The DESTINY Exploration

Chapter 15: Destiny

Gilgamesh stood out on the balcony adjacent to the throne room when I returned. His face was expressionless as he watched the sun set in the direction of Grokant. As the glowing star sank beneath the mountains, he began to tear up and become distraught. I quickly flew to his side, and slung my arm around his shoulders. His inner despair had no match in me; his sister being held a prisoner in her own body by a former role model in his father. How can I even begin to sympathize with him?

We stood there like that for over an hour, disengaged from the world around us. Gent approached us a couple times, but made no remarks and left us to our internal seclusion. My mind drifted to the request that Starswirl made a short time ago, for me to investigate the meteor crash in the Frozen North. According to Starswirl, the only creatures able to survive in those conditions are very powerful magicians and those like the griffons who can withstand climatic extremes. It makes sense for me to go, but the mystery is why that meteor needed to be discovered; if only a few of us knew of its existence, why not leave it derelict in the snow-capped wasteland?

Even so, Starswirl must remain at Giwgást to maintain the leverage that is needed to fight the Kingdom. Now that Gilda is in power, and possesses incredible power, that leverage might be the one thing that will delay the rebellion’s defeat.

“Gil. Are you ready to talk?”

Gilgamesh stirred from his blank stare, and gave me a nod.

“Gil, Starswirl has asked me to leave for a while. I’m heading back to Equestria, and will be traversing the Frozen North.”

Gil’s expression went to immediate surprise. “What could possibly be there that’s so important to take my best warrior away from me?” The flattery took me off guard, and I beamed with crimson cheeks.

“You’ll be fine here, Prince. The east needs the rightful King to restore his Kingdom, and you’re that King. I’ll be back sooner than you believe, I wager!”

Gil gave a small grin. “I know you will, you’ve been there for me every time I needed you. Even if it was for something stupid, like that time I got my wings caught in that crevice on Mount Balcor. You know, when I nose-dived down that valley!”

I threw myself on the floor in a fit of laughter. “That was the best thing ever. You looked so smug when you sped past all those guards, and they freaked out! Classic.”

“Ha." Gil shuffled his paws and stared into me. "Giefan, I’ll be fine when you are gone. It seems we have a very trustworthy set of allies after all. My views were jaded by my father’s misplaced anger, and I’ve learned to listen and assess more than look and judge right away. The wisdom that these griffons…even Starswirl have gifted me is humbling.”

I nodded in agreement with Gil’s conviction. These griffons have poured their hearts to us even though we are from the oppressor’s camp.

“I have to make my way over to the Frozen North now. We should step into the room.”

Gilgamesh rose and walked with me into the throne room. Standing near the archway where our Equestria portal manifested were Starswirl, Gent, Barst, and the rest of the council. Starswirl channeled his magic and activated the symbols on the arch, and the portal soon after materialized. I gave each one of them a final parting glance, nodding to each of them, and walked into the portal.

Instantly, I found myself in the empty room beyond Princess Celestia’s throne room, with the portal shutting off behind me. Standing upstairs at the outlook was Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, appearing expectant of my arrival.

I walked upstairs and approached Princess Luna.

“Ma’am, it is a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face. I am-“

“Giefan, Starswirl spoke with me shortly after you had appeared in Giwgást, and had high praise for your composure. I’m sorry to hear about your friend, Gilda.” Princess Luna bowed slightly and I could have sworn a tear fell from her eye. “We are trying our best to think of a solution for her ‘father’, but we may not be able to save her.”

My face dipped at the sound of that news. “I figured as much. Still, I appreciate your efforts to try and right the wrongs of our King. He must be dealt with very soon; Gilda may not be able to withstand his influence for much longer.”

Princess Celestia motioned us out of the cave, and we appeared in her throne room, the wall shutting behind us. Scattered around the room were various books, scrolls, and maps; my bookworm senses were tingling. Griffons don’t usually make reading a hobby, so theory-driven discussion is super uncommon; we are super practical creatures. Princess Celestia then turned to me suddenly.

“Giefan, there is something you need to know before we send you up to the Crystal Mountains. If you discover anything unusual in those valleys, you should send this to us immediately.” Celestia gave me a white scroll with a vial of black liquid.

“What might this be, Princess?”

Princess Luna explained the items in question. “When you write this note, dip one or two drops of the black liquid and it will evaporate the note, forwarding it to one of us immediately, depending on the time of day. Write down anything you observe during your expedition.”

Then a thought surfaced in Celestia’s head. “Better yet, take a whole set of scrolls; document each day of your journey for us for the next two weeks. This will be the first time in many years anypony has explored the valleys of the Crystal Mountains. Having information like this would be invaluable to us.”

I sighed heavily. “Is this really necessary, ladies? Can’t I just fly in, find the rock, and leave?”

Both of the princesses exchanged a look of hesitation. Something was being hidden from me but I decided not to press further and ruffle any feathers.

“…alright. I will do as you ask. But may I ask this: is this meteor like the one that Gilgar, Starswirl, or Tom encountered?”

