The One True King

by JDPrime22

First published 21st of November, 2020

Can Equestria’s greatest heroes coexist with these mythical and majestic beasts… or will they have to accept that their rule has come to an end? For the rule of the one true king has returned.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Crossover.

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Equestria had only heard of legends of the Gods of Old. They roamed the world before ponies, ruled it, claimed it as their kingdom before the News Ones took it for themselves. Before a time of nations, of magic, of even friendship itself… the age of the monsters was alive before it fell into a dark, deep slumber.

That age has awakened.

When the ponies of Equestria learn of these great beasts awakening worldwide, the balance of nature itself hangs on a thread as the Gods of Old rise up to reclaim what was once theirs. Can Equestria’s greatest heroes coexist with these mythical and majestic beasts… or will they have to accept that their rule has come to an end?

For the rule of the one true king has returned.

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*FEATURED ON 11/22/2020. Thanks everyone! :D*

Chapter 1 – It Came from the Sea

There was never a dull moment for Special Agent Sweetie Drops. She stared on through her pair of binoculars as the deck of the naval ship teetered and rocked against the aggressive, monstrous-like waves. They battered and struck the sides of the T.I.T.A.N. ship so strongly that torrents of ocean water spewed forth and doused the occupants with enough power to cripple them, yet the Earth ponies remained vigilant. They held the line and kept the sails alive and vibrant.

A storm of vicious snow and lightning struck the outer portions of the ocean, the winds so powerful that they blew the sails of the naval ship in a vicious, uneven pattern. Aside from Sweetie Drops, the highest command upon the ship was Captain Rosebud. He was a burly stallion wearing a drenched overcoat and spouting off orders to every member upon the ship’s deck. Despite the more… feminine name, it didn’t deter the captain from his duties, nor did the ponies under him see him any differently. He was still that loudmouth captain of T.I.T.A.N. that they all adhered to become one day.

While she let Rosebud deal with his ponies, Sweetie Drops took as much time to recollect as she did spy upon the wicked ocean’s surface. Dark, towering rocks were erected from the waves, water smashing against them as well as the pillars of ice only growing more and more fervent. They were definitely getting deeper into the Frozen North. Sweetie Drops sighed, lowering her binoculars. She really did need to focus on something other than work for once.

Yet how could she think of anything else? The anti-monster agency she had been a part of for three years and counting was her entire life.

No beast was too much for them to contain. No monster strong enough to outwit, outplay, and outpower what was undoubtedly Equestria’s greatest rising task force. Secret? Yes. Confidential? To the highest degree. Yet Sweetie Drops did not seem to mind. Though they worked in the shadows, they ensured that ponies slept well at night without the fear of a beast emerging forth and taking from them everything they loved. It was nowhere near a thankless job. The gratitude from their rulers, the smiles upon ponies’ faces she saw every day, and the thrill of the hunt more than satisfied and encouraged Sweetie Drops to work her hardest in keeping Equestria—and her world—safe from unnatural dangers. She had faced, beaten, and captured more monsters than she could count. From the most miniscule to even the most monstrous, from beasts of natural forces and even to creatures of old, nothing was too much for her. Northing could stand against her and T.I.T.A.N.

Unfortunately, one apparently managed to escape. One apparently managed to slip through their conjoined grip again and again, evading all of their search parties and hiding within Equus’ vast, deep, and dark oceans for decades. The beast never truly showed itself. There had only been grainy photographs to detail the beast’s existence, talks and hushed whispers from higher-ups of horror stories beyond imagination of what the creature was truly capable of, but even then… it had only become a legend from that point forward.

All he really was was a legend.

Special Agent Sweetie Drops knew better than to believe in legends.

Their recent findings with help from the seaponies proved to be the most helpful in years. The Western Ocean of the Frozen North was hiding something within its depths, something that stirred the ocean currents in irregular and unnatural patterns. Naturally, Celestia sent T.I.T.A.N. on the job to investigate, and allowed Special Agent Sweetie Drops to helm the mission outside of Equestria’s borders. It was her first mission beyond her home, the first one that led her away from thick jungles, vast deserts, and deep canyons in search of minor beasts like Hydra, dragons, or even Chimera that threatened Equestria and its ponies. It was a mission Sweetie Drops swore to Celestia and herself that she wouldn’t fail, that she would come home with something.

And who knew? Maybe a legend could be true. Sweetie Drops doubted it, but she never dismissed the golden opportunity that was given to her.

The thunder roared overhead, a devastating clash of yellow lightning shooting across the sky and impacting a nearby rock jutted from the ocean surface. The stone exploded, spraying fragments into the sea and vanishing after that. A rising sense of panic filled the deck of the naval ship, unicorns and Pegasi nearly ready to abandon their posts and retreat to the lower decks to ensure they wouldn’t be thrown overboard from the ocean’s ferocity. The equally fierce look they received from their captain prompted them to stay at their stations and keep the ship afloat. Sweetie watched the deck move and flow like a living body, her foreleg rising to block the oncoming wave of snow impacting her face.

She couldn’t even see beyond the deck. Mere meters of ocean water, some passing rocks, but nothing else. The lanterns upon the deck rattled and swung, barely lighting their way. The rocks were getting bigger, darker, more jagged and sharp. Sweetie Drops tightened her lips, her expression, not wishing to meet the end of those rocks with the front of the ship.

A patch rested on her left shoulder, the T.I.T.A.N. logo showcasing a rising sun upon the world of Equus. It ensured that their world fell under the watchful and protective eye of Princess Celestia and her agency. As long as they stood, no monster would rise and claim their home. Sweetie Drops nearly fell, crying out and pressing both hooves upon the deck to steady herself. Frowning at the tremor the naval ship felt while being smacked back and forth by the ocean, Sweetie rose up and sent a fearsome stare to the captain.

“Keep the ship steady!” she called, jamming her hoof in the appropriate and most important direction: straight ahead. “Avoid those rocks!”

Captain Rosebud acknowledged her with a firm nod, turning his bearded face to the rest of the deck and screaming, “You heard the agent! Keep those sails straight, ya ninnies! I want no pony off this deck until we get this water cleared out and our destination secured! We’ve faced greater storms than this, lads! Don’t give in now!”

He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder, prompting his attention to the lovely young mare stepping forth behind him. Sweetie Drops’ black jumpsuit clung to her body tightly, the ocean water and snow painting her face and mane and drenching the rest in a slick wetness. He knew better than to ogle his superior, raising his eyes and narrowing each to avoid the spewing ocean water and pelting snow.

“How far are we from the shore?” the agent tried to shout over the storm, lightning cackling behind her and lighting up the night sky. Her wet mane and tail blew viciously. “Storm’s picking up! We’ve been at this for hours! Might as well set up camp for the night on some solid ground!”

The crow’s nest swayed haphazardly above them, the Pegasus within it calling out, “I can see the shoreline approaching! Incoming glaciers by the dozen! I’d say we’re about a mile and a half away!”

Dropping his spyglass, the Pegasus gazed down to the deck to see both Rosebud and Sweetie Drops acknowledge his findings. They were staring up at him, unable to witness the oncoming wave approaching the right side of the ship. Only the crow’s nest was able to witness it, shooting out his spyglass and dropping his jaw when he caught a glimpse of it.

Just a glimpse was all that was needed.

His free hoof shot out and rang the bell. Several horrific times. “Alert!” he cried out. “Incoming tidal wave on our—!”

It was too late. The unnatural wave struck the side of the naval ship with such power and ferocity that it nearly toppled the entire ship. Earth ponies had no chance to escape as the water washed them overboard, several screams silenced as numerous bodies hit the water. They became simply one with the storm, the naval ship pushing on without them. Unable to hear them. The unicorns took over for the sails, each one flapping madly against the wind and snow, uncontrolled and uncontainable. As for Captain Rosebud and Special Agent Sweetie Drops, the stallion helped the mare back to her hooves and steadied each other, each pony looking fearfully around the deck of the ship.

Everything was in ruins. Nearly the entire deck was flooded with unicorns and Pegasi trying desperately to scoop out the water with buckets. Boxes filled with camping supplies and depth charges were toppled over and spilled outwards. The tools that were meant to bring the beast out of hiding had fallen out of their reach, fell out of their control. They were unable to react appropriately as those depth charges rolled to the edge of the ship, the rocking of the waves pushing them right through the wooden barrier and sending each one into the ocean depths. Sweetie Drops and Rosebud galloped to the edge of the ship, barely able to see as the depth charges sunk further and further into the black. Out of sight.

They slowly turned to one another, each one seemingly knowing and feeling the same thing.

“Oh, no…” Sweetie Drops uttered.

The explosions were bright and yellow within the darkness of the sea. Several dozen at a time, shooting off and lighting up the ocean floor for a few seconds. It was quick, it was over before they knew it, but within that short moment of light… Sweetie Drops saw something above it. Above the ocean floor, above the flurry of lights. Something stirring…

Something swimming.

Her eyes slowly widened, every last breath taken from her.

The ocean groaned once each and every last depth charge was ignited and exploded. Only there was no possible way for the depth charges to create the sound that followed, a groan so profound and powerful that it shook the deck of the naval ship and sent shivers down everypony’s spines. Sweetie Drops especially felt it, but knew better than anypony else on that deck that whatever sound it was… wasn’t from the ocean.

She had worked in the area of expertise for monster-hunting long enough to know a growl when she heard one.

“Damage report!” Captain Rosebud roared in response, finding his captain’s hat strewn upon the deck and placing the soaked hat back on his head.

The crow’s nest was once more his response, as everypony else was fixated on their approaching obstacle. But even then, Rosebud hardly even heard the Pegasus. He could only stare straight on, alongside Sweetie Drops, as the rocks came into view.

“Captain! Incoming rocks!”

The front of the ship zeroed in on the plethora of ocean rocks rising out of the waves. That was the problem. That was the impossible reality. They were rising. They were moving. They were jagged in every sense of the word and precisely and naturally formed. Sweetie Drops narrowed her eyes to the rocks, realizing sooner rather than later… that they weren’t rocks. Her expression fell, ears drooping and eyes widening. Jaw falling. Unable to warn them in time. They only kept rising higher and higher and higher, torrents of ocean water falling from their peaks and impacting the deck of the ship until…

Sweetie Drops was viciously thrown from the ship before she could even scream.

The bow impacted the obstacle and practically severed the ship. It was capsized, every occupant upon it thrown to the darkness of the seas. They were lost within those waves, every piece of machinery, equipment, and even the ship itself sinking further and further into the depths of darkness. Pegasi tried desperately to fly away as some called out to their fellow crewmembers, and even managed to rescue a few from the subzero temperatures of the water. Yet they simply couldn’t save them all. So many more were lost to the storm.

And none of them could find Special Agent Sweetie Drops within it.

She found her safety upon the shoreline of the Frozen North, hooves shivering as they gripped the solid ice and forcefully pulled the mare out of the freezing waters. She crawled for several yards on the frosty sand. It was hardly a better substitute, the sand turning into the snow and ice freezing against her chest and body as she gave in and laid against it, the mare shivering uncontrollably and breathing vapors of near-ice that escaped the minimal warmth of her heart. Ocean and ice definitely weren’t her expertise. It was a far cry to the lands she had successfully captured and contained monsters within, and it was because of that that Sweetie Drops had reached quite possibly her lowest point.

Stranded in the frozen wasteland, no sign of help, her only means of survival sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

All signs of feeling in her limbs were beginning to fade, that painful numbness ever-consuming and ever-taking from the pony. The snow fell upon the side of her face while the other side was practically frozen against the ice-like floor of the shoreline. Her mane and tail were hardening, ice forming against them, slowly consuming her heart, her blood, and her life. The seconds ticked away to form into minutes. Several painful minutes from an equally painful death…

Death didn’t need her just yet.

