

In front of them stood another elderly zebra, probably the priest of this sacred place and his assistants. Unfazed, they took the lead of the column of visitors.

The zebras that were silently praying there stood up and gave them way.

On the sides of his path were numerous rocks stuck in the ground together, but at different distances, each one painted white which together created an entire image.

In the first group of rocks there was an image of several equine figures with spears, surrounded by two large lizard heads with sharp teeth that were trying to devour them, all surrounded by incomprehensible glyphs.

“The zebras on this island lived in terror for thousands of years,” Sky Cluster said, beginning his speech. “That’s a long time to be afraid.”

On the other side was another set of stones that formed the image of zebras praising what looked like a great ape.

“And one day the strangest thing happened” —the hippogriff continued— “some of the things they were afraid of began to protect them from the things that would eat them.”

Another set of rocks gave the image of probably the same ape kneeling before two skeletons of its own species, its expression denoting sadness and mourning.

“But I guess nothing lasts forever.”

The group looked at the images with admiration and amazement.

In front of them, occupying the whole wall, was a large group of stones that formed the image of an enormous ape being worshipped and protected by equine figures with spears in formation around it.

“This is where they honor the last of their saviors.”

Everyone watched in fascination at the magnanimous image of the ape, as Sky approached the foot of the altar.

Everyone turns to look at their new guide.

“Yes… He is Kong. He is the king here, a God for these equines.”

Lieutenant Cluster began to walk among them, almost in a trance. The others just fell silent and gave him their full attention.

“Kong is a good king,” he says, pointing at Tailcoatl. “He tends to keep to himself. This is his home, we are his guests.”

Sky steps back in front of the group and looked disappointed, pointing at the them.

“And you don't go to someone's house to throw bombs unless you're looking for a fight.”

Everyone felt a bit ashamed.

“And wasn’t it Kong who killed your friend?” Fluttershy asks, uncomfortably.

Cluster's expression turned stern.

“No,” he replied, pointing to a group of rocks. “One of them killed him.”

The group of rocks gave the image of a huge animal, lizard-skulled, walking on its only two legs, a large stocky body and a long tail, decorated with sharp serrated teeth and claws. Parts of its body seemed to be made of bone, others were pure muscle; or so it could be seen from the monochrome image, a white silhouette.

“Kong is a god on the island, but demons live below.”

Fear filled their hearts at the sight of such a horrible creature.

“What are their names?” Tailcoatl asks.

Sky turned his eyes to see his fellow zebras and back at the group.

“The Iwis don’t say their name, but I call them Skullcrawlers,” he said, almost whispering

A brief silence.

“Why?” Tailcoatl asks.

“Because it sounds threatening… Plus, it has my initials on it.”

The group did not look very convinced.

“Hey, I just made up the name, it was to scare you.”

“You got me,” Fluttershy said, shivering.

“Well, it's a good name, I can't deny it,” Spike said.

“Well, I’ve never said it out loud before, I know, it sounds ridiculous,” the hippogriff replies.

He shook his head, while every creature was trying to reassure him of the coolness the name.

“Listen, call them whatever you like, okay?”

Sky returned to his stern expression again.

“Those damned, dirty lizards. They come from the caves, from the depths, that's why Kong got angry! Your bombs woke these things up... Y'know what? If he'd not been around, you wouldn't have gotten this far. They're clever, savage monsters.”

Cluster approached Tailcoatl, who listened to him attentively with a neutral expression.

“And he can handle them as long as he finds them small. Just don’t wake up the biggest one,” he said, pointing with his claw.

“And what size is it?” Fluttershy asked, shivering at the thought.

“Huge, really huge. He killed his entire family.”

Comet and Jade watched this with concern.

“Kong is the last one left, but he's still growing. And let's hope so, because the Iwis say that when Kong dies, the biggest one will rise to the surface.” He continued, now looking at the main altar.

Tailcoatl turned to look at the natives, all with neutral expressions, unchanging.

“And we'll all be bucked up if that happens... heh, heh.”

Then the golden-collared pegasus turns back to Sky, and approached him.

“Listen, a resupply team will arrive on the north side of the island in two days.”

“You should come with us,” Fluttershy continues.

“On the north side of the island?”

“Yes,” Tailcoatl replies, as the hippogriff begins to laugh in her face.

“Two days?” he says, laughing out loud.

They both laughed condescendingly, while Sky patted her harder and harder and the pegasus of Tenochtitlan returned to a serious expression.

“You won’t get to the north side in three days,” he says, no longer laughing as he walks away. “Two days. Impossible. No, there’s no way.”

They all felt these words hit their hearts.

Sky walked a few steps away and remembered something, then turned around again.

“At least not on hooves.”