"And that's all I have to report, Princesses."

Twilight Sparkle had just wrapped up telling the sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna every last detail about the encounter she and her friends had with King Sombra. Included was his escape from Tartarus, his new power and more importantly, his involvement in releasing the kaiju and his plans for Equestria. There were several other details discussed, but those were the ones given the most attention to detail.

The three princesses were seated around a table in the meeting room of the Canterlot castle. Twilight Sparkle had originally planned to just write them a message and have Spike deliver it to them. However, she decided at the last minute to just go to Canterlot and tell them in person. So, Twilight Sparkle hopped in her hot air balloon and flew right over.

Celestia and Luna didn't respond to what they heard right away. At first they remained silent as they took in everything that Twilight had just told them. They had to stop Twilight Sparkle a few times while she was giving her report and have her repeat what she had said just to be sure they heard her right. Even then they had a hard time comprehending the details in her report.

Now, at the end of Twilight Sparkle's report, the alicorn sisters were still finding most of the things she said hard to believe. The faces of Celestia and Luna seemed to lose a lot of their color as Twilight had gone on with her report and it showed greatly when the report was finished. Their expressions conveyed disbelief, concern, and even horror at the very thought of King Sombra controlling a group of giant monsters. It was even worse when they thought of what it could mean for Equestria.

Despite all their high running emotions, though, the princesses managed to get a grip on them and maintain a mostly calm temperament. They gathered themselves as much as they had to so that they could speak on the situation with professionalism.

"I must admit, Princess Twilight Sparkle, this information you have brought before us is very alarming," said Princess Celestia.

"Indeed it is," said Princess Luna as she went to the window and peered out over Canterlot. "The very idea of a pony being able to cheat death is incredible enough. But a pony as evil as King Sombra... who's done such terrible things in his life... and now being twice as powerful..."

"Especially when he was already very powerful to begin with," said Princess Celestia.

"Now he is so powerful that he's able to control the actions of several titans with but a thought from his mind and a glow of his horn," said Princess Luna.

"Among other great feats of power," said Princess Celestia. "Yes, this new information is very unsettling to say the least. However, it is information we absolutely needed to know. I thank you, Princess Twilight Sparkle for delivering it to us."

"Of course, Princess Celestia," said Twilight Sparkle with a small bow. "I'm glad I was able to give it to you in person. I know it probably would've been faster to just write you a message, but this information was so important I felt I just had to come and tell you face to face."

"Either way you do it is fine with me as long as it gets done," said Princess Celestia. "And you always see to it that it does. Thank you again, Princess Twilight."

"Yes, thank you very much," said Princess Luna. "We are both very grateful. However, I am afraid we must discuss the matter further."

"Luna's right," said Princess Celestia. "Can you think of anything else you might have left out in your report, Twilight Sparkle?"

The violet alicorn shook her head, though she was still double checking in her mind to make sure.

"No, I'm pretty sure I covered all of the essential data with you both on our encounter with King Sombra."

"And you're certain all you have told us is accurate?" asked Princess Luna. "That there weren't any misconceptions or slight fabrications?"

"I give you both my word that what I'm telling you is one hundred percent true and no errors were made when I was doing it," said Twilight Sparkle. The two sisters looked on with concern and uncertainty. "Don't you believe me?"

"Of course we do, Twilight," said Princess Celestia. "We're just making sure we've got all the facts and have left no stone unturned. Like for example, are you sure those were shadow ponies that King Sombra had with him when he attacked you?"

"Yes, Princess Celestia, I recognized them from my books on religion, mythology, and history. I'd never forget creatures that look like that."

"You're fairly certain these were beings from Tartarus itself?"

"Yes, Princess Luna, King Sombra had told us himself that he brought them along with him from Tartarus."

"It's just too hard to believe," said Princess Celestia. "All of it, not just the fact that King Sombra escaped from Tartarus. Also because he came back in his Earthly form and was able to bring... any number of demons with him and then unleash several giant monsters. Though I suppose it is possible since he is the son of the ruler of Tartarus. He could know any number of secrets. I also guess that ever since Cerberus left his post like he did, Tartarus could be facing all kinds of problems. Especially keeping control of the inmates."

"Do you think he brought anymore of those fowl creatures with him?" asked Princess Luna.

"I was hoping maybe you two could tell me," said Twilight Sparkle.

The royal sisters looked to each other for a moment to try and read what the other was thinking.

"Like I said before, with the problems Tartarus has faced recently with keeping prisoners secure in the realm, it can be very hard to tell," said Princess Celestia. "We'll have to keep ears and eyes open even wider than before when we were looking for kaiju."

"We'll have to keep them closer to the ground now, too," said Princess Luna. "Before we were just searching for monsters as big as mountains. Now, we're looking for shadows... Demonic shadows hiding in the background who watch as the monsters do their dirty work."

"Do not fret, my sister," said Princess Celestia. "The new information from Princess Twilight Sparkle has shed a lot of light on this whole situation. Because of this, we'll be able to handle this situation better and maybe even resolve it sooner."

"How much sooner?" asked Princess Luna with a slight sharpness in her voice. Celestia and Twilight Sparkle were slightly taken aback, for they were not expecting her emotional spike. "Really, I want to know. Because despite the few and slight advantages we get, so far they haven't been enough to keep ponies from losing their lives!"

Princess Celestia turned to Twilight Sparkle to explain.

"I'm afraid that while you and the others were being confronted by King Sombra and Godzilla was fighting Megalon, there was another attack."

"Oh my gosh," said Twilight Sparkle as she felt a cold shiver go down her spine.

"It was the worst one yet, I'm afraid. This time the attack was on Fillydelphia... And it was a four kaiju assault."

Twilight Sparkle let out a gasp as she raised a hoof to her mouth.

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Twilight Sparkle. "You've gotta be freaking kidding me!"

"I'm afraid not, Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Celestia. "From the reports gathered, the four kaiju that attacked Fillydelphia were Megaguirus, Centipor, Black Claw, and Geon was out in front leading them... I'm afraid there were very many losses... In both city property... and citizens."

Princess Celestia's somber voice had choked up a little bit during those last two sentences.