A tremor upon the earth literally brought her back from the dead.

Slowly raising her head, the ice began to crackle on her mane as she shifted her eyes in the opposite direction. Directly behind her. Remnants of the T.I.T.A.N. naval ship continued to sink until nothing was left, but that wasn’t where her eyes were trained. Through the vapors of frozen air escaping her shivering lips, Sweetie Drops watched on in complete and utter astonishment as that tremor proceeded forth and rose up from the ocean depths. Stomped upon it. Those same rocks from earlier returned and rose up, Sweetie seeing them again and knowing for certain… they weren’t rocks.

They were spines.

Sweetie Drops only continued to lift her head, higher and higher. She was able to gaze through the snow and fog and witness it for herself. She followed it as it rose above the ocean waves and took that first step upon the icy shorelines. The earth cracked beneath its gargantuan foot, entire floods falling from its mighty hide and impacting the ground, sinking back into the sea. The fog could not conceal it. The snow could not hide it forever. Sweetie Drops paid witness to the grandest sight she had ever seen in her career as a monster hunter.

Her gaze scaled the tower-like legs that could have risen forever. Her eyes rose past the mighty claws resting by its sides, higher past the abdomen and chest, beyond the neck, and finally rested upon the face of the beast that touched the storms of the skies. She saw the eyes…

And it was him. The legend…

Titanus Gojira.

He was real.

And he was staring directly at her.

Sweetie Drops felt her heart fall into the darkest, deepest, most fearful parts of her being. The mere flare of his eyes upon her insignificant existence was enough to make her crumble right then and there. She was already lying on her side, breathless, near-death, and almost fully willing to embrace that cold embrace than experience whatever wretched end the Titan had in mind for her. Only… he merely stared at her. Frowned, more like it. A pitiful, almost sneering glare as the Titan observed the life before him and growled.

Then, he breathed in.

And Godzilla roared.

It shook the whole earth, Sweetie Drops’ ears ringing for several seconds on end as the otherworldly roar rocked her very sense of being and reality. It shook her bones to the very core, her mind rattling and teeth chattering far more powerfully than the cold could ever do. Her heart had seemingly froze for several seconds, the intensity of the roar continuously shaking the earth until finally… he was finished. He returned that fearsome glare onto the mere equine once more, snorting and somewhat… grinning her way. It looked like one to her. A smirk, maybe, showcasing the rows of razor-sharp teeth, emphasizing the power he held just by his roar.

But more so warning Sweetie Drops not to run her ship into him again.

Sweetie was able to breathe once more, until that breath was stripped away when Godzilla pressed onwards, seemingly forgetting she even existed as he proceeded to stomp directly over her. She watched as droplets of ocean water sprayed on top of her, the mighty behemoth of a monster pushing his shadow over and past her with the mare staring on, incredulous and wordless to the phenomenon occurring before her very eyes. She watched as his tail rose high above her, swaying dangerously close before passing harmlessly beyond.

She turned to face the Titan, watched as he searched the glacier for seconds on end.

Until finally… he found it.

He stared to the landmass of icy mountains and valleys lying directly beneath his feet. And then… Sweetie Drops felt her heart stop once again.

She watched in utter astonishment as his dorsal fins began to ignite. They shimmered a powerful and haunting blue, starting from the end of his waving tail and rising up his spine, reaching the end of his neck, and allowing the Titan to breathe in and expel that pent-up energy in an astounding atomic blast. The ripple of energy coursed through the air and practically electrified it, Sweetie Drops feeling an unnatural warmth filling the air as Godzilla jammed his jaws to the sky and spewed that atomic breath to the clouds above.

A storm of atomic energy filled the clouds above and broke the snowstorm. Light was brought forth to the glacier, a somewhat unsettling tint of blue washing over the land. The light faded from Godzilla’s body, the Titan seemingly pleased with his work. He must have been, as he instantly turned away and stomped back into the ocean. Sweetie Drops watched him with every last second she could, the beast dipping his head into the waves and vanishing within them. His spines were all that she could see before they, too… vanished.

Almost like he was never there. Like he was just that legend ponies spoke of.

Just a legend and nothing more.

And with that, Sweetie Drops returned to the storm, witnessing the atomic energy swirling over the land. Flakes of that same blue tint fell softly from it, like snow, impacting the ice over one specific patch of it. Pegasi called her name, but she didn’t respond. She couldn't hear them over the roar echoing in her ears.

She simply couldn’t speak even after they found her and brought her home.

Author's Notes:

Welcome to a new legend

Chapter 2 – An Invitation

Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria had the entire world before her.

The throne room of Canterlot Castle was particularly beautiful that morning, as it was a beautiful morning for all of Equestria. The rays of the sun Twilight rose that day showered within the stained glass windows, filling the room with an enchanting and welcoming yellow glow. And how welcoming it turned out to be! Ponies, griffons, dragons, and so many others kept arriving for the day’s meetings and discussions. But they weren’t alone. With delegates, messengers, ambassadors, guards, and so many other visitors of every variety meeting with her, she pondered the idea continuously—in the back of her mind—if it truly was the world that she had.

Sighing contently upon her throne and basking in the warmth of her morning sun, Twilight could hardly believe that it was only a month and a half ago that she was crowned as the sole ruler of Equestria. “Sole ruler” made it rather disingenuous, Twilight imagined. For she would have never arrived to the position she was in, she would have never gained her ultimate achievement had it not been for the ponies that had been by her side the day she arrived to Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship. Without them, Twilight would have achieved nothing. She would have been nothing.

It was a few years ago the day she stepped hoof in Ponyville. Twilight smiled contently at the thought, shaking her head softly. Time went by so, so fast.

But thanks to them—thanks to Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and, of course, Spike—they helped her realize her true potential. Together, they all achieved what seemed to be an impossible reality. Together, they all ruled Equestria. Their Council of Friendship ensured that the nation and the many nations that stood with them would continue to build the bridges towards a peaceful future for all of ponykind and beyond. They had already made the first steps in recent memory.

Over time, when Twilight believed it to have begun during the Storm King’s invasion and defeat, the outreach of Equestria to the rest of the world had already been born. Friendship quests helmed by her and her friends reached more than just ponies. Different creatures and races were able to experience the magic of friendship. The School of Friendship helped expand that reach, bringing forth students from across the lands to learn what friendship was truly about, so that they could take the same lessons back home and teach it themselves. Twilight expected it to take so much longer, but even she was surprised the day they nearly lost it all…

Back when Cozy Glow, Queen Chrysalis, and Lord Tirek all returned to seek vengeance upon Equestria. Back when her own home had nearly abandoned the lessons Twilight and her friends fought so desperately to teach. Back when… Equestria was nearly doomed.

And then they came. The ponies, the creatures, the people from across the nations all uniting for one cause, for one goal: to come together in the name of friendship to defeat the forces of darkness once and for all. Leading them were the ones Twilight couldn’t have been any prouder of. For it was their own students who united every corner of every nation not for the need of glory, or recognition, or some kind of reward. But merely for friendship and the magic of it. It was that balance, that harmony, that magic that united them—even if they were different species—to grow and become something new. To build something together. A bond. A relationship. A new idea…

A new world.

It was that new world that came together to wipe clean the forces of evil that threatened their peace and way of life. And it was that new world that stood triumphant in the end, ensuring that what they now had, what they held in their conjoined hooves, claws, talons, paws, and so forth was worth keeping together. To that day, to that very second Twilight sat on her throne breathing and living and smiling away, she knew that they had done it. They had created that world and continued to sustain it, holding strong the ideals of unity, togetherness, and friendship most of all.

And there was Princess Twilight Sparkle in the heart of it all. The uniter, the newly-crowned ruler of Equestria taking her throne and keeping that bond she, her friends, and so many others helped build. It was the most she could do, ensuring not only to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but also to what was now her people. Her little ponies. She made a promise to them all, vowing to never abandon the truths that made them who they were. With the Council of Friendship, with the now united world, all followed and turned to her in hopes that the promise she made would stand the test of time. As the rule of the Royal Sisters had. As Princess Celestia had.

Gazing to the sunlight, Twilight Sparkle slowly lost her smile. She just couldn’t shake off the feeling of… emptiness. Not that she wasn’t satisfied, but that it just felt like something was missing.

Twilight wasn’t complaining about her position, not by a long shot. She gratefully accepted it, and with a lot of training from Celestia and Luna, they ensured that Twilight Sparkle would undoubtedly become the princess Equestria needed and deserved. It wasn’t a stressful ordeal—even if it tried to be at times—because she had Spike and the rest of her friends to help her through any obstacle Twilight struggled to pass. But if she was to be honest about her feelings, sometimes… Twilight just missed what she used to be.

Living first as a librarian. Ruling as the Princess of Friendship in Ponyville, in her very own castle made just for her. It was much more convenient, not only for her friends, but for Twilight. Because back then, sometimes it was just the simplest things that made her feel more at home. Knowing her friends were just down the street or even a few doors away made a world of a difference. Even the occasional friendship mission that the Cutie Map sent them on gave Twilight that love and thrill she desired of her old life. Going on adventures with her friends, seeing them day in and day out, not knowing what tomorrow held but anticipating every single second… perhaps that was what Twilight missed the most.

She still saw her friends. Every moon, as they promised. And Spike was always still with her. Equus was at peace with no signs of danger or threats imaginable. The planet was truly united for the first time in its long, long history. All united under the banner of friendship, under the ideals she helped bring. Though Twilight had the entire world, all she really wanted—what she would give—was another day back in her old life.

That thrill.

That unknown journey.

That one last adventure with her friends…

And lo and behold, that adventure came knocking on her doors faster than she anticipated.

Technically, it came busting through her doors, in the image of a gagging, choking young dragon. A pair of Royal Guards were quick to act, at first jamming their spears in the direction of the unwarranted interruption and then quickly turning them away when it was only Spike who had entered the throne room. Despite that, they rushed to his aid when they noticed he still hadn’t coughed up the scroll he was obviously trying to reveal from his magic, belching flame.

By the time Twilight flew from her throne and reached him, one of the guards slapped his armor-plated hoof onto the dragon’s back, that simple strike just being enough for the burp to escape and the green flame to unveil the scroll. The Alicorn caught the message within her aura of magic, giving it a quick once over before turning to her best friend.

“Spike, are you okay?” Twilight asked, worry coating her voice.

“Jeez… could’ve sworn the molting process ended after the wings. That, or I’m getting sick,” Spike coughed, punching his chest and managing a few more spits of lingering flames out of his windpipe. He suddenly noticed his empty claws, spotting the scroll already unfurling in Twilight’s magic. “Oh, yeah, uh… message for you, Twilight!”

Despite still holding some minor worries over Spike’s condition, Twilight sent a quick and relieved smile his way while slowly opening the scroll. She cleared her own throat and began reading the letter silently to herself. The guards stood at attention, straightening their postures while Spike forced another fiery burp out, that flame holding no scroll. Then, to their intrigue, they studied Twilight’s facial features and watched as they shifted. The first turning into mild confusion, then into deep dissection, and finally into a subtle state of disturbance. Twilight lowered the letter from her face.

“What does it say, Your Majesty?” her guard asked.

“Whoever it is, they sure have a lot to say,” Spike mumbled, rubbing his throat gingerly.

Twilight turned from her guards, to Spike, back to the letter, and slowly dropping it once more. That time, she rolled it up and held it close to her side, under her wing, which allowed her to bring her full and undivided attention onto the three of them. With her brow furrowed, expression tightened and holding that mixture of confusion and disturbance, Twilight opened her mouth and tried to speak.

She tried to formulate the words she read. Yet she didn’t know why it was so hard.