Luna responded quickly. “Not at all. This particular meteor was not meant to hit the planet. It was forced to impact the planet by somepony deliberately. Its flight path did not collide with Equestria or any other nation.”

“Then who is responsible for this?”

Luna turned her head to the left, staring outside as rain clouds appeared above Canterlot. “Our suspicion has always been King Gilgar. He knows just as much about the prophecies and predictions as we do, since he had unlimited access to that information during his time in the Magician’s Guild. He could have anticipated it being Starswirl, but luckily, he picked the wrong meteor.”

That’s a relief to hear! Starswirl could have been destroyed, but luck is on our side; I suppose it was a 50/50 chance, anyways.

Princess Celestia stood forward to speak. “Giefan, it is time for you to make your way to the Frozen North. Starswirl said that the meteor that fell might be the key to defeating King Gilgar for good. Or rather, Queen Gilda…that’s still strange to say, I’ve known that hatchling since she was born.”

“I will find that meteor, ma’am, do not worry.”

[DAY 1]

After leaving the castle in Canterlot, I made my way to the southern border of the Crystal Empire. The mountains came into view later in the evening as I passed by Cloudsdale and Neighagra Falls. As the sun had set, I made camp near Crystal Lake, north of the falls. The water here is pure, considerably healthy to drink. I made sure I stocked up on it before my trek into the mountains; I could need it.

[DAY 2]

The mountains were trembling as I flew into the arctic cold. This time of year, it was not uncommon for brief tremors to shake the landscape; because of this, I kept watch for any freak avalanches. My time in the Griffon Kingdom definitely lent itself to my experienced caution in this mountain range. Honestly, I had no idea what exactly to look for, or where to start; everything is buried in snow and ice! Some digging into the ground needed to be done, so I started with apparently massive piles of snow. The object had to be large, so it took some time to unearth each pile.

[DAY 3]

Still nothing of interest in these mountains after a few days, but the sun is finally out after a couple days of overcast weather. Celestia’s sun is melting away much of the surface snow, and underneath is a lush field of grass that sprung up as the day progressed. This must be a rare sight, according to your replies, because for a set of valleys that never sees light, this day completely breaks that trend. Sunlight can grace these mountains after all.

[DAY 4]

The blizzard came out of nowhere, and now lightning strikes are making this journey extremely dangerous. I had to travel to a cave nearby for shelter and avoid the gusts’ threatening chills. Thus far, no meteor sightings, and I have explored much of the border between the Crystal Empire and Equestria. Tomorrow it will be time to explore the inner depths of the mountains, where more severe weather should follow.

[DAY 5]

Princesses, I’m quickly writing this so that you’ll know I’m trapped beneath multiple layers of snow and rock. Luckily, a cave is granting me a tolerable amount of space to lie down and breathe, but for the moment, the avalanches have rendered me unable to escape. I’ll keep you posted; the snow and ice should melt a bit in a couple of days.

[DAY ???]

Time feels like it has passed slowly, and the snow is now frozen solid. The storm must be persisting longer than expected, but you should not worry about me. I can subsist on my supplies for a couple days longer, and the storm should pass. I don’t know how many days it has been since I got trapped, but it couldn’t have been more than a few. Keep me in your prayers.

[DAY 10]

Thank you for the update, Princesses. The snow melted a bit, and I dug my way out and continued my search. Today, the skies were overcast, but enough light made the expedition much easier than it had been. I traveled farther north and deeper into the mighty peaks of the Crystal Mountains. I have this odd feeling that I’ll find what we are looking for soon. Something keeps tugging on my heart.

The mountains howled in reply to my every step as the winds became more turbulent on the ground. Flying was no longer an option, and the only thing keeping me grounded were my claws. It took incredible lower body strength to grip the ground and persist, moving at a slug’s pace across the frozen turf.

Gil, I will find this meteor and make it back, I promised you. I won’t let this cold defeat me. I must find it. I resolve to stay here as long as it takes.

The entire day was filled with resisting the fierce, frigid drought. Eventually, the snow stopped, but the winds persisted; my face built up ice on my cheeks and beneath my eyelids. I had trained for these conditions someday, yet I wish it was not alone. If I black out here, I may never wake up from my arctic slumber.

The shadows of the peaks grew and overtook my path, lowering the surface temperature considerably. I felt my legs start to give way, and I surrendered to their will, falling to my knees. I had reached my limit, so I frantically reached for my quill and notes to send an S.O.S. As I was writing, however…

*buzz* *crack* *spark*

What was that noise? What in the-?!

A small sparking noise came from my right as I discovered a large mound sitting about 50 feet away from me, sparking with something that looked like little lightning bolts. The mound was humming softly, and I continued to write my note:

[DAY 11]

Princesses, it has come to a close. I tried my best to find the meteor you tasked me with unearthing. But my body has finally given way to the cold, and I must resign to my fate. I cannot move anymore; I’m on my knees here ready to depart from this world. And I’m scared; frightened for my dear friend, Gilgamesh, who I’m afraid will act rash at the news of my death. So please, comfort him as much as you are able, and prevent his descent into blind rage…

…wait a second. I found something. Send a party to the location I’ve marked on the note. It’s right here, I see the meteor! I’m wiping the snow away and- I found it! Don't tarry.

After crawling over to the meteor, I wiped away the snow covering it. I felt a chilly hard substance on the surface, and it was smooth: this wasn’t like the other meteorites I had seen in the Kingdom. The surface of the meteorite was chrome and perfectly smoothed out, no dips or crevices, no valleys and craggy indentations. Not a meteorite at all from what I gathered.

What in the heck is this thing? It’s not a rock at all!

There was a piece of the object sparking, and so I wiped the ice off around the spot. There were these red, blue, and black strings with copper inside them sparking, and adjacent to the exposed sparks was a word I hadn’t noticed before. Etched on the surface of the object was one word: ‘DESTINY”.

“Destiny.” Suddenly, the meteorite shook in response to my voice, and I leapt away in fright. A piece of the object opened up and revealed an entrance inside; I hesitated, but resolved to walk inside. The inner parts of the object were foreign and void of comfort for me; the layout appeared to be like that of a ship. I was walking in the captain’s quarters, which contained a desk and a bed, with everything framed with aluminum and steel.

Walking up a ladder, I found myself in what appeared to be a bridge, with a view outside of the ship. I saw a good part of the valley I had just traveled outside of the window, with parts of the glass covered with ice. Suddenly, the bridge lit up, and the window blinked, showing a set of unreadable characters and numbers speeding across my line of sight. Then a voice sounded throughout the bridge:

CAPTAIN’S LOCATION STILL UNKNOWN - CONTINUING PLANETARY SWEEP

“I see you found the meteor.” I turned and facing me was Starswirl the Bearded and Princess Celestia.

“Sir, ma’am, what are you doing here? I thought you were sending a search party to me, not actually coming here yourselves!”

Starswirl chuckled a bit, but returned to his newfound curiosity for the vessel.

“Never in my life did I perceive this type of technology actually existed. So this must be that ship you said Tom mentioned, Celestia.”

Celestia nodded. “Indeed, Starswirl, this ship is his. I remember the layout from looking inside of his memories. Which means…?”

The Princess pressed a couple of buttons on the panel in front of the window, and a door opened to our left. A set of words appeared above the door that said ‘MEDICAL WING’. All of us entered the hallway leading to the medical wing of the craft, and we entered an open room with a table and machine hanging above us. It was adorned with various instruments: scalpels, forceps, syringes and stitching needles.

A panel on the wall lit up, and the same voice from the bridge announced:

RECOVERY TIME FOR PATIENT JONAH: 7 MONTHS REMAINING

A wall became exposed, and a strange creature lay limp inside of the wall. A heart monitor showed his heart rate as erratic at best, dropping and picking up speed intermittently.

“Holy cow, what kind of animal is that, Your Highness?!”

Princess Celestia sighed deeply. “So…this is his ‘Jonah’. Tom’s friend.”

Tom’s friend, Jonah?! So he’s not a pony? But how is that even possible, I’ve never seen anything like this! What is going on here?!

“I demand answers from both of you, now. This is no accident that you’ve sent me here. Tell me everything. NOW.”

Starswirl twitched a bit and gave me a grave stare. “This creature in the casing will die in 7 months if we take too long in overthrowing Queen Gilda.”

Princess Celestia chimed in next. “That is correct. Tom is not from this world, but from beyond the stars in the sky. If he cannot master his magic and overcome Gilgar’s powers, he and his friend will perish, and we will be doomed for a very long time.”

Now I’m fighting for more than just my friends and for the griffons. This creature, these ponies, they all are counting on the rebellion to succeed and for Tom to defeat Gilgar. I see now why Starswirl said this meteor was the key to defeating the King; it is what has kept Tom alive this long from the start.

“I promise…” I started to shake and shiver as the two looked to me.

Starswirl grew in concern. “You promise what, son?”

I raised my head in tears, but shouted in confidence. “I WILL defend my Griffons, I WILL save Jonah, and I WILL give my life for all of you. That is my promise.”

Starswirl smiled with acknowledgement. “I know you will, Giefan. I will be at your side when the sky falls. That is my promise.”

Celestia sounded her support. “Thank you, Giefan, Starswirl. I will lend my aid however I can. That is my promise.”

At once, the ground shook as a lightning bolt struck the mountains. The valley echoed the crack of the bolt for miles, and carried our resolve across the land. To our left, a monitor flashed, and our attention turned to it. The room darkened, and red sirens blared throughout the ship. The screen was read aloud to us by the voice:

CAPTAIN FOUND – VOICE SIGNATURE 98% CONFIRMED – SENDING PROBES TO RETRIEVE CAPTAIN

Oh no! Tom can't leave! This is disastrous!