"I... I can't believe it. I thought that Godzilla's arrival in Equestria was a sign that things were gonna get better."

"I'm still positive that things will get better, Twilight," said Princess Celestia. "But things don't change overnight."

"It sure felt like they did when the kaiju first showed up," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Even so, we must not lose hope. Just a few days ago there were eleven kaiju we had to worry about. Now, because of a kaiju of our very own, that number has nearly been cut in half only a short time later. It is true that there still will be many hardships to undertake in this crisis, but we just have to keep fighting back against them at a little bit longer."

"How much longer, Celestia?!"

"Sister Luna, I know just what you're going through. I am too, but we're doing everything we can-"

"I know, but it doesn't feel like it with how many ponies that are still dying!"

Princess Luna began to softly sob. The thoughts of how the ponies of Equestria were meeting untimely deaths had gotten to her like they had so many times before. It was made even more horrible that she was actually able to picture it all in her mind. The sight of several giant monsters stomping around and destroying everything. The ponies were either crushed by the falling debris or underfoot by the evil creatures unleashed upon them by a sinister demon king. The very idea of how many innocent lives were lost made Princess Luna's heart ache in anguish and she couldn't take it.

Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle remained silent for a moment. They gave no protests to Princess Luna's outburst of emotion. A part of them wanted to do the same at that moment. Since the first kaiju arrived, there were several times, in fact that they both did breakdown and cry in agony over all that was occurring. This time, though, they kept a firm hold over their emotional states, feeling they needed to be strong, not just for Equestria, but for Princess Luna in that moment.

After several seconds had gone by, both Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle came over to Princess Luna's side to comfort her. They each put a hoof on her back before coming in for a group hug. As Princess Luna felt the warmth of the other two alicorns around her, it seemed to get inside her to try and wash the darkness away. It seemed to partially work as a small, sad, yet still grateful smile came across the Night Princess's face.

"I'm sorry if my outburst upset the both of you," said Princess Luna as the three alicorns broke up their hug.

"You do not have to apologize, Luna," said Princess Celestia. "There is no harm in letting out your emotions. I admit I have done my fair share recently over the same things as you did just now."

"I have too," said Twilight Sparkle. "It's been hard on all of us. The kaiju, King Sombra, and now the shadow ponies. It's a lot to take in. Now with this most recent attack in Fillydelphia. It's just horrible. W-Why wasn't I informed of this recent attack?"

"We sent you a letter, but that was when you're confrontation with King Sombra occurred and you had everyone in Ponyville confine themselves to their homes," said Princess Celestia.

"Yes, it's true," Princess Luna reaffirmed.

"But I would've gotten it from Spike wouldn't..." Twilight Sparkle stopped herself when she realized what had happened. "Oh, no, I did it again."

"What's that?" asked Princess Celestia.

"Well... The minute I stepped in the door, I told Spike to take a letter for the two of you. He was trying to tell me something, but I didn't listen. I just kept interrupting him. He wouldn't let it go, though, so I ended up deciding to come here to tell you myself."

"I see," said Princess Celestia in an understanding way.

"Well, at least you were able to find out and weren't left in the dark I suppose," said Princess Luna.

"It's not just that," said Twilight Sparkle. "It's also that..."

"What, Twilight Sparkle?" asked Princess Celestia in concern.

"Well, I've began to notice that I don't always treat Spike the way I should. Sometimes I feel like I treat him like a doormat. I've been trying to make a conscious effort to pay more attention to him, but this..."

"Do not worry, Twilight," said Princess Celestia. "I am completely sure that Spike never thought you weren't treating him right."

"But I have and that's the problem."

"Twilight, as far as this situation goes, I'm sure if you explain it all to Spike when you get back to Ponyville, he'll understand and be just fine with it. You'll see. As far as the rest of the time, if you truly feel there is something wrong in your way of treating Spike that needs to be rectified, then you'll do it. I know that once you put your mind to a task you'll finish no matter what."

"That's sort of the problem sometimes," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see how dealing with that problem goes," said Princess Celestia.

"I still think he would understand anyways, at least at this moment in time," said Princess Luna. "This whole Sombra and kaiju business has gotten everypony on edge as of late. It's even worse since we know that he is powerful enough to control five kaiju at the same time. He had four of them attack a city far away from him. Meanwhile he managed to create and maintain three mirror clones of the kaiju that was closest to him. Then he had them and the real one attack Godzilla all the while still having power to spare for a weather show."

"I know it is hard to believe, Princess Luna," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Twilight, are you sure he was actually able to create three mirror clones while maintaining control of the original Megalon and of course the other four that attacked Fillydelphia?" asked Princess Luna.

"You can even ask my friends who were with me in the old castle that day. They'll tell you the same thing I am now because they saw the same thing too. Heck, you could ask Fluttershy, she saw them up close and personal. Even further, Godzilla had to take care of them along with the real Megalon. He'll tell Fluttershy, who'll then tell you all about it."

Princess Luna looked to Princess Celestia for her thoughts on what Twilight Sparkle was telling them.

"It is both surprising and disturbing that King Sombra has gotten such power, but it does make sense," said Princess Celestia. "He released the kaiju so that their trails of destruction would effect the emotions of the citizens of Equestria. As we know, the emotional state of everypony in this country partially effects the balance of magical energy here as well. The more negativity there is, the easier it becomes to corrupt the magical flow of Equestria and turn good magic into dark magic just like King Sombra wanted. Well... the kaiju certainly spread enough negativity around that's for sure."

Continuing to think about the destruction caused by the kaiju felt like a blow to the stomach to all three alicorn princesses. They all knew that the kaiju were where all of Equestria's misery was coming from at that time. To that extent, they knew the kaiju were also where King Sombra had gotten power enough to do the amazing things he had showed himself to be capable of.

"I hate to say it, but Sombra really set himself up good for a big, grand comeback," said Twilight Sparkle.

"I hate to say this as well, but I'm afraid it's quite possible that there is currently more dark magic in Equestria than there is good," said Princess Luna.

Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia looked to the night time alicorn with somber looks and reluctantly nodded their heads in agreement. They did not want to admit it to anyone, but it was obvious that King Sombra had done a pretty good job in setting up an environment in which his powers would greatly flourish.