Instead, she gave them the abridged version to the best of her ability, saying, “It’s from Princess Celestia. She wants my friends and I to meet with them in Silver Shoals immediately…”

Twilight paused, staring solely at Spike when she finished.

“… as a means that must be discussed in private.”

“Bon Bon! Mail’s in!”

Lowering the latest Daring Do book, “Daring Do and the Dragon’s Tomb”, from her hooves, Bon Bon slowly lifted her weary but satisfied eyes when her loving wife Lyra Heartstrings sauntered her way into the kitchen. In the unicorn’s magical gold aura, she held what was depressingly more junk mail by the looks of it. Maybe a scroll, but Bon Bon didn’t pay the mail much attention. Her eyes settled on Lyra, a sweet smile sent the mare’s way.

It was an average, tender morning in Ponyville. The sun was shining into their humble abode, the birds were chirping on the windowsill, and the rest of the town was awakening for what was undoubtedly another fantastic day. So, to Bon Bon, it was an average morning. Not like that was a bad thing by any means. The simple, average, and peaceful mornings were what she looked forward to the most every single day, knowing not what the day held but at least being grateful she got to spend it in peace with the pony she loved.

“Thanks, Lyra,” Bon Bon said, yawning mere seconds later. Lyra settled the mail on the kitchen table, watching as Bon Bon stretched out her forelegs. “Was feeling kinda groggy this morning… so the mail seemed a little too hard this time around.”

Lyra smirked. “Well, it’s a good thing you can choose what you’re tired with. You haven’t put down that new Daring Do book since we picked it up last week!”

Popping her eyes wide at that, Bon Bon noted that the book in question was raised above her head, joining her stretching hooves. She quickly placed it flat on the table, but it was to no avail. Lyra was still smirking like a maniac. She even had the audacity to say, “But yeah, you’re right. Getting the mail in the morning can be really hard.”

Bon Bon playfully shoved her away. “Shut up,” she laughed.

“So, what’s the news! Anything for me in that bundle?”

Bon Bon raised an amused brow to Lyra’s excitement, reaching for the pile of mail and sifting through it. The tip of her hoof slid away each piece of advertisement, coupons they didn’t need, and other letters that were just another scam for the both of them. By the time they reached the end of the pile, there was just the large scroll left.

“Annnnd… nope! Just junk mail and this scroll with my name on it,” Bon Bon noted, lifting up the tightened letter and analyzing it between her hooves. Lyra smushed her face against Bon Bon’s cheek, narrowing her own eyes and getting a much closer look. Suddenly, both of their eyes suddenly widened, each mare frozen in place momentarily.

“Is that… what I think it is?” Lyra quietly asked.

Bon Bon slowly turned the scroll, showcasing a bright red stamp in the center of the rolled-up paper. “A royal stamp…” Lyra stated, gripping the scroll with her own hoof much to Bon Bon’s dismay. “Holding the insignias of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!”

“Technically, they’re not princesses anymore,” Bon Bon corrected, smirking as she broke the seal and unfurled the scroll with the tips of her hooves.

Lyra just shrugged as she backed away and moved on towards the kitchen, muttering, “Eh, it’s too hard to call them anything else at this point.”

Bon Bon laughed. “And you say I’m lazy…”

Her voice drifted away as she began to read, but that didn’t stop Lyra from babbling on. She was already pouring in the pancake mix onto the pan with her magic, multitasking while gabbing about the possibilities. When it came to the princesses, almost anything was possible! When have they ever been noticed by either Celestia or Luna? Heck, it was not everyday you received a letter from them! It was so much that Lyra just couldn’t stop talking.

“But, I mean, come on! You’re getting a letter from the former rulers of Equestria! Oh, this is big! I gotta get the camera! Wait, I need to turn off the stove! Okay, now I need to get the camera! This is definitely going in the scrapbook! Hang on, I’ll be right back!”

Normally, Lyra’s antics would have gotten a laugh out of Bon Bon, at least a smile. Only, there was nothing gracing the Earth pony’s features. Bon Bon was frozen after having finished reading the letter, all expressive emotion seemingly doused from her face. It was definitely Celestia who wrote it—Bon Bon could point out her hoofwriting out of anypony else’s. The words were not comforting in the slightest, the former princess asking for Bon Bon’s presence in Silver Shoals as soon as possible for a private discussion. She didn’t specify exactly what it was in the letter, possibly as a means of security. However, it was what came at the end of the letter that assured Bon Bon of the seriousness in the summons. It was what caused her to lose her breath, nearly stop her heart, and curl her blood until all had simply leaked out from her face.

In Celestia’s own writing, just before the Alicorn’s signature, she addressed Bon Bon personally as her “most trusted special agent”. She didn’t reveal her true name in the letter, probably out of respect for Bon Bon’s privacy and safety. But still, addressing Bon Bon as a special agent was still pretty risky in public mail transportation. What if their mail had been lost or stolen? What if Lyra misread the scroll and took it for herself? What if Lyra’s curiosity got the better of her again?

How would she have reacted? What more could she possibly find out about Bon Bon’s secret double life?

Too much.

Lyra stormed into the kitchen at the worst possible time, holding in her aura an empty camera. “All right, bad news is that I’m out of film! But I can run to the market real quick and—!” she declared, stopping abruptly only after noticing the distant and chilling look on her wife’s expression.

It instantly doused the flame inside of her, darkening Lyra’s mood and filling her with all she could bear to hold at the moment: concern. “Bon Bon… is everything okay?” she asked, placing the camera on the table and approaching her.

The Earth pony was slow to react, seemingly broken out of a dark trance when her eyes were peeled away from the scroll. Quickly rolling it up, Bon Bon slid it under her Daring Do book and hopped off her chair, stepped hoof onto the kitchen tiling, and reached Lyra before she could even get close to the scroll. The unicorn noted the action, her concern transforming into confusion and into mild irritation from the look Bon Bon gave her. Like she was trying to hide something.

“Hey, um… Lyra,” Bon Bon began, even her voice failing to hide it. “Look… something just came up and I need to… uh… head on over to Silver Shoals to meet with Celestia and Luna.”

Despite her prior assumptions, the idea of traveling to Silver Shoals instantly brightened Lyra’s attitude once again. She smiled, already trotting off into the living room while calling back, “Awesome! I’ll get our bags packed right away and—!”

“Um…”

And just like that, Lyra stopped dead in the living room. She spun around, brow furrowing when she noticed Bon Bon already standing at the entryway, already meeting her to give her the bad news personally. Lyra was quick to figure it out on her own, reading her wife’s expression and spelling it out for herself.

“Oh…” Lyra mumbled, voice losing all sense of life. “They just wanted to meet with you.”

Bon Bon’s ears flattened against her skull.

“Special agent stuff?”

She instantly perked up, taking a step forward and saying, “Lyra—”

“Bon Bon, I’m not stupid,” Lyra scoffed, turning fully to meet her face to face. She approached the Earth pony, holding a sad smile through every syllable. “Ever since you told me about your secret identity, I kinda always knew that one day Celestia might need you again to capture some other Bugbear or whatever monster was roaming Equestria. I mean… yeah, why else are we gonna get a letter from the princesses?”

Tilting her head, Bon Bon curiously asked, “So… you’re okay with this?”

To her mild surprise, Bon Bon watched Lyra shake her head. “Not really, no,” she told her. “I’d love to go with you, but…”

“It’s a matter of national security. I can’t let you be put at risk.”

Lyra almost anticipated that answer, but it still stung nonetheless. The unicorn dropped her head, eyes falling to the carpet as she sighed. “Yeah…”

Bon Bon’s expression shifted from weakened to broken, just hearing the strength leave Lyra’s breath being that devastating punch into her heart. Heck, they practically did everything together, so it definitely hurt Bon Bon too when she knew Lyra couldn’t come. The threat of a Bugbear was one thing, but the fact that it was Celestia who contacted her, the pony who scrapped the whole agency and hid everything from the public domain only to now bring Bon Bon back into the field was another threat entirely. It was something big. Too big.

Far too big for her to get Lyra involved in and possibly hurt, or worse…

She tried to convince her of that, placing her hoof gently on Lyra’s chin and bringing her eyes back onto her. “Listen, Lyra, this is the first time Celestia’s contacted me about something that involves the monster-hunting agency since I moved to Ponyville five years ago. It has to be something big… something dangerous. I just want you to be safe.”

It wasn’t fair. Nothing ever truly was. But Bon Bon was right. If the monster-hunting business required Bon Bon to come out of retirement, and if Celestia herself needed her to do it, then Lyra wouldn’t be a roadblock for the both of them. She nodded, earning a relived sigh from Bon Bon. For both of their sake, Lyra understood.

“Okay,” she whispered, backing off and meeting her wife dead in the eyes. “Okay. But if there’s anything too much for you to handle, if there’s anything you can’t do on your own, then you come back for me… and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you kick that monster's butt.”

Both mares doubted that statement held any weight for either’s predicaments, but she said it anyway. She said it as a means to hold a promise strong with Bon Bon, to show her that she would be with her, for her, through every storm and war that dared to threaten their home. Bon Bon just chuckled, smiled, and accepted it nonetheless, moments before allowing Lyra to crash into her with a spine-cracking hug. She returned the embrace Lyra gave her, amplified it tenfold.

“Be safe out there,” Lyra said.

Bon Bon nodded, enjoying the feeling of Lyra’s breath on her neck. Even if it was just one last time. “I’ll try.”

Soon, they broke apart, Lyra already backpedaling back into their bedroom and nodding Bon Bon along. “Come on then, I’ll help you get packed,” the unicorn called, disappearing into the hallway.

Bon Bon was a little more hesitant that time. She turned her gaze back to the kitchen, not even being able to enjoy breakfast with her best friend. Not being able to enjoy the tender morning or the peace that came with it any longer. Knowing now, without a doubt, what the events of her day would entail: Nothing good.

She whispered that last shred of assurance to herself again and again.

“… I’ll try.”

Chapter 3 – Silver Shoals

The evening fog faded away, unveiling to Bon Bon the coastline village of Silver Shoals Retirement Community. The train she rode upon thundered its horn to announce its arrival, and also to rudely awaken its very few passengers. Bon Bon hardly slept, perhaps dozing off a couple of times. She had been awake to see the village come into view, and now she was fully up and about by the time the train came to a slow and steady stop.

The doors were not crowded by the time Bon Bon hopped off, carrying with her just a simple bag resting on her back. Those that visited Silver Shoals were either friends and families checking in on their relatives or spending the weekend in playing an assortment of activities. Be it water skiing, paintball, or even interpretive dance. Bon Bon didn’t know why it was a retirement community if they had so many physical activities, but she wasn’t there to delve on the community’s structure. She was there for private business with the former princesses.

When she hopped off the train and slipped by the few ponies entering onto it, Bon Bon gave a long and breathtaking look to the village as a whole. Though also known to many as “Seaward Shoals”, Silver Shoals had earned quite the reputation in recent memory, what with being the retirement home to the former rulers of Equestria. No doubt the village would get a lot of tourists following that announcement. Bon Bon could still appreciate the architecture and design of the entire place either way, because it was a pretty impressive sight regardless of who retired there.

The evening sun was falling quicker and quicker, with a warm and gleaming sunset spreading a brilliant orange glow across the ocean waves and overshadowing the numerous buildings and houses. There was a coastline of boats and docks for optimal fishing and boating activities, along with numerous hills and valleys and forests fit for anypony, be they young or old. There was no end to the types of games and relaxing opportunities both the elders and the tourists could engage in. Bon Bon had to give it to the princesses. They chose a pretty awesome place to retire. Maybe she would do the same.