"If there is more dark magic than good magic in Equestria, does that mean the dark side has become stronger?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"No, it most certainly does not," said Princess Celestia.

"But Luna just said that there was more dark magic than good magic in Equestria," said Twilight Sparkle in confusion.

"Yes, it is likely that there is more," said Princess Luna. "But more doesn't necessarily mean stronger."

"Huh?"

"Let me put it this way, Princess Twilight," said Princess Celestia. "There are several hundred tuna surrounding a shark. Are the tuna stronger than the shark?"

"I... I guess not," said Twilight Sparkle thoughtfully.

"Right," said Princess Celestia. "Even though there may be more of it, evil will never truly be more powerful than good. That has been true since the beginning of time and it still rings true now."

"My sister is right, Princess Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Luna. "Despite my emotions right now and how it may seem, in the long run, good will always triumph over evil."

"But you said so already that there was more dark magic in Equestria right now," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Then we will just have to begin the process of putting the magic flow of Equestria back into balance," said Princess Celestia.

"But how do we go about doing that?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"It has already begun," said Princess Celestia.

"What do you mean?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"The moment Godzilla arrived and began fighting for us, the struggle to restore good magic had already started," said Princess Celestia.

"It was because Godzilla was already clearing evil beings who were spreading the negative energy that dark magic feeds on," said Princess Luna.

"And with each kaiju Godzilla has defeated, the struggle back to power has improved significantly," said Princess Celestia. "Also, the emotional state of Equestria is starting to become one that supports the flourish of good magic as well."

"That started last night when you and your friends befriended Godzilla and revealed his existence to Ponyville," said Princess Luna. "Revelation of a kaiju who fights for right, and the lives of every citizen of Equestria instantly raised ponies' hopes and spirits nearly to what they were before this all began. I'm sure you noticed something like that earlier today while you were in Ponyville?"

"Y-Yes... I did."

So, you see then, Princess Twilight?" asked Princess Celestia. "The struggle to restore the good magic in Equestria truly has begun. And I'm sure it only gets better from here on out."

"We have already sent word across the rest of Equestria of Godzilla's existence," said Princess Luna. "The word is spreading faster than any wildfire King Sombra could ever light. When all have heard of Godzilla and what he's done for us thus far, more and more ponies' hopes will rise and with them, the level of good magic in our land."

The enthusiastic tone in the princesses' voices and the positive words themselves were lifting Twilight Sparkle's spirits that very moment. She felt the warmth, security, positivity, and overall happiness within her being raised higher than they had been in a while now.

"You're right! I can feel it! It's true! The goodness is stronger and spreading! We will succeed!"

The two alicorn sisters smiled as they let out light chuckles at their fellow princess's ever growing enthusiasm.

"It is great to see you come into such high spirits once more, Princess Twilight," said Celestia.

"We must remember though that while this may be where the struggle begins, it isn't where it ends," said Princess Luna. "We must continue to push on with the fight on both fronts. While we most definitely need to keep fighting back our enemies, we must also see to the state of being for Equestria's children. Not just so their good feelings will re-power Equestria, but also just cause it's the right thing to do."

Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle both nodded their heads in agreement.

"I agree completely," said Twilight Sparkle. "The well being of the citizens will always come first."

"All of them," said Princess Celestia. Luna and Twilight looked over at the white alicorn. "I am also referring to Godzilla. After all, he is living in Equestria right now, he interacts with other citizens of this country and does many great services for them, including giving his life in protection for ours. I'd say that makes him as valid a citizen of Equestria as any."

"Of course, it does!" said Princess Luna. "I'm absolutely honored to say that Godzilla is a citizen of our fair land."

"Absolutely!" said Twilight Sparkle.

"Then we must be extremely careful in how and when we call in his services from now on. Especially after the state of health you told us he was in."

"Yes, Princess Celestia," said Twilight Sparkle. "I had already said this to my friends and they all agreed, too."

"As do I, sister. Though I must say in the end, I don't think our decisions in this area will be the ones that matter."

"What do you mean, Luna?"

"I mean that I know Godzilla. More accurately, I've known ponies like him. It doesn't matter how much we try to hold him back or keep him from over exerting himself, it will be Godzilla's choice when it all comes down to it. And I honestly believe he will choose to fight for us to the very last breath because he thinks it is right to do."

"You have a point, Luna," said Celestia. "It will be Godzilla's decision in the end."

"I guess all we can really do is trust him to make the right choice and still look out for him as best as we can."

"Very well said, Princess Twilight Sparkle and very true as well. I do hope whatever decision Godzilla makes ends with him coming out of this all in good health."

"As do I, Celestia, but I don't think we'll have to worry about him as much. I mean, since we learned from Princess Twilight Sparkle here that he is able to heal himself so astonishingly."

"I still can't believe it myself and I was the first pony there that saw it," said Twilight Sparkle. "That is really a great power Godzilla has there, one of which I'm sure is many we have yet to see."

"I agree it is certainly a marvelous display of Godzilla's power, but I still feel we shouldn't become over reliant on it," said Princess Celestia. "Remember that though his wounds were healing, Godzilla was still very exhausted and still in a lot of pain after the fight was finished. While Godzilla is still an impressive creature and though he may seem it, he is still not invincible. We must think of him as we do every other soldier in the royal army and try to treat him with the same care as such."

Luna and Twilight Sparkle took a moment to think Celestia's words over before replying.

"I guess you're right, Celestia," said Princess Luna.

"I can see what you mean about looking out for Godzilla's physical health, Princess. But I'd rather keep track of Godzilla like he was a friend rather than a soldier."

Princess Celestia smiled to Twilight Sparkle's reply.

"Of course, Princess Twilight. We should lookout for him as a friend, for that is exactly what he is to all of us. A truly amazing friend with many amazing gifts."

"I still can't believe the things Godzilla has been able to do even before learning about his super healing powers," said Princess Luna. "Now that we've seen he is capable of that, it makes me wonder if he has anymore amazing abilities that he is yet to reveal to us all."

"I believe it is highly possible," said Princess Celestia.

"I do, too," said Twilight Sparkle. "I'm just wondering exactly how many more he has hidden away. It could easily be a few or several, or several hundred, or even several thousand and so on."

"We will only see for sure if and when Godzilla decides to unleash those hidden powers," said Princess Celestia.

"And I think that moment won't be until he is in battle once again," said Princess Luna.

"And that probably won't be until King Sombra and his forces attack again," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Or until we have found them wherever they may be hiding," said Princess Celestia. "In the meantime, we'll just have to be patient and wait for whichever happens first."

"Right," Luna and Twilight said in unison as they nodded their heads.

"In the Meantime, I would like for you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, to return to Ponyville and remain there until such an event occurs," said Princess Celestia.

A ghost of a shocked expression crossed Twilight's face before quickly fading back to her normal expression.

"But shouldn't I stay here and help you and Luna monitor the search for Sombra's forces across Equestria or even the handling of other Equestria affairs in this time of crisis?"

"We have all of that taken care of," said Princess Luna. "For now, your presence is best suited in Ponyville."

"But why? Why is it best I stay there instead of helping you with royal duties here?"

"Many reasons, Twilight Sparkle, many reasons," said Princess Celestia. "For starters, all your friends are there right now, including Godzilla. You and they both seem to work best when you are all together. As the Elements of Harmony and the closest friends of Godzilla. We're more than likely going to need the individuals that make up that strong bond together in one place when the time comes to face Sombra again. We also need you monitoring Godzilla alongside the likes of Fluttershy and the others. Godzilla, your friends, and you are all a critical part of this. I want to make sure you're all absolutely safe and I feel you are when you're together."

"Besides that, while it may not have suffered the most casualties, it seems that the area in and around Ponyville has been the main focus of our enemies thus far," said Princess Luna. "We need our best forces, that being you, your friends, and Godzilla, there in case Sombra keeps that up. Whether he will or not we cannot say for sure, but this is just in case he does."

"So you see now, Princess Twilight Sparkle?" asked Princess Celestia. "It is best for now that you return to Ponyville and remain there until further notice."

Twilight Sparkle thought very hard about what the royal sisters were saying. Everything seemed to ring true, so she decided not to press the matter and honor their wishes.

"I guess you're right. I'll return to Ponyville right now."

"Thank you for understanding, Princess Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Luna.

"Do not worry, Twilight," said Princess Celestia. "Once you leave, efforts to discover Sombra's secrets will begin immediately."

"I know, Princess Celestia," said Twilight Sparkle. "Of that I have complete faith in you both."

The royal sisters smiled as they gave a small, respectful bow of their heads, which Twilight Sparkle responded to in kind. Then Twilight Sparkle headed for the exit doors. She would take the same directions she took to get there to get back to her hot air balloon. Twilight Sparkle was still a little bit bugged that the other princesses didn't seem to want her to help with the emergency royal duties at that time. However, she kept reminding herself of their explanation, which made it easier for her to let it go.

Meanwhile, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna weren't wasting anytime in following up on their word about pressing on to find out about King Sombra.

"So what course of action should we see to first, sister?" asked Princess Luna.

"First and foremost, we need to get absolute clarity on both King Sombra's escape from Tartarus and the veils of mystery still surrounding the prison of the kaiju," said Princess Celestia.

"Ah, of course, but how will we achieve this clarity?" asked Princess Luna.

"We will not," said Princess Celestia. Luna looked to her older sister in confusion. "One of us must stay here and look after everything else while the other goes to retrieve this information."

"And I suppose you are going to be the one to go retrieve this information?" asked Princess Luna.

"Yes," said Princess Celestia. "In the meantime, you will stay here and see to all royal duties. Especially those pertaining to the current crisis in Equestria."

"But just how are you suppose to get this information?" asked Princess Luna.

Princess Celestia's expression got stone cold serious before she responded.

"By going to Tartarus and asking the Warden himself."

Luna gasped when she heard her older sister speak those words. The very idea of Celestia voluntarily stepping hoof into the realm of all evil made her flesh crawl. Princess Luna didn't want to believe she heard her own sister say she was going into Tartarus, a place where evil is truly incarnate.

"Celestia, you can't be serious!"

The white alicorn turned to her younger, dark blue sister with the same stone expression on her face as before.

"I'm extremely serious, Luna."

"You're actually going into Tartarus of your own free will? Why?! What information is there that is so important that you feel the need to step into it?!"

"Twilight Sparkle said that Sombra told her of a door that could return a soul into their Earthly body despite having experienced death. That it would allow them to roam free across this world with no worry of fading as all bodiless souls usually do. I need to ask the ruler of Tartarus about this magic door myself so I may know the full extent of its power.

"I also need to ask him about the prisoner situation down in Tartarus. If Sombra's return with several shadow ponies in tow is any indication, there's obvious crowd control problems abounding there, possibly at this very moment still. I need to know the exact details on that situation, whether they've got it under control, how many prisoners could've escaped and so on.

"And lastly, I need further details on everything about the kaiju."

"Like what?" asked Princess Luna.

"For starters, where the location of their prison was located here on Earth," said Princess Celestia. "How did the magic of the seal that kept them there work? Is there anyway to start it up again as a possible solution to dealing with the kaiju now? And most importantly, do the kaiju have any weaknesses we can exploit? And I'll probably have to inquire where the souls of the now deceased kaiju are right now."

"Huh?" asked Princess Luna.

"Yes, think of it," Princess Celestia responded. "The kaiju were all still alive when they were sealed up in that prison. They were put there because they were too much for even Tartarus itself to contain. However, now several of the kaiju are dead, and we all know what happens to those that were evil in life and are now deceased."

Princess Luna gasped in shock.

"They go directly to Tartarus!"

Princess Celestia nodded her head.

"Exactly, my young sister, which is why I have to go there now. If the prisoner situation was already bad in Tartarus before, imagine what it could be like now that those kaiju are down there."

"Great ascended alicorns of Valhalla," said Princess Luna in total and utter shock and disbelief.

She knew things had gotten bad, but she had no idea that things could get this bad.

"So now you see, Luna, why I must go to Tartarus and speak with the Warden? I have to see to affairs down there because they could just as easily start effecting things up here and making them worse then they already were."

"Yes, I understand now, Celestia, but I still refuse to let you go down there alone. If Tartarus is really in such disarray as you believe it to be, then the ruler himself couldn't protect you from it. You need another powerful pony by your side and looking out for you."

"But then I'd be looking out for you as well and because of that may not be able to give the matter the proper attention it deserves. Besides, as I said before, one of us needs to be here to look over the state of affairs across Equestria."

"Then let that be you! Send me to Tartarus to speak with the Warden! You have been ruling a lot longer than I have. You know exactly how everything is suppose to be done and how to do it in the most dire of situations."

"I honestly do not think even I could handle a situation such as the kaiju any better than you or any of the other princesses could."

"Still, you can't be the one to go!"

"And just why, may I ask, not?"

"Because... it's dangerous down there and... you're my sister."

Princess Celestia's mouth opened a little as she stared on in surprise. She did not see what Princess Luna had said coming, though she knew she probably should have. However, the smile on her face afterwards expressed exactly how she felt about it. Princess Celestia was deeply moved to hear her sister speak about her that way, especially after considering their... somewhat rocky history.

"Oh, Luna," said Princess Celestia as she and her sister approached each other.

When they were close enough, Celestia wrapped a foreleg and a wing around Luna and pulled her in for a hug. As the two sisters embraced one another, Celestia felt a tear that came from Luna's eye flow down against herself, which gave her more of an indication of her sister's emotional state.

"I appreciate your concern and understand all the emotion that has come from this whole situation," said Princess Celestia. "But this is something I have to do."

"But why must it be you?" asked Princess Luna.

"Because, I as the eldest of the royal family must take on the harsher responsibilities that come with the position," said Princess Celestia with the sternness, yet caring voice that came from being an older sibling.

"I... I know," Princess Luna finally admitted. "I'm just worried about what it's gonna be like down there for you. I'm worried about what could happen to you when you're out of my sight. I've been worrying about everypony in Equestria that's out of my sight throughout this whole kaiju epidemic. If you leave me now and I can't see you, then I'll worry about you even more than I had when I could. It'll be even worse since I know where you're going."

"Your love and compassion for both Equestria and myself are just two of your many excellent qualities, Luna. And I very much admire them, as well as appreciate them. I feel the same way about both Equestria and you right now. But where it pertains to me and the role I must play next is something that just cannot be helped. You and I both know this needs to be done. Now you've heard all the reasons, so you know despite how ever either of us may feel, I must be going and be the only one alone."

The two alicorns released their hug so that they could both take a few steps back and look each other in the eye. It was clear by the look on Luna's face that she was still very conflicted inside, but ultimately knew what was the right thing to do. She expressed this understanding with a nod of her head.

"I understand, Celestia, that this is the way it has to be. I just don't want it to be. Even though it's been a few years, it still feels like yesterday that we were reunited after my foolishness of the past. Because of that, it also feels like we've barely reconnected... That I've barely reconnected with anything at all, especially you."

Princess Celestia responded with a supportive smile to her younger sister.

"Luna, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You may not believe it, but since the day I finally got you back, I've seen you sprout back into the princess, the ruler, the overall decent pony that you were before almost seamlessly. This is me talking to you, so you will know I'm telling the truth when I say you will always make a good ruler whether I'm at your side or not.

"As for my visit to Tartarus, I'm just going to talk to the Warden. It shouldn't take long depending on what kind of answers he gives me. I'll just go and be back without any delays whatsoever."

"So you say, Celestia. Yet I can't bring myself to fully believe it seeing as how I know where it is you're going and the possible state it is in right now."

"That's a chance I'll just have to take."

There was a moment or two of silence before Luna finally conceded despite still being conflicted.

"Then I guess you'd better get going."

"I'll be back soon, Luna, I promise."

"I love you, Celestia."

"And I love you too."

The alicorn sisters hugged one final time before releasing their embrace. Then Princess Luna went off on her way to handle her royal duties, while Princess Celestia was off to make her dangerous, yet necessary trip to Tartarus.

---

Princess Celestia stood at the mouth of the cave located at the edge of Equestria that was the entrance to Tartarus. She had come here once before with Twilight Sparkle to see Cerberus, the giant three headed guard dog of the realm, returned back to his post at the gigantic front gates. On that day, both Celestia and Twilight got a peek at the ruler of the underworld who is often referred to as the Warden. The only words he spoke were his expressions of gratitude to the two mares for returning Cerberus where he belongs.

Of course, Princess Celestia was already well aware that there was much more to Tartarus than its cave entrance or even the area where the gates stood closed a few yards ahead. There were literally thousands upon thousands of endless spaces filled with passed souls that were evil in life. They stretched as far as the eye could see. However, Princess Celestia was there looking for one specific pony and did not have the time to wade through all the poor souls, nor did she intend to.

Princess Celestia already had a plan of how to avoid running into the potentially danger of wading through a river of shadow ponies. As she flew away from the mouth of the cave and towards the back where the gates were, Celestia thought her plan over. Now the princess may have only caught a glimpse of the Warden before, but if her theory was correct, a glimpse was all she needed. Their three minute encounter was supposedly enough for Celestia to be able to to feel the full force of the power that came with just the Warden's mighty presence. It was the Sun Alicorn's hope that she would be able to lock onto that same presence and just teleport herself right to him.

Princess Celestia knew this wasn't the most thought out of her plans and several things could go wrong. She could teleport to him and he'd be in the middle of one of the more dangerous environments of Tartarus or it may not work at all. But right now Princess Celestia was extremely desperate and was willing to try just about anything no matter the risks. Princess Celestia flew up to the gates, then landed a few feet in from them. She had a look on her face that expressed several conflicting emotions, but was overall determined.

Princess Celestia let out a deep breath before closing her eyes and began to concentrate on locating the magic energy signature of the Warden. His was sure to be the most powerful of any of the creatures in Tartarus or so Celestia hoped. It was difficult as first. Princess Celestia first picked up Cerberus's energy signature not to far from the gates, with him being the guard dog and all. Beyond that she picked up several other signatures that didn't even come close to reaching Cerberus's. But then she picked up one that actually greatly surpassed the three headed beast's power. It even surpassed Celestia's own which shocked her greatly.

"The Warden," Princess Celestia whispered to herself.

Having believed she found who she was looking for and not sensing any other magic signatures that high, Princess Celestia proceeded to activate her teleportation magic. She transported herself to the exact location where she picked up that energy signature. When she arrived at her destination, the first thing Princess Celestia took notice of was how unbelievably cold it was. It was absolutely freezing, almost at arctic temperatures. It sent cold shivers up and down the princess's spine, making her shiver as she wrapped her wings around herself to try and keep warm.

The shivering alicorn looked around at her cold environment, seeing that everything around her was covered in complete and total darkness. The only spot that had any kind of light surrounding it was the spot Celestia was standing in. It was a small, very dim blue light that just barely illuminated the immediate area around Princess Celestia. She looked up to try and see the source of the light, but only saw the light itself.

"Dear Princess Celestia, could that be you standing in such a place as this?" asked a deep, slightly raspy, and echoing voice from somewhere in the darkness.

Princess Celestia gasped as she looked all around for the source of the voice. Once she slowed down a little she was finally make out the silhouette of a pony standing just on the edge of the light. As her eyes adjusted Princess Celestia was able to see that the front hooves of this pony were dressed in stainless steel horseshoes. On the ends of those shoes were multiple flame shaped sharp ends that traveled up the leg for three or four inches. The rest of the pony's legs were covered in some sort of black armor.

A closer look by Celestia made it appear that the rest of the pony's body was covered in this same armor. The front of the pony's body had an extra accessory draped over it. It was a piece of armor made from the same stainless steel as his horseshoes were and had the same curved flame shaped sharp ends protruding from the sides as well. Attached to that piece of armor was a black cape that draped over the rest of the pony's body. Princess Celestia was also sure she saw a pair of wings folded under the cape, not that she was surprised. She was pretty sure that this alicorn standing in front of her was the last living member of the Alicorn Council, the same alicorn that volunteered to become the ruler of Tartarus.

Up to this point the only part of this alicorn's face she was able to see was the end of his nose due to his hiding in the shadows. But that was about to change, for the ruler of the realm stepped out of the shadows and into the light, dim as it was. When the Warden's full face came into the light, Princess Celestia gasped yet again at the sight of it. The face she saw was that of a pale white stallion. His stringy mane that drooped down across the top of his head and the back of his neck was equally as pale. This white upon the alicorn's face seemed extremely unnatural to Celestia. It was like his fur might have been a different color at one time, but had somehow turned the ghostly pale color that it is now.

Perhaps the most striking thing about the alicorn stallion's face was his expression. This was because there really didn't seem to be one. The alicorn's face just seemed to be blank and emotionless and as monotone as his voice had been. There was no speck of emotion in his eyes or anything. It seemed like the face he may or may not have had before had been plastered over with the expressionless waxed face of a dead pony. Another thing noticed was that while the face didn't seem capable of baring any emotion, it sure looked like it had been through a lot. There were no scars or facial injuries of any kind, but somehow it looked like they had been there at one point in time and the ghost of their impression stayed behind all across the alicorn's face.

Needless to say, this alicorn was not the typical happy, go lucky pony that one would usually expect to find around Equestria.

"Ah, sweet sun Princess, it is you just as I suspected," said the alicorn ruler of Tartarus as he stopped in front of Celestia.

"Hello, Hayden."

The Tartarus ruler did something truly bizarre when he heard this. Somehow, it seemed like this alicorn she identified as Hayden had managed to flinch his head and look upon her in surprise without actually doing it. To her eyes it seemed like he had done this when in reality he had not moved or changed expressions at all.

"You know my name?" asked the armor cladded alicorn.

"This my first... official visit into this realm," explained Princess Celestia. "I didn't want to be rude and come see its master without learning his name."

"Ah, how thoughtful of you," said Hayden. "But master is hardly the word for my role here. I have no real authority. I simply make sure those that are suppose to stay here do. The only thing I have helping me at all that could be considered a force to command is Cerberus. Even then, there are still points where he defies me and leaves his post, though. As you and I both know."

"I do," Princess Celestia agreed as she nodded her head.

"Are you cold, my dear Princess?" asked Hayden.

Before Celestia could answer, the alicorn stallion's horn began to glow brightly. When the glow had faded away, Celestia was surprised to find herself wrapped in a big, fluffy cloak of some sort. She immediately felt the heat its warmth engulf her body and work as fast as it could to replace the cold. Princess Celestia looked from her cloak to Hayden with a gracious expression.

"Thank you very much, good sir," said Princess Celestia.

Hayden did not reply at first. He just gazed at Princess Celestia with that same emotionless face. After several seconds it began to make the princess feel very uncomfortable. It was especially chilling when it was this particular pony just staring at her. He must've sensed this or came out of whatever kind of trance he was in, because he spoke up a short time later.

"Forgive me, Princess, I must apologize. It's just that... please do forgive my directness, but you are... the most beautiful thing to have come through those gates and into this realm in a long time, quite possibly ever." Princess Celestia was absolutely stunned by these flattering words. What surprised her the most is that they came from a being such as Hayden who looked over a realm like Tartarus. "Again, I apologize, Princess Celestia, but I have to say that you have your mother's beauty. You truly are the spitting image of her."

"My mother?" Princess Celestia inquired with surprise. "You knew my mother?"

"Oh, yes, very well," replied Hayden.

"How? Is she... Is she here?"

"No, you have nothing to fear there. Your mother was a great pony in life. She served with me and the others on the Alicorn Council. She ascended into Valhalla with the others and to this day still looks down from the seat reserved just for her. She deserved that seat. They all did."

"I'm sure you did too, Hayden."

"Perhaps, but it was just not meant to be. Somepony had to condemn themselves to this life and keep the evil of the afterlife under control. I just happened to be the one to volunteer for this thankless existence. The only sliver of light that has been brought to me since doing so was you showing up here and in a way letting me see your mother, who was like a sister to me, one last time. I thank you greatly for that, Princess Celestia."

There was a moment of silence, but this time Celestia was able to see why. It would be hard to miss if one weren't paying attention, but because Celestia was, it appeared to her as though Hayden was desperately trying to change the expression of his face. She was almost sure that he was attempting to crack a smile. Yet, despite how hard he tried, Hayden's face would not change from the monotone expression it was frozen in. He soon gave up, though Celestia saw his eye try to shed a tear over the failed attempt to express emotion. That too ended up failing, as no tear fell. While Princess Celestia felt nothing but pity and remorse for the stallion, she knew she had to move on to her business in Tartarus.

"Thank you very much for your kind words, Hayden, ruler of Tartarus," said Princess Celestia. "I am glad I was able to make you feel good by coming here, but I'm afraid that's not what I came here to do."

"Of course, Your Highness. I did not suspect that was why you came. Quite the contrary, I know why you came. And indeed I do intend to help you with your problems as best as I can, for most of your problems were once my problems. At least one of them still is. However, before I help you, I must further apologize for a great many things. First and foremost, I apologize that I have nowhere else more comfortable for us to discuss these things. There are no places in Tartarus where the idea of comfort exists and this is the only area that you can be that comes close to being safe. The shadow ponies hardly ever come here. It is the place I always end up coming to when I wish to be alone and secluded... which is most of the time.

"I must also apologize that I let conditions here get so bad that my son was able to use it to his advantage and escape back to Earth where he is surely causing a great deal of trouble."

"I'll say he is," said Princess Celestia. "Your son, King Sombra has released a terrible plague upon Equestria that you along with the rest of the Alicorn Council and allied forces foreign to our world stopped several thousand years ago. Sombra has released the kaiju from their hidden magic prison and unleashed them upon Equestria."

"Yes, I was afraid he would, but wasn't sure" said Hayden.

"How could you not be sure?" asked Celestia.

"On the day of the riot, just after it appeared Cerberus and I had finally gotten everything back under control, I realized that my son and a few other prisoners were unaccounted for. I went looking for them, but all I found were the burnt remnants of the scrolls that I had written the kaiju prison plans in. They were very obviously burned by Sombra after he discovered them. I admit I didn't know what to make of it. I didn't know what Sombra would do with this information."

"How could you not have known what Sombra would do when he learned of the kaiju?"

"In all honesty, I didn't know if he would go after them or not because I didn't think he would be foolish enough to return to Earth. Of course that was before I discovered that he knew about the revival room."

"So such a thing does exist?"

"Yes, I kept it around in case there was a chance I somehow lost my life in the line of duty as head guard of this forsaken wasteland of a prison. That way I could revive myself. I had no idea Sombra was aware of the revival room's existence. Then again, he is my son, so it makes sense he'd go snooping around where I specifically told him not to. I thought that was something your children were suppose to grow out of when they turn twenty.

"You know, that boy's been a major headache for me since the day he was born. I never wanted the little brat, but his mother insisted he be born. So then what happens? Non-stop misery for me, even after I exiled myself here. He goes and takes over a peaceful empire and puts it under sever dictatorship. Then he tries again when he and the Crystal Empire return from an alternate dimension that you and your sister had to send them to after he left you no choice but to do so.

"Then to top it all off, even in death, he continues to torment me by turning the order in Tartarus upside down so he and a few of his friends could escape just when I nearly had this place in order again after Cerberus left his post. Then he goes and releases the kaiju from their prison and turns them on Equestria causing several innocent lives to be lost.

"And I'm guessing some were not so innocent," said Princess Celestia.

"That is correct, Princess," replied Hayden. "The extra traffic of incoming souls to Tartarus is how I knew for absolute certain what Sombra had done. I didn't need to look into my magic mirror that shows me images from the land of the living to know, though I looked anyways. The sights I saw were horrifying. The things I saw those monsters do to ponies were more terrible than even I would wish on some of the more vile souls here in Tartarus. With the exception of my son of course."

"Hayden, if you knew of what was going on in Equestria and are willing to help like you said before, then why didn't you try to contact me or my my sister before?"

"I wanted to, Princess, but my duties here in Tartarus kept me from doing so. I never wanted you or anypony else from the land of the living to come here, but now that you're here, we can try to look for a solution together. Though honestly, even with you are here now, I don't really know how much help I will be. But I will do whatever I can."

"I guess that's all I can ask. Well, except for maybe whether or not you can do anything about King Sombra."

Hayden shook his head before speaking.

"No, I can't. He is among the living now. Technically, I suppose since he had originally passed on and received new life by unnatural means, I could probably step in on those grounds. However, my duties here keep from doing so. Like I said before, I have no other help except for Cerberus. And you know by now I can't leave him by alone. If I could come up and help, I would. Yet I must say right now, while I'd be able to take care of Sombra with no problems, I'm afraid I'd be rather useless against the kaiju."

"You're sure of this?"

"Oh, yes. Remember that not even the full force of the Alicorn Council was enough to fight off against these creatures. I'm sorry to say, as powerful as we are, if a group of ancient alicorns couldn't stop them, then one certainly isn't either. Not even myself."

Celestia's facial expression sunk into a deep frown at this new information before replying a few seconds later.

"I see."

Hayden took notice of the somber tone in the alicorn mare's voice and the frown on her face and quickly reacted.

"However, I would not lose hope just yet, Princess Celestia. Remember, you and your special forces in Equestria seem to be making progress. Especially with that new kaiju guardian of yours." Princess Celestia looked to Hayden with a semi-surprised look on her face. "Don't forget, my magic mirror allows me to see into the world of the living. I can see everything going on anytime I wish." Princess Celestia nodded her head knowingly. "Yes, Princess, I know all about this creature you and the others of Equestria have taken to calling... Godzilla. A fitting name for such a beast might I add. I must admit, it shocked me to see you making much more progress than the rest of the Council and I did even with our own kaiju ally and in a shorter amount of time."

"But the problem is that he's just one kaiju. We're all afraid that if we rely too heavily on Godzilla that eventually it'll end up being too much for him to take and all the fighting will catch up to him in a very bad way."

"So I see. Well, I can completely understand how that could be a concern. Unfortunately, I can't really think of a solution. When I was fighting the kaiju with the other ancient alicorns and Mothra, they didn't really seem to have any major weaknesses to exploit. None we could find at least. Nothing we tried against them worked, except for that prison. Even Mothra could not put them down for good. She could only lure them to the prison and help us put them there. Other than that, everything else we did was completely useless. I'm sorry to say right now, Godzilla seems to be the most effective asset to use against the kaiju right now. He's had the most success against them thus far in the whole history of Equestria.

"I'm sorry, my Princess, I know that's not what you came to here, but it's all I can give in terms of the most effective way on how to combat the kaiju."

This new information didn't help to brighten Princess Celestia's mood. If anything, it made it slightly worse.

"I was afraid of that. I didn't want to believe that was all there was to it, but I knew it was a possibility. I guess I'll just have to accept it."

"Like I said before, though, Princess Celestia, Godzilla and those young mares who have befriended him and that you value so much seem to be handling things very well. I know there is always going to be that doubt in the back of your mind about how long Godzilla can keep going. But I've seen the will and the heart of this beast. It reminds me a lot of my own will and I can almost guarantee that he will not stop until the threat of the kaiju is over. He will stick it out until the very end and if he can't, he'll make himself do it anyways. His spirit is powerful enough to make himself do just that. His love for you all is what drives both his spirit and his heart.

"Besides, with ponies like you by his side, Godzilla is just that more likely to succeed. I've seen the way you and your sister run Equestria and the faith you put in those mares that currently possess the Elements of Harmony. I think you're doing a fantastic job and it certainly shows in how those mares handle the faith you put in them. Well, done, Princess Celestia, well done indeed. You may not believe it, but I think that adds to your chances in succeeding against the kaiju. I promise you, Celestia, with Godzilla by your side, your mares by his, it will all lead to up victory for you in the end."

Princess Celestia allowed a small smile to slip across her face upon hearing the underworld ruler's words. He was certainly not the pony she was expecting him to be. He looked the part, but he sure didn't act the part. That was just fine with Princess Celestia. She was, for the most part, glad for the way he turned out.

"Thank you, Hayden, your vote of confidence is much appreciated. It might have even sparked a new sense of hope in me."

"Just you being here and seeing how well you and your friends have all done has giving me hope as well. For the first time in I don't remember how long, I know what it is like to hope again. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for reminding me."

"It was my pleasure, Hayden."

"I believe it. I just wish I could do more to help you and the others in your cause."

"I know you do and I appreciate it, Hayden." Then suddenly, Princess Celestia thought of something. "But if you cannot help with defeating the kaiju, perhaps you can help by giving me two other pieces of information?"

"Of course, I will do what I can, my Princess. "

"Excellent. For starters, how many shadow ponies were missing along with Sombra?"

"Only the thirty that have already been dealt with."

"I see, this is great news. Now we know for certain everything we're up against from here on out. Thank you very much, Hayden. And the last thing is... are the kaiju Godzilla defeated... here in Tartarus?"

Hayden shook his head as he replied.

"No, Your Highness. Unlike other living creatures, even Godzilla and Mothra, these kaiju do not have souls."

Princess Celestia gasped in disbelief.

"But that's impossible. I thought all living beings needed souls to be alive."

"As did I, but when the kaiju didn't show up here after they died, I came to that conclusion. It is the only explanation for them not showing up here as soon as they died. All evil beings that have souls come here when they die. They didn't, I couldn't locate their souls anywhere with my magic mirror, therefore, these monsters have no souls. Not that I am complaining. Now I don't have to deal with them at all. Like I said before, I don't know if I could, even in death."

"I see. Well, I'm glad you don't have to deal with them either. This is actually very helpful information. Knowing that once the kaiju are dead and that's it is very reassuring. It means that once we have dealt with them, we won't need fear the kaiju ever rising again. Thank you very much, Hayden."

"I'm glad to have been of service, my Princess. However, I think it's about time now for you to be on your way back to Equestria. Surely you are still very needed back there."

"I think you are right, Hayden. Thank you again, for your time given to this matter. While it may not have produced the results I was hoping for, I still found it helpful in its own way."

"It was my pleasure, Princess Celestia. I wish you and your friends the best of luck in your current and future endeavors."

As her horn began to glow, Princess Celestia offered Hayden a smile, though she understood he was incapable of returning one. Then, just when the aura field was manifesting and started glowing around Celestia, it suddenly disappeared just as quick.

"Wait!"

"What is it, my Princess?"

"What about the revival room? What exactly are your plans for it in the future?"

Hayden did not respond right away. He stared silently with that same emotionless look on his face as he had the entire time Celestia was there. However, she was able to tell deep down that he was conflicted about what to do about that room.

"The room is even more of an advantage for the souls trapped here than it would be for me," Hayden finally said. "I cannot let these foul creatures have any sort of edge or advantage while they're here. So... I will destroy the room... But only after Sombra has returned here to this place. When he does, I will destroy the room right in front of him, crushing any shreds of hope he might have had otherwise." Hayden stared hard at Celestia, giving perhaps the closest thing to an emotion with his facial expression as he could. "No matter what happens, Princess Celestia, you must make sure my son meets his end and returns to Tartarus."

"I'll... We'll do the best we can, Hayden."

"Then when he returns and he sees me destroy the revival room and realizes that he has nothing left to hope for... I will tear his soul apart."

---

Boy, for some reason this chapter was an extremely hard one for me to write. I think most of the difficulty stems from trying to write the dialogue here and make it sound natural, especially for my Hayden character. But overall there were a lot of kinks in this chapter. That hasn't happened to me in a while. I'm still not entirely sure if I took care of them all. Then again, people usually tell me the chapters turned out just fine even when I make it public that I was having difficulties writing them. Hopefully it happens again. But if it doesn't and you see errors, don't hesitate to tell me in a review. Please, please, PLEASE remember to leave one after reading and make sure it is an actual critical analysis (positive or constructively negative) and not just stupid comments that can easily be sent to me in a PM. Sorry if I came off as a dick there, but it's called a review for a reason.

Anyways, that's the chapter, hope you liked it and as always, I'm The Guy Who Likes To Write Stuff, signing off.