Bon Bon almost chortled at the idea, knowing without a doubt that Lyra would absolutely fall in love with the place at first sight. It pained her even more knowing she had to leave her behind. But before she could delve on more insecurities, Bon Bon’s attention was diverted and ripened to the image of six very colorful ponies appearing on a distant hill to her left. She narrowed her eyes, raised a foreleg to block out the sun shining in her face. With those ponies was the familiar purple and green dragon. That sealed the deal. Bon Bon’s smile slowly grew.

“No way,” she whispered, tightening her bag’s straps and taking off at a quick trot, which turned into a slow gallop. Just hearing their unmistakable voices arguing already made her heart leap, confirming to Bon Bon that it was truly them. Her friends from Ponyville.

“Princess Twilight? Spike?” Bon Bon openly declared, climbing up the hill and meeting their gazes halfway. They all seemed equally surprised to see a familiar face just as well, Bon Bon taking the time to observe and address them all. “Rainbow Dash… Rarity… Fluttershy, Applejack—?!”

“And Pinkie Pie!” the pony exclaimed so very loudly and triumphantly, shocking Bon Bon by appearing behind her and crushing her with a classic Pinkie Pie certified hug.

Bon Bon nearly fell over, but caught herself and reached back to pat Pinkie. She couldn’t hold back a smile, certainly not when it came from Ponyville’s best party pony. “Whoa! Heh! It’s great to see you guys! Definitely didn’t expect any other royalty here except for Celestia and Luna, and the entire Council of Friendship no less.”

Twilight giggled at Pinkie’s antics, the other mares and Spike doing the same. “Good to see you too, Bon Bon. And yeah, well, Celestia and Luna wanted to meet with us specifically,” the Princess of Friendship clarified.

Rainbow smirked, hovering above her friends with her forelegs crossed. Applejack nodded, tightening her hat firmly downwards as a subtle greeting towards Bon Bon. Rarity smiled as vibrantly and as beautifully as herself, swaying her mane as she did so. Fluttershy merely offered Bon Bon a sweet smile, face hidden behind half of her mane. Spike waved, but Bon Bon didn’t wave back.

“Wait, really?” Bon Bon asked, straightening up as Pinkie slowly slid off and hit the grass beneath her. “You mean I wasn’t the only one who got the letter?”

Twilight craned her neck back slightly, narrowing her eyes. “You got the same letter from Celestia?” she asked, hoof pointed Bon Bon’s way.

“Yeah!” Bon Bon exclaimed, reaching into her bag and showing it off, glamorizing the official stamp and everything. “Wait… how did you all get here before me? You weren’t on the train.”

“We took a private airship,” Twilight said, bashful at that. Her eyes darted quickly to the skies, Bon Bon following the direction and seeing the mighty airship itself taking off into the coming night. Upon its balloon, the cutie mark of Twilight Sparkle was plastered brightly and proudly. “Turns out there are quite a lot of perks to becoming the ruler of Equestria. Heh…”

“Still think we shoulda taken our old air balloon,” Rainbow said, flying closer to Twilight and nudging the Alicorn’s shoulder. “Woulda been just like old times!”

“If you wanted to get to Silver Shoals by next Thursday,” Rarity retorted, smirking slyly.

Rainbow’s expression hardened, her lips pursing and brow furrowing, eyes staring off into the distance momentarily. She sighed and murmured, “Point taken.”

The Council of Friendship all shared a quick but warm laugh. Bon Bon joined in, chuckling lightly along their giggles. Once they ceased, Twilight’s gaze appeared abnormally distant, her smile fading quicker than the others’ around her. Nopony seemed to notice, and how could they? Her thoughts were her own, and she could only hear Rainbow’s words again and again.

Just like old times.

Twilight’s smile returned, appearing slightly saddened amidst the group of grins.

“So, what are we doing here then, Bon Bon?” Spike asked, breaking the oncoming silence following their laughing break.

She had a fairly good idea to know exactly why she was at Silver Shoals and meeting with the former princesses, but Bon Bon dared not tell them that with so many eyewitnesses around. She would rather Celestia do it herself, in a much more private setting.

Forcing on a smile and lying through her teeth, Bon Bon replied, “Your guess is as good as mine. Let’s find out, shall we?”

Together, all eight of them made their way into Silver Shoals, passing the time by seeing the sights and chatting away their recent adventures. Shockingly, this was the first adventure any of them had been on since Twilight’s coronation. It had been a pretty calm month and a half since then. No news. No big events. No world-ending catastrophes. Things were just normal. It was just… life. Somehow, that seemed crazier than anything else the ponies had been through.

Noticing the coming of night, Silver Shoals took on a different shade of atmosphere. Lamp posts flickered on and nearby homes lit their lanterns. The streets were growing quieter despite the summer mood. Though the village was getting tired, outside the village the fun was just getting started. Bonfires were being held near the coastline and picnic tables were being prepared for stargazers within the valleys. There was music and singing and laughing galore, so much so that Pinkie practically begged the rest of the group to check it out before they met with Celestia. Twilight tried to tell Pinkie it would only make them want to stay longer, to which Pinkie had no problem with. Everypony else though—primarily Twilight and Bon Bon—unfortunately did, which is why they kept on moving, practically dragging a sulking Pinkie Pie with them.

Pinkie’s depression was quickly uplifted when they came to a familiar house. A much larger home compared to the other meager apartment complexes and buildings. The neighborhood they had entered was where the rich and royal undoubtedly spent their final years. Houses had transformed into mansions, but the home of Celestia and Luna stood taller and mightier than the rest. It stood at the very end of the Silver Shoals Retirement Community, within the small portion of the wealthiest homes. They crowded together and pushed on the front gates, following the path through the grass gardens and up to the doors. It only took three knocks and three seconds for the doors to open to them.

And for the friendly faces of Celestia and Luna to appear to them.

The reunion was short but sweet. It had not been long since Twilight and her friends had seen the former princesses’ new home in Silver Shoals, but it still felt too long nonetheless. Hugs were shared, the sisters holding each mare and each friend close before moving on to the next. Until all the Council of Friendship had reacquainted themselves with the Alicorns.

Until only Bon Bon was left.

Her appearing almost made Celestia’s smile fade away, but it did not deter Luna in the slightest. Though not knowing Bon Bon as well, Luna still offered the Earth pony a welcoming embrace nonetheless. Bon Bon returned it, breaking off and holding Luna’s smile with her own. But when the time came to bring her focus onto Celestia—when it was Celestia’s turn to come face to face with Sweetie Drops—both mares simultaneously paused.

They looked to one another. They both stared in silence. They both lost their smiles.

Both ponies knew why they were there. Neither of them wanted to admit it or say it out loud. They continued to hide under the façade that there were good tidings in her visit, but always held that underlying dread of the truth. The terrible, awful truth to it all. Their silence made Luna’s smile slowly fade, the younger sister turning to the elder with concern riddled in her stare.

Celestia shook her head and blinked rapidly, forcing a warm smile in the end and spouting out, “It’s good to see you again… Bon Bon.”

Bon Bon forced one, too. “Likewise… Your Majesty.”

She bowed her head despite having no need to do so any longer, nor having any need to refer to Celestia in such a manner. Call it old habits. Those always died the hardest anyway. After raising her head, Celestia offered Bon Bon to follow her and her sister to the living room. There, the remaining Council of Friendship had already settled themselves on the lush couches and warmed up by the fireplace. Bon Bon gazed to it all, turning back to see both Celestia and Luna casting the room one last glance before they broke away down the hall.

“We’ll fetch some refreshments! You all make yourselves at home in the meantime!” Luna called. Bon Bon watched their retreat in the hallway, saw their flowing tails disappear around the corner and into the kitchen. With nothing more to stare to, Bon Bon sighed and entered the living room.

The entire room had its own feel to it. It felt much homier rather than royal, with bookshelves that would have made Twilight’s own collection look meager in comparison. Cozy couches and welcoming chairs were scattered about, all either resting near or around the roaring fireplace. Each pony occupied their space either upon the chairs, the couches, or the fluffy carpeted floors. Rainbow flew around the spacious living room, not even nearing the ceiling despite how high she got. Rarity absolutely gushed about the architecture and design of nearly every aspect she could gaze to, Fluttershy unpacking her bags and settling into the couch while barely hanging on to a single word the unicorn said. Pinkie Pie bounded around while Twilight, Applejack, and Spike took their seats either on chairs or directly in front of the fire. Spike chose the fire with Pinkie bounding right behind him, AJ and Twilight sitting in extremely comfortable chairs as evident by their expressions.

It was enough to get a smile back on Bon Bon’s face.

Taking her seat in the only available position on the couch left—with Rainbow Dash fluttering down and sitting next to her—Bon Bon slid her bag onto the floor and turned appropriately to the room’s entrance. Everypony did. The thousand-year-old Alicorns entered the living room with plates hovering beside them. Pinkie hopped onto the same couch as Fluttershy and Rarity, while Spike sat next to Bon Bon, who welcomed the young dragon with a slick grin.

They were each given a cup of tea, the cups and plates levitated to each mare and dragon. Taking hold of the refreshment and breathing in the sweet aroma, Twilight sighed contently and thanked the former princesses for their hospitality.

Celestia and Luna merely smiled, each taking their seats in the only remaining chairs.

They waited for everypony to settle in, letting them take a sip from their tea. But through it all, only one pony refused to move. Celestia met her gaze and was not surprised when it was Bon Bon who hadn’t even stared to her cup. She had kept her eyes locked with Celestia’s, that increasing pressure pushing the Alicorn into the real reason why she had brought them to their home in the first place.

She held nothing back, knowing they were truly alone and in private.

No one else could hear it except them.

Celestia began by saying, “We would like to thank you all for coming in such short notice. We know you all have your own lives, your own kingdoms to rule… but we appreciate it nonetheless that you would sacrifice your time to meet with us now.”

“Eh, don’t worry about, Your Highness,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug, leaning deeply into the couch cushions and sighing heavenly. “If it means kickin’ back and enjoyin’ just a taste of the retired life… then I’d sacrifice all the time in the world. Beats scheduling practices and drawing up Wonderbolt formation runs any day.”

“I did need to get out of Carousel Boutique as well,” Rarity exclaimed, sighing and waving her mane out of her eye. “It was getting quite cramped in there. Oh, why does the summer season always have to be the most popular?”

“Big Mac and Apple Bloom can handle the farm well an’ good while Ah’m gone, so no worries there,” Applejack said with a wide grin, the farm pony leaning back in her chair.

“Discord says he can take care of my house… but I left Angel Bunny in charge just in case. You never… really know,” Fluttershy murmured, sipping from her tea while staring to the carpet.

“Yeah, and no parties to schedule for a few weeks! You got us just in the right time!” Pinkie cheered, hooves and hind legs splaying wide from her position on the couch.

Luna smiled to see such enthusiasm, but couldn’t bear to look any of them in the eye. She prayed they wouldn’t be taken from their lives for very long. “It appears we did,” she said.

Twilight added, “And your kingdom is holding well since your departure… er, my kingdom. Sorry, it’s still kinda hard to take it in that I’m actually running Canterlot and not you or Luna anymore. But it’s fine! Everything’s totally fine! No news to report.”

Celestia chuckled warmly. She definitely missed Twilight’s worrisome tirades. She bowed her head gently, replying, “We’re glad to see you are holding the position well, Your Highness.”

“As well as I can,” Twilight sighed, leaning forward with that relaxed expression joining her smile. “So… what is all of this about, Celestia?”

“Yeah,” Bon Bon added, turning appropriately to the mare in question. “What is this about?”

And just like that, the mood in the room changed. The temperature dropped from warm and welcoming to cold and foreboding. Especially when neither Celestia or Luna responded for nearly fifteen seconds. It grew so cold that soon everypony was faced in the same direction. They had all lost interest in their tea and turned to the former rulers. Spike included, his cup hitting his plate and making the loudest sound in the deathly-silent living room.

Celestia always knew reaching that point would be the hardest. She just didn’t know how hard it would be. But she had faced greater storms. She would push through this one all the same. Gathering herself, and turning to Luna for support, they both nodded and the eldest began.

“Formalities aside, it would seem some interesting anomalies have been unearthed in the south,” Celestia started. The wording of “anomalies” perked up several ears among the crowd of mares. The wording of “unearthed” made Bon Bon’s expression grow even colder.

Luna picked up for her sister, saying, “We knew we could trust you eight out of anypony else. The authorities of Equestria… and of the old systems of power. We trust nopony else with this information because nopony else can know of it. They cannot know what has been found.”

“What… has been found?” Twilight asked.

Celestia exhaled heavily through her nostrils, gazing to the carpet. “How should I put this? One of our… secret agents has discovered something.”

Applejack nearly choked on her tea, earning the eyes of the living room. She pondered on that, asking, “Ah’m sorry, ‘secret agents’?”

Celestia turned to Luna once more. The youngest nodded.

With another sigh, Celestia admitted, “A… T.I.T.A.N. agent, to be specific.”

The name hit everypony differently. Most of them hadn’t even heard of what a T.I.T.A.N. agent was or the organization. Bon Bon, however, knew exactly what Celestia and Luna were referring to. It was as she feared. It was her worst possible fear come to light. She didn’t speak nor did she make any sudden movements, other than the drop in her head and the shaking hoof rising to her mouth. Celestia stared to the Earth pony, holding the heaviest look she could offer the mare. Unfortunately, Bon Bon was not fully there to receive it. She was lost in a time she would rather forget.

Twilight tilted her head. “Titan?” she asked aloud.

Pinkie gasped, zipping over to Twilight and mushing her face between her hooves. “Twilight, you never told me that Celestia and Luna had a secret agency!” the party pony exclaimed.

“Yeah, ‘cause I didn’t know about it!” Twilight argued with mushed cheeks.

“That’s kinda what makes it a secret, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said.

Luna shook her head, quickly explaining, “We apologize for not informing Princess Twilight about the T.I.T.A.N. agency sooner. We intended to, but… time and other national crises took priority. Then came her coronation, our retirement… and now here we are, faced with the one threat we prayed would never arise again. Certainly not during your rule, Your Majesty.”

Celestia nodded at that, forcing her eyes away from Bon Bon and turning them to where she was needed. To Twilight. She said, “It is our fault, and our burden to carry. We will not let you handle this problem on your own.”

She had so many more questions. Her mind was practically running wild, not even knowing where to begin. Twilight’s eyes darted across the carpet, to the fireplace, and then finally, slowly, back to the former princesses. “Celestia… Luna, I—”

Pinkie fell from the ceiling with a bungie cord tied around her waist, allowing her to hang above everypony’s heads. She wore what appeared to be an expensive pair of night vision goggles while her body was covered in a skin-tight black jumpsuit. Twilight flinched back into her chair. Everypony else lifted their heads and watched Pinkie’s antics unfold. But not Bon Bon.

“Awww yeah! Secret agent time! So, do we get to join?! Do we get any special privileges being the Council of Friendship and all?! Do we get to be our own task force?! Oh, oh, I call all the awesome spy gadgets! I’m already a pro with the sleeper darts!”

Out of her mane, she whipped out a blow dart and brought it to her lips, breathing in deeply and fully intending to fire off a dart of who knows what to who knows where. Thankfully, that device was teleported out of her dangerous grasp, Pinkie blowing nothing but air and spittle onto her hooves.

Using her magic, Twilight wrapped Pinkie in a tangled mesh of her own bungie cords, tightening it firmly over her mouth and hooves and plopping the pink menace on the floor. Ripping off her goggles, Twilight glared at Pinkie for interrupting them. Pinkie merely smiled innocently beneath the cords, waving at Twilight.

With that out of the way, Twilight took a deep breath in with a hoof to her heart and a deep breath out. A classic move Cadance had taught her. Worked every single time, and because of it, Twilight was able to recollect her thoughts in a precise and orderly manner. The most important question first and foremost, with more surely to come…

“Now… about this secret agent you mentioned…” Twilight said.

Celestia opened her mouth, raised her hoof, but stopped. She considered her own thoughts, stating with a shrug, “Well, to be honest, she is not quite so secret after all. To you, your friends, or her adoring public, that is.”

That certainly caught them off guard. A secret agent that wasn’t even hiding the fact that she was a celebrity of sorts? An alias, maybe, a perfect way to hide in plain sight. To blend in. With their interests at an all-time high, Twilight asked the question they were all thinking.

“Who is she?”

It was Luna who answered.

“Most call her ‘A. K. Yearling’… but you all know her as Daring Do.”

Rainbow Dash promptly spit out every drop of her tea.

Chapter 4 – Once a Myth

The cries of the evening creatures created a harmonious sound throughout all the jungle. Birds and insects and other animals—either discovered or not—filled the falling sunlight, praising and welcoming the coming twilight and, eventually, night itself. With that dying of the light, the jungle would be home to many beasts and creatures hunting for their dinner soon.

Which meant Daring Do would have to set up camp or find some shelter even sooner.

The adventurous Pegasus steadily made her way through the brush and flora, using her hoof as a guide that pushed aside vines and cleared her path. Upon her back, she carried all the essentials needed when embarking on an adventure such as hers. Plenty of food, canteens full of fresh river water, knives and other proper hunting tools, her trusty whip, a sleeping bag, and much, much more all compacted into several knapsacks resting on her. Normally, she would not be traveling so heavily. A lighter load meant less to lose in case a daring escape from a collapsing tomb was necessary, or running away from ghouls, henchponies, or even monsters of the unknown. Unfortunately, Daring Do did not have to worry over such dangers any more.

The thrill of the treasure hunt had all but become extinct.

As she pressed on through the winding vines and branches, snuck underneath the towering trees, and avoided as many potential cautions as possible, Daring Do could only imagine how easy it had become. How… dull and lifeless her adventures had transformed into since Princess Twilight Sparkle took over as the ruler of Equestria. Not that Twilight had anything to do with her misfortunes, but more so… the sudden shift in power and following peace spreading throughout all the land.

Also… the promises she made.

No more life-threatening competition. That peace Princess Twilight brought actually held weight, as even Daring Do seemed to settle any bad blood between herself and her enemies. Dr. Caballeron and his goons took an early retirement. Turns out, Caballeron found more thrill and joy about writing his adventures than embarking on them. Daring Do smiled weakly at the thought. Their first co-written novel managed to get his alias out there, and allowed him to begin his writing career. He had quite the growing and supportive fanbase. Plus, the profit he made from his new career was almost enough to rival her own novels. Almost.

No more hunting for treasure, either. Though she believed she was committing a noble cause by protecting the artifacts, she was, in fact, stealing them from Ahuizotl and the other guardian creatures whose sole purposes were to actually protect the artifacts. Ahuizotl made it specifically clear to her never again to seek out riches within Tenochtitlan Basin. So, she didn’t. The Forbidden Jungle was big enough as it was, and as long as she stayed away from Tenochtitlan, everything else was fair game in her eyes.

However, the thought of other guardian creatures being tormented because of her actions made Daring Do think twice. Perhaps treasure hunting was in and of itself a relic of the past. Ancient civilizations and undiscovered temples were still fresh for the taking, though. As long as she didn’t take anything from them, she was free to explore and discover as much as her heart desired.

Besides, finding lost civilizations was more than enough of an adventure, one for the books and one her fans would adore.

Yet the lack of a formidable rival gang attempting to be the first to discover lost civilizations before her made her adventures seem empty in a sense. Of course, she hadn’t even run into said gang yet, and there was still the possibility that gang was still out there, waiting for that competition. Waiting for her. Daring Do still sighed at her constant, nagging thoughts. Sometimes she should just look at the positives. No competition meant no danger to her safety, health, or life. All she really had to worry about were the dangers of nature itself, and that was always something she could never predict.

Still, the competition would be exciting. Maybe she could call Caballeron and his goons out of retirement, tease him with the idea of one last ancient temple or pyramid or civilization they could try to discover before her.

But that moment had long passed. Now, it was just her, her wits, and a seemingly endless jungle filled with all sorts of terrors. Terrors that only amplified once the sun fell, so her chances of survival were dipping quicker by the minute. Daring Do returned to the idea of finding a safe place to camp or maybe even finding some shelter, the Pegasus spreading her wings and flying up beyond the tree tops.

Breaking out from the jungle’s hold on her, Daring Do kept a steady beat in her wings to remain hovering. Despite the weight placed upon her, she was still strong and athletic enough to hold her flight for a short moment. A moment was all she needed, the mare raising her foreleg above her eyes and scanning the jungle around her. The sun’s glare still burned against her vision, but it wouldn’t be long before even that light would vanish and she would thus be trapped in perpetual darkness. Then, the dangers and the thrill of the unknown would hit her like a freight train.

From her experience, the Forbidden Jungle was unforgiving, and being in uncharted territory meant there were a lot more unknowns to be wary of. Daring Do grumbled at the fading light, gazing back down to the forest floor. With a sigh, she made her decision.

“Might as well set up camp,” she whispered to herself. It was not her first choice, but her time window was running dangerously low. She still needed a fire to cook her meal, and she would rather start prepping the fire in whatever light was left rather than in total blackness.

Just as she dove down to begin her descent, a glimmer caught her eye. Daring Do flinched to it, blinking a few times and pausing in mid-air. She hesitated, wondered if what had struck her was real. Curiosity infecting her, Daring Do flew back skyward, slow and steady, gazing in the same direction where the glimmer had flashed by. The remaining rays of the sun gave her that chance to see it again, the quick glimmer of light blinding her vision.

Narrowing her eyes, Daring Do followed that glimmer and saw it deep within the jungle’s embrace, a few hundred feet ahead of her and almost completely inconspicuous. Almost.

Daring smirked. She flew directly towards it.

She had caught similar shimmers of light in the past. Her first instinct was to deem it as a jewel of some kind, or some rare rock unearthed to be taken by whomever should come across its path. Time and time again, the advantages of exploring uncharted territory kept rising against Daring’s waning worries. No competition. A whole world fresh for discovery. So much for her to plant her flag upon and boldly declare herself as an adventurous, archaeological master in her field.

By the time she broke through the trees and reached the earth below, she found the source of the glimmer of light. And curiously enough, it startled her all the more. More so, it made the pony have a short double take before her breath was quickly and assuredly ripped from her lungs.

The glimmer had indeed come from a jewel. The jewel itself was embedded within a stone pillar. At least, she thought it was stone. It was so old and decrepit that it made it difficult to analyze what it truly was. The rock itself was graying and lopsided, several vines curling around it while moss filled in the damaging cracks. Despite its age, the pillar remained standing. It was decorated with numerous crystals and jewels of unknown but obvious ancient origin.

Daring Do took a brave step forward, hoof rising to caress her chin while her eyes caressed the stone pillar. She studied the carvings, the damage, any signs of potential origin or whatever race had created such a monolith. Whatever it was, it wasn’t alone. Another pillar joined it, trying to remain hidden in the overwhelming and devouring vines within the canopy on her far left. Several more went even deeper ahead of her, forming what appeared to be a decorated pathway into the unknown darkness and depths of the Forbidden Jungle. An unsettling fog filled the jungle onward, the wind sounding more and more like haunting whispers brushing against her ears.

Whispers that told her to press onwards.

Daring Do wanted to believe it was herself that pushed her on, that it was her intuition and instinct as a treasure hunter and explorer. But it was that tiniest, unknown breath in the wind that earned the adventuress' interests. Her hoof grazed the jewel—an easy find—and eventually tore away from it. The fog itself seemed to follow the same pathway, slinking away like serpents into the blackness. Seeing the obvious signs of intelligent design, with the hope of some kind of civilization and shelter further off into the jungle, Daring Do counted her choices and narrowed them down to two.

Either follow it… or set up camp in the wilderness.

Daring tightened her hat and entered onto the path.

The first few steps were nothing to be worried about. Her hooves stomped over what was obviously dirt, mud, grass, and twigs. Nothing too important. However, as she passed over a path of nothing but vines, her next few steps made her heart leap and stole the floor directly beneath her.

The vines snapped and she fell directly below. Daring Do only had a chance to gasp, not to scream. The weak jungle flooring had given in to her weight, the vines tangling around her wings and the weight from her knapsacks forcing Daring Do to tumble down, down, down into the hollow earth that she never knew existed beneath her. She crashed and rolled, spewing her camping supplies all throughout the darkness until she eventually came to a stop upon a hardened dirt floor.

Gasping and coughing, Daring Do moaned and grumbled several incoherent statements. Some of which were curses upon herself for not being more vigilant, and the others cursing her surroundings and the possibility that she may have just lost her only means of survival within the darkness surrounding her. That was another problem entirely. Her main predicament was cutting herself loose from the vines that had practically strangled her on her descent into the unknown cavern.

Reaching down with her teeth, Daring bit onto the handle of her combat knife, using it to saw at the vines and eventually cut herself free. Once she was able to move her limbs and wings once more, Daring Do sighed contently before sitting back up with a pained groan following her.

The second she lifted her eyes, she was met with a warmth unlike any other.

She wanted to back off, crawl away, create as much distance between her and the anomaly as possible. But for some reason she could not explain, the warmth was not to be feared. It was not to be wary of. The light accompanying the warmth was to be welcomed.

At first, Daring believed it to be a firefly, a little lightning bug that hovered in front of her with its alluring turquoise glow. It illuminated that hue, filling the darkness around the pony with light and warmth that she simply could not get enough of it. Daring Do had bathed in the finest Saddle Arabian bubble baths, had warmed herself by the most comforting of Yakyakistanian bonfires, but never before had she see seen or felt such an overwhelming power. The light created all sorts of alluring images and thoughts within her mind. The warmth had birthed countless heavenly feelings within her heart, soul, and body. That was the most pressing of all feelings within it. She felt at ease. She felt truly at peace.

She felt… heavenly.

“Hey there… little guy…” she whispered.

And before she could even raise her hoof to grace it, the light broke off. In that moment, Daring Do was back trapped in that earthly darkness, surrounded by a hellish cold deep beneath the ground. She caught her breath, spinning around and watching that turquoise light flutter on deeper into the catacombs. Shaking her head, Daring Do collected herself and brought her instincts back to the forefront of her situation.

She didn’t want to be distracted, but she also didn’t want to be lost in the dark. Her only hope to navigate her way was the firefly. Or… whatever it was shimmering within the black.

Rising up and dusting herself off, Daring Do quickly took off after the turquoise glow. She practically abandoned her supplies, keeping close only her knife and whip attached to her belt. As for her surroundings, Daring made sure she was at least keeping close to a wall of some sort. She needed some sort of assurance that her path was built to be supported. Her hoof grazed the stone wall to her left, keeping it close and seeing the intricate engravings and designs paved across the wall. Her eyes flicked away from the light for a second, seeing the turquoise lighting up the wall and illuminating the familiar carvings before her. The same carvings on the pillars outside.

Daring Do’s curiosity was boiling at that point. Her heartbeat was increasing by the second. The firefly was lighting her path to an unknown destination and Daring continued to blindly follow it. Her instincts should have warned her of her choices, they should have noticed the threat that was laid before her, but… there was nothing. What she felt told her all she needed to know. There was no need to worry. There was no need to fear. The hovering light guided her path and assured Daring Do without even a word… that she would be safe.

And then… the light stopped.

Deep within the hollow earth, lost in the darkened cavern, through the labyrinth of catacombs, the glow of the otherworldly firefly had led Daring Do to a dead end.

That was what it appeared to be at first, but Daring Do wouldn’t have that. By the glow of the firefly, Daring stared to the wall and noticed the streaks against the solid stone floor beneath her. Though the dust and dirt tried to conceal it, her years of experience knew exactly what to look for when faced with what could have been a dead end. The streaks against the stone, indicating that the wall before her had been moved once before. Long, long ago, back when life still existed within the halls she now traversed. The wall had been moved and could very well be moved again. It was not a wall at all.

The light of the firefly unveiled to Daring Do the entirety of the gargantuan door. A door decorated with the same engravings she had seen before on the pillars and against the walls of the ancient, abandoned temple.

The same carvings of a great moth.

Chapter 5 – History Shows

After hearing the retelling of Daring Do’s experience in the Forbidden Jungle, the guests of the former Equestrian princesses were simply at a loss for words. Most of them were. Twilight Sparkle most of all, the Alicorn gazing to Celestia and Luna with incredulous eyes. Her friends nearly mirrored her expression to a T.

From Applejack’s risen brow, Rarity’s furrowed own, Rainbow Dash’s agape jaw, Fluttershy’s hooves shielding her mouth, Pinkie Pie frozen in-between bites of her popcorn, and Spike looking younger by the second with his awestruck expression, they all reacted either similarly or in their own unique fashion. Of all the mares present, one stuck out from the rest. One did not seem surprised or shocked in the very least to what she was hearing from Celestia or Luna.

If anything, Bon Bon seemed anxiously resolute. Almost having expected such a discovery, relieved to know it was not necessarily a beast to fear, but remaining curious and worrisome enough in order to know more. Thankfully, the former princesses provided her and the others with what she needed.

And perhaps she could assist if needed.

Celestia began again, recollecting the story she had given and what was needed next. She said, “The next morning, Daring Do contacted us detailing every piece of information from her discovery, and she did the right thing. We realized the severity of this situation soon, and we knew we needed ponies we could trust the most with this information. From the Council of Friendship… and from some old friends.”

Celestia tried to meet Bon Bon’s eyes, but the pony just looked away.

“You said… she was an agent,” Twilight interrupted, bringing Celestia and Luna’s eyes onto the only other Alicorn in the room. The princess leaned forward on her chair, hooves resting under her chin. “What was the name of the agency again?”

“T.I.T.A.N.,” Luna responded. “Or the Tactical Investigative Titan Assimilation Nexus.”

Twilight seemed to mull over that acronym. It made much more sense now than it did before. Still, her curiosity was ever growing, ever hungry, and she stared hard to nowhere in particular just trying to take it all in still. “Right…”

Celestia was quick to ease her growing curiosity, stating, “We do not blame you for having no knowledge on T.I.T.A.N. or its history. That is primarily why we have brought you all here for this meeting, in order to unveil what should have been told to you… a long time ago.”

That statement earned the princess’ attention once again, somehow bringing everypony and dragon out of their lost stupor. They all watched in unity as Celestia shifted her eyes from Twilight and onto the mare sitting on the far end of the furthest couch. That time, Bon Bon didn’t look away. She knew what was coming, and knew how Celestia was going to phrase it. It was only a matter of time before the truth came pouring forth.

“And it is another reason… why we have also asked for Bon Bon’s presence here as well.”

Twilight’s brow arose, her eyes following Celestia’s and turning to the Earth pony. “Bon Bon?” she repeated.

If there was anything to remain curious about, Bon Bon’s presence within the retirement home of the former princesses was certainly something that should have pestered Twilight’s mind still, or any of them, really. But as Celestia and Luna recounted the story of Daring Do’s miraculous discovery in the Forbidden Jungle, and just the fact that Daring Do herself was actually a secret agent all along, Bon Bon’s presence kind of slipped out of relevance for the moment.

But now, she was the center of attention. Bon Bon had little to no choice but to accept all the stares she received and acknowledge the pestering silence in the room. So, she sighed. She leaned forward on the couch and stared heavily to the carpet. For several seconds more, there was nothing but that stifling quiet.

And then, she shattered it. “If we’re gonna be honest with one another from now on… I guess I should say that ‘Bon Bon’ isn’t my real name.”

Everypony gasped. Minus Celestia and Luna. She lifted her eyes, had no chance to meet them all, and instead took in the deepest, bravest breath she could. Ten years of silence and secrecy all spilling forth for somepony other than the princesses. For somepony other than her wife.

“It’s Sweetie Drops,” she said. “Special Agent Sweetie Drops of T.I.T.A.N.”

If things seemed awkward before…

“You gotta be kidding me?” Rainbow muttered. More so as an incredulous statement rather than a question. It was a statement that was mutually shared among the others.

Of all the crazy stuff Rainbow, Applejack, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike had heard in just that evening alone, the fact that one of their friends from Ponyville, somepony they had known since the day they all moved to the quaint town, was actually a secret agent of an elite organization run by Princess Celestia was easily the most shocking of all. Not Daring Do being a secret agent; she was practically living a double life already. Not the ancient temple discovered in the Forbidden Jungle; there were hundreds of hidden temples across Equestria. But it was their friend, that innocent mare from Ponyville just seeking a normal life, being so much more than they ever believed was what truly knocked the wind right out of them.

“After all these years?” Fluttershy asked, her voice barely audible. It was quiet enough for her whisper to sound like a sonic boom, everypony looking her way. “For as long as we’ve known you in Ponyville?”

Sweetie Drops knew it wasn’t going to be easy. She sighed, dropping her eyes once more.

“It’s best if I just start at the beginning…” she said, lifting her gaze directly ahead of her. “With your permission… Celestia?”

She bowed her head and closed her eyes, raising them both only as a means of confirming Sweetie's request. The fireplace crackled and popped, illuminating the living room in a comforting orange hue. It felt anything but comforting, for everyone involved. With that beat of encouragement from Celestia, Sweetie Drops took it for what it was, biting her lip, recollecting her knowledge on the history of the organization, and beginning after a long, drawn-out breath.

“The agency was created around sixty years ago by Princess Celestia. Long after Nightmare Moon was banished, so Princess Luna wasn’t around to witness the agency’s creation. Even though she knew of the Titans’ existence before her fall…”

Luna picked up for her—Sweetie Drops grateful for that—saying, “I was only informed of the agency after my return and reformation. My sister told me everything, from the great history of the organization, to the rise of the first Titans after my imprisonment, and to the agency’s eventual collapse. Above all, she demanded that what I had been told remain confidential. The world need not know of the dangers that lurk beneath them. Until now… that is.”

Acknowledging Luna’s support with a nod and a smile, Sweetie continued. “After certain tremors started spiraling out of control on Equestria’s homeland, Celestia sent out a patch of experts within the harsh deserts of the Badlands in hopes of discovering what was causing the continuous earthquakes. An escort of Royal Guards joined the expedition… and only a hoofful of ponies made it out of alive.”

A grisly look was shared among the crowd of mares, Spike included. Celestia seemed distant, lost in the rushing wave of memories hitting her like a freight train. She let Sweetie Drops take her on that journey, weaving the story and only aiding when necessary. Only when there was knowledge and history even Sweetie was not aware.

“The tremors were being caused by a beast. A creature beyond ponykind’s understanding. I… unfortunately wasn’t alive yet to see the awakening of Titanus Typhon… but I can only imagine the scale of it all. Seeing a monster that size… awakening and wandering across the land… To have lived and witnessed such a creature. How horrifying it must have been. Having no instinct. Losing all sense of what was real. Somehow… nearly losing yourse—”

“Sweetie Drops.”

The room was staring at her, and not in the way she intended it. Rubbing her eyes with her hoof, Sweetie Drops cleared her throat and gathered herself. “Sorry. Anyway… the Titan was stopped before he could reach Ponyville. Back then, nopony really knew how to properly handle the Titans. It was only when Princess Celestia herself was forced to take action and send the beast back into a deep hibernation with a… particularly powerful spell.”

Celestia managed a tiny smile at that.

“It was at that point that Celestia knew a task force would be needed to handle all threats of monsters, creatures, beasts, and even Titans threating the global order and our very way of life. Because… it wasn’t just Equestria where the Titans were awakening.”

Twilight remained fully engrossed, leaning over her chair with her hoof covering her mouth. Rainbow was laying on the backrest of one of the couches while Rarity and Fluttershy sat quietly, attentive, and awaiting Sweetie’s next word. Applejack shared Twilight’s look to an extent, seeming slightly less interested than the Alicorn with all the fancy mumbo jumbo Sweetie Drops was spouting. Spike looked like a young colt being told a storybook in school, sitting cross-legged on the carpet with his claws in his lap. Pinkie Pie was popping a fresh bag of popcorn over the fire, ripping the bag open and jamming her mouth with the white, fluffy kernels.

“More and more tremors kept popping up, worldwide dangers emerging from within foreign nations of similar events unfolding. Rising threats in our own country, unaccounted anomalies from the Everfree Forest and beyond… what the world was witnessing was a steady and continuous rise of creatures beyond reasoning with… as well as an ancient superspecies.”

Celestia took over, Sweetie Drops once more grateful for that. The Alicorn spoke, “T.I.T.A.N. was founded shortly after Titanus Typhon’s awakening. He was the one of the first of what was undoubtedly several more Titans beginning to stir from their long, long slumber. Our top-secret monster-hunting agency remained as just that, a secret. One of many.”

She and Luna exchanged a glance. After a moment’s hesitation, Celestia breathed and pressed onward. “The organization was meant to track the beasts worldwide, organize with foreign nations, and spread our influence within those nations. Soon enough, the Tactical Investigative Titan Assimilation Nexus had been integrated with nearly every intelligent species we could reach. The nexus of nations was formed—hence the name—to protect Equus from any dangers arising from our seas and from the earth itself. As the years progressed, just as we predicted, more and more signatures began to arise. Various otherworldly tremors, volcanic activity unlike any other, and countless more ships lost at sea ensured that T.I.T.A.N. was kept feverishly busy for decades.”

“Hunting,” Luna said, taking the spotlight. “Tracking. Studying. Learning everything they could about the beasts they knew and the ones they didn’t. From ponies, griffons, dragons, minotaurs, zebras, felines, moose, deer, and even Hippogriffs to an extent, the organization of T.I.T.A.N. worked hard to keep these beasts contained within facilities across the globe. There, they remain dormant, put under a deep rest from my sister’s magic, as well as the magic of the world leaders who helped capture the creatures on their own homeland.”

Celestia said, “There, they will forever remain hidden from the world that could never know of their existence. We have come close many times before, and those innocent lives who witnessed the Titans for themselves were disregarded. Ignored. Their claims made to be superstition. The stories they told to their children and their children’s children to be mere legend. What other choice did we have? The world was kept safe, the majority of its citizens blissfully unaware of the monsters beneath them… surrounding them… wanting nothing more than to annihilate them and reclaim the planet.”

There was a sudden stop in the room, as if every heart froze and then continued in after that shocking second of revelation. Twilight especially was caught on that particular word. Reclaim. Almost referring to a possible dominion that the Titans once held over their world. While Twilight mulled over that possibility, others took offense to the way Celestia worded her explanation.

Especially Fluttershy. “You’re… imprisoning them?” the Pegasus questioned.

The former princesses turned to her, almost taken aback to hear those words leave somepony like Fluttershy’s lips. She even shot out her wings, stamping her hoof roughly into the couch cushion, and put on the hardest expression she could manage.

“How could you?” she continued, voice rising surprisingly high. “Not all creatures are mindless or merciless! They’re not evil; they’re animals! And from the way you’ve been treating them, of course they’re going to act the way they do! They’re probably scared being trapped in those chambers!”

While her friends were momentarily shocked by Fluttershy’s sudden outburst, Luna eased them with her raised hoof, explaining, “We can assure you, Fluttershy, that the holding cells we keep the Titans in are not for their discomfort. I once felt the same way as you do now, but my sister and T.I.T.A.N. took every precaution necessary to ensure that the outposts, facilities, and chambers they hold them in are specifically designed to match the creatures’ desired environments. Nor are they awake, for my sister’s magic have kept each beast in a deep state of hibernation since their capture.”

“Until we can learn more about them, it is in ponykind’s best interests if they remain distant from public knowledge. We simply cannot take the risk yet, Fluttershy,” Celestia added.

“It’s taken you sixty years and you still don’t know more about them?!” Fluttershy shouted.

That time, everypony flinched. Everypony leaned back. Even Sweetie Drops.

“Let me… apologize, Celestia,” Twilight stated, holding out her hoof towards her agitated Pegasus friend. The tension in the room could be suffocated in. “As you know, Fluttershy can have a very strong opinion when it comes to animals. We do not mean to be rude in any sense.”

Twilight turned her accusing glare to the butter Pegasus, Fluttershy calming down just enough to fall back behind the safety of her mane. Her anger was cooled like a hot poker jammed into a pale of water. Her hoof rose to gingerly rub her own foreleg, the mare looking away in clear embarrassment for her outburst.

Easing her hoof away, Twilight turned back and said, “Sorry again, Celestia. As you were saying?”

Celestia understood the outburst and held no ill will towards it. She almost expected it with the knowledge that they were inviting Fluttershy of all ponies into their humble abode to be discussing these matters. She took no offense to it, and simply nodded in return.

And told them all, “We would like to know more about them… more than you understand. But the more we discover, the more origins and traits we find that each Titan holds uniquely from the others. Each one its own distinctive superspecies. Most of them have shown violent and uncontrolled tendencies. It is not as easy as simply talking to them. These processes take several years each, with the constant threat of possibly waking them up, causing them to break free from their chambers, and having them roaming the earth once again. It is a very… very delicate process.”

Fluttershy tried to see the bigger picture the way Celestia and Luna did, but it was still quite difficult. She neither made a sound nor took any opposing action, retreating instead back into her mane.

“These monsters,” the former princess continued, “most given their names based on the cultures that discovered them… or more scientifically referred to as Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms if not given a name—or MUTOs, for short—would awaken on occasion before T.I.T.A.N. and myself would be forced to put them back to sleep. Over recent years… the accounts of Titans emerging from their holding chambers steadily rose. One specifically chose the inconvenient time to awaken during Discord’s return… forcing my sister and I into action.”

“Wait… that’s why you didn’t help us take on Discord?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Celestia nodded to that. “That played a factor, yes. But the trust I held in my former pupil and you all still holds true today as it did back then.”

“A theory we formulated was that of Discord’s presence, and the emerging of such chaotic forces being just enough to have tipped the harmonic tides of the world out of balance, thus causing the creature to awaken,” Luna suggested.

“That… is but one theory,” Celestia countered. “The sudden surge of Titan activity recently may also be explained by Discord’s antics… but it wouldn’t explain the many years prior.”

“Right!” Pinkie said, popping into the picture. “‘Cause Discord was still trapped in stone!”

Celestia and Luna both nodded. The eldest replied, “And his power would have been contained. So… there could very well still be something else out there that is causing these rapid awakenings.”

Sweetie Drops picked up again after a long moment of silence and listening from her end. She leaned forward on the couch, clearing her throat and stating, “Well, it seems we still don’t really know. I was working for T.I.T.A.N. when Celestia sent us out to do some investigating, trying to understand what was making these Titans restless. We never found anything. Nothing but resilient creatures causing needless damage and needing to be imprisoned in Tartarus. Not really anything about Titans, though. In fact, the last loose Titan sighting recorded was—”

Sweetie Drops froze, unable to speak, remembering vividly that night seven years ago.

Her lips shivered like she was doused in subzero waters, hooves quivering all the same. “A-after the l-last loose Titan sighting seven years ago… there were no others for quite some time. Things had gone quiet. Real quiet. It was only after the Bugbear escaped from Tartarus did T.I.T.A.N. start to show itself more. To say we were caught off guard was an understatement. The Bugbear wasn’t like the other creatures we dealt with. It was more elusive… stronger, faster, causing death and devastation to any settlement it crossed. One day we would hear about the attack, and a few hours later after we arrived to the scene… it was already gone. Everything… was gone.”

With every syllable, it seemed Sweetie Drops was digging deeper into a hole she had buried long ago. Perhaps a hole she had intended to keep buried. She paused again, and everypony allowed her the time to breathe.

“We only really ever had to deal with the mountain-sized beasts, ones that were slower, easier to disorient and capture with magic. Bigger targets, if you will. Bigger targets… and weaker creatures. Feral manticores, chimera, and hydra were filly’s play compared to the Bugbear. More and more failed missions and captures later, T.I.T.A.N.’s existence was discovered. The truth of our organization was nearly released to the public after we failed to defeat and capture the Bugbear. The truth of the Titans was nearly released to the world. Legend was almost truth. Celestia couldn’t let this happen, so… she scrapped it.”

The room turned to Celestia. Sweetie Drops moved on, with them or without. “Mostly all of it. The organization was pushed back into the shadows while the princess allowed smaller teams of special agents to continue to operate in the field, either solo or in partnership. I chose the lonely road. The agency was defunded and scrubbed across the nations, if anything, leaving just a skeleton crew to continue monitoring the Titans in their hibernation. As for full-blown missions and operations… those were a relic of the past. Like the relics Celestia still likes to keep.”

The ponies and dragon all shifted their attention back to Celestia, the Alicorn sipping her tea before placing the cup aside. Celestia clarified, “Every shred of evidence was destroyed, save for our most precious relics, artifacts, archeological discoveries, and photographs deep within Canterlot’s archives. Whenever you wish to see them for yourself, you need but ask.”

Though it was offered to the room, it was mostly directed towards the current ruler of Equestria. As its ruler, Twilight accepted the offer with a small but quick nod.

Retrieving her cup of tea with her magic, Celestia continued. “Special Agent Sweetie Drops was sent to Ponyville as a means to track the Bugbear’s last known location near the Everfree Forest. Once settled, she took on the name ‘Bon Bon’ as a disguise.”

Everypony seemed to gather enough history to put together the picture in a way that they each could understand. It seemed as if a certain rainbow-maned, cyan Pegasus scratching her head on the couch she laid on popped the question that they were all sort of thinking.

“Sooo… what do we call you then?” Rainbow asked.

To their surprise, Sweetie Drops smiled with a weak giggle. She responded, “I would prefer ‘Bon Bon’. Even though I’m retired, I’m still trying to keep a low profile. Don’t want to bring any… unwelcome guests back home if we can help it. Lotta monsters out there don’t really like me all that much after I imprisoned some of their friends in Tartarus.”

They took that for what it was, each mare and dragon nodding appropriately.

As for Bon Bon, she took a moment to compose herself before pressing on. “Eventually, I captured the Bugbear, had it sent back to Tartarus with Celestia’s approval. But it broke out, hunted me down, eventually returned to Ponyville to seek revenge. But you know a lot about that particular incident… don’t you, Your Highness?”

Twilight blinked at that. It only took a few seconds for her to connect the dots, allowing the picture to become larger and more visible. “That was the same Bugbear my friends and I defeated? The same one we sent to Tartarus?” she asked.

Bon Bon nodded. “The very same.”

“And these… Titans…” Twilight continued, turning from the Earth pony and onto the pair of Alicorns. “How many are there?”

“Several dozen,” Luna answered grimly.

Celestia’s response made the atmosphere even more grim.

“And those are just the ones we know about.”

Everypony’s individual reactions were that of a subtle overload to an eventual collapse. Twilight fell into her hooves, the tips of each rubbing her temples as she stared wide-eyed to the carpet. Rainbow Dash shook her head with a scoff, gazing off into the flames of the fireplace. Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged a worrisome and somewhat astonished glance, the fact being that they had been sharing the same world with such titanic creatures all these years and not even knowing about it. Pinkie Pie and Spike were both unmoving as they shared Pinkie’s bag of popcorn.

“This is a lot ta take in,” Applejack sighed, leaning back in her chair and sinking into the cushions, her hat slipping over her face.

“Even though our knowledge is limited,” Twilight added, giving the former rulers the assurance she assumed they needed at the moment. She raised her gaze, offered a confident smile. “Whatever you need us to do… you can count on us.”

Celestia and Luna stared at each other, their smiles comforting each other and easing the growing fear of everypony present. All except for Bon Bon. She remained cold, calculated, and fully aware of what they were dealing with. She had firsthoof experience after all. The Titans were no laughing matter. Nor were they a matter to smile over. They were something else entirely. Something beyond their understanding.

Something that could possibly be beyond their control.

Celestia continued to ease their fears, especially Twilight’s, when she said, “T.I.T.A.N. will not rest solely in your hooves, Twilight. Considering your ascension as the ruler of Equestria, we understand all of this is new not just for you… but for all of you.”

Luna bowed her head at that, raising a hoof over her heart. “My sister and I—with generous aid from one of our most trusted agents—will help you every step of the way. It would seem Bon Bon here has quite the experience with hunting monsters, more so than anypony else we know. Even Daring Do to a degree, considering the adventuress prefers to hunt treasures rather than monsters.”

The two sisters chuckled warmly to themselves, leaving Bon Bon silent and alone in her own world. Again, not a laughing matter.

Returning to the matter at hoof, Celestia announced, “We will leave first thing in the morning.”

Twilight’s expression seemed to brighten at the aspects of an adventure. Not the way she had wanted it to be, but an important adventure nonetheless. One that would ensure the safety of her country and every country for that matter. The Alicorn smiled brightly, declaring, “Oh, perfect! I’ll just send a letter back to Canterlot so they can send another private airship and—!”

Celestia and Luna both chuckled to themselves. Twilight’s smile mysteriously fell apart.

“That won’t be necessary,” Celestia told her, still holding that warming, motherly, knowing smile. “If T.I.T.A.N. is to come out of hiding, then so will its arsenal. We already have a few airships on their way, each one appropriately designed for these particular missions. Tomorrow, we will all board and travel to the Forbidden Jungle where the temple was discovered.”

Luna added, “If anypony here has any qualms or wishes not to partake in the coming campaign, please let your voice be heard… and you will be allowed to return home.”

They were nothing if not merciful. Knowing the journey ahead would be one permeated with peril, uncertainty, terrors beyond imagination, and many more dangers, they would not allow their friends to risk their lives for something they did not wish to be a part of. But it was their choice, the Alicorn sisters waiting patiently, knowing that it could take quite some time for the mares to each come to an individual conclu—

“You kidding?!” Rainbow Dash practically screeched. She took off towards the ceiling, performing several loops and stunts to the awe-filled gazes beneath her. Pausing, she turned her confident-filled smirk onto the crowd. “Ain’t no way I’m passing this up! Spitfire can handle the Wonderbolts, but I’m gonna go monster hunting! Ah, yeah! So awesome!”

Pinkie Pie suddenly bounced to life from the carpet, appearing more like a spring toy than a living, breathing pony. “I’m with Dashy! This sounds amazing! Ooooo, I’m so nervouscited I could just POP!”

The pink mare exploded into an array of confetti and streamers, moments before reappearing in Luna’s flowing mane. She booped the former princess on the nose, whispering sharply, “Magic!”

Rarity sighed, waving her mane out of her face. “I suppose I could risk my life for this particularly daring, dreadful… and albeit exciting mission. Anything for you girls, that is.”

“I would like to meet these creatures for myself,” Fluttershy whispered.

“I’m game!” Spike declared, rising from his place on the carpet and taking flight alongside Rainbow. “It’s not every day you get to go traversing ancient temples and looking for monsters! I have a feeling this is gonna be one for the history books, Twilight!”

“Only if history wants to remember it,” Twilight replied, winking at Celestia and Luna. The former princesses smiled in response. “Count us in.”

After everypony gave their response, being mostly enthusiastic, Bon Bon remained silent and distant as she was before. Finally, she faced the princesses and gave them each a solid nod. No emotion other than absolute solidity present on her expression, in her eyes, or upon her actions. Though nopony knew it as well as her, Bon Bon’s response felt more like she was fulfilling her duty as a T.I.T.A.N. agent if anything, wishing to finish whatever fight was still out there, or whatever fight was still in her. If there was even some fight left in her.

Applejack raised her hoof, and soon everypony had turned to the lone Earth pony who still hadn’t given her answer.

“Ah’d say… Ah’m in.”

And that was that. At least… they thought it was. Celebrations and smiles were put on hold after noticing Applejack’s hoof was still raised.

“Only question Ah have is… why exactly are we goin’ ta this specific temple?”

Celestia and Luna looked at each other for what felt like the umpteenth time, only that time… it felt different. It felt unique in its own mystical and majestic sense, each sister knowing and believing that what was in their hearts and within their minds were equally shared and equally understood. For the mission ahead was not to be feared. Not initially. If anything, all they were planning to do was visit an old ally once thought to have been gone forever. An ally who could offer them more than they ever thought possible.

It was Celestia who answered her and said, “Because after more than a thousand years… she has returned.”

Author's Notes:

This'll be the last chapter until after Christmas. Gonna take a break with the family and rest these old joints. Merry Christmas everyone! Happy New Year, and I'll see you all again soon!

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to rewatch Mandalorian again (especially yesterday's finale)

Chapter 6 – The Temple of the Moth

Daring Do knew seeing the expression on Dr. Caballeron’s face was going to be priceless, especially when she proved her discovery to him. Especially when he and his goons saw it all with their own eyes.

An early retirement to focus on a career of writing his adventures seemed to be the calling Dr. Caballeron wanted in his life. But the call to adventure itself always echoed louder, always filled him with vigorous will and spirit unlike any other. The desire to gain riches for risking his life, beating the competition, and to acquire the ancient relics of the past was something Caballeron could not let go of just yet. Maybe he needed one more adventure to write about. Maybe he needed another bestseller.

Or maybe he just couldn’t resist the possibility of an undiscovered temple outside of Tenochtitlan Basin. So many ancient relics within its holds. So much to unearth and so much more to sell to the highest bidders.

Unfortunately, when Dr. Caballeron and his labor crew consisting of various thugs and goons arrived to the location Daring Do pointed out in her letter, the grounds were already occupied with various more ponies. Ponies who were digging around the site, studying the strange rock formations which led into the deeper caverns beneath the jungle floor. Ponies with armor, swords, black suits and darker helmets showing their fighting experience. Ones who appeared far more menacing, far more equipped, and far more willing to back up Daring Do of all ponies. The smug grin she wore on her face when Caballeron stumbled upon them was enough to make him sick.

Regardless—and knowing he and his goons were outmatched—Caballeron retained the peace he had forged with Daring, even if he had initially arrived for other purposes. After approaching Daring Do and analyzing the ancient pillars of stone she had found, Caballeron demanded a rundown of her excavation. She explained that she and her T.I.T.A.N. agents were already hard at work investigating the temple grounds inside and out. The reason she called Dr. Caballeron was so that he and his goons could assist in the unearthing of the temple door, and perhaps give him another adventure or discovery to write about in his novels. And maybe gloat a bit on discovering the temple before him. Caballeron tried to point out that her letter only referred to him, and nopony else.

She retorted by saying she expected him not to come alone.

Though still agitated by Daring Do always remaining one step ahead of him, Dr. Caballeron would rather not start a conflict amidst so many other of her so-called “T.I.T.A.N. agents”. Besides, the discovery itself was worth it, Caballeron deducing that the rubble and stone pillars could very well be hundreds, if not thousands of years old. He and Daring analyzed the pillars together while the doctor’s goons assisted in following the agents down into the temple’s depths. He wanted desperately to travel into the temple as well, but Daring denied his offer, offering instead one claim that still radiated in his head.

She was waiting for some more friends to help them.

It was nearly an hour of scouring the jungle grounds and staring at the pillars and engravings before Dr. Caballeron ever received a reward for his patience. Daring’s claim provided its fruit, as the various trees around them quivered and the air above washed forth and cried. Caballeron, a few of his ponies, the many other T.I.T.A.N. agents, and Daring Do all gazed skyward to witness the massive airship breaking the clouds and unveiling the light of the sun. Daring smiled after immediately recognizing the airship. She recognized the insignia upon its gargantuan balloon.

The rising sun above the world of Equus.

It had been far too long since Daring Do had seen the T.I.T.A.N. logo.

It had been even longer since she had seen Princess Celestia’s personal airship, the Radiance.

Trees had been removed via the T.I.T.A.N. crew and Caballeron’s labor force, creating a big enough area for the Radiance to descend and land. The massive engines died down and the trees settled once the airship pressed out its landing gear and landed upon the jungle floor. The bridge was just as large as Daring remembered, steam shooting off from various positions on the ship. Steel, wood, and fire combined to create arguably the most impressive machine in T.I.T.A.N.’s arsenal. Even though she had hardly ridden it in her early years serving the princess with T.I.T.A.N., it was still a nostalgic sight to behold nonetheless.

It was even more nostalgic to see the ponies stepping off the descending ramp on the right side of the ship. Daring smirked and trotted over to the ramp’s end, Caballeron and many others trailing behind her. As for the doctor and his goons, they were a tad apprehensive when they noticed the ponies stepping off the airship. Considering their past crimes and such, to be worried was an understandable response.

When they steadily approached the Princess of Friendship and the former princesses of Equestria, it made sense as to why Caballeron and his cronies were nervous.

They were not alone by the looks of it. Leading the pack was Celestia and Luna, with Princess Twilight trailing behind the two sisters. Behind Twilight were the remaining Council of Friendship, such as Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike. Daring Do sent a smirk and a nod Rainbow’s way, who smiled with giddy enthusiasm to be in the presence of her favorite author and adventuress once again. Dr. Caballeron actually had a relieved smile grace his features when it was the same yellow Pegasus as before who stepped out of the airship. Fluttershy, was it? He recognized her, and that was all he needed to know. There was at least one friendly face within the crowd.

But stepping off of the Radiance last was somepony Daring Do did not expect to see that day. She scoffed, her smile growing even wider when she saw the old but familiar and friendly face of Special Agent Sweetie Drops. Out of retirement and back in the frying pan, just like Daring in a way.

She led the approach herself, gently bowing her head to the royalty. Whether that be to Twilight, or to the sisters. Celestia and Luna bowed their heads back as a showing of gratitude and respect to their agent. Their reunion was certainly a long time coming, especially for the discovery mentioned in Daring’s letter. A world they thought was gone long ago, and a Titan with it.

“Your Majesties,” Daring greeted aloud. The various other T.I.T.A.N. agents with her all bowed in tandem. Even Dr. Caballeron and his few remaining cronies bowed as well, Caballeron clearing his throat awkwardly and dropping his head.

After lifting her head and smiling to the many other familiar ponies with the princesses—Spike included—Daring’s smirk only grew when her eyes snuck in-between the bodies and landed on the tan Earth pony within the crowd. Her cobalt blue mane with pink stripes made her distinguishable among the others, making her stand out even more when Daring announced, “Well, I’ll be…”

Every eye followed Daring’s. Every eye turned to her. Bon Bon sighed, forced a smile and stepped forth. Off of the ramp and onto the damp jungle grass. Coming face to face with the pony, Bon Bon lifted her eyes and offered the mare a smirk in return. Though she had hoped for better circumstances, it was still nice to see Daring Do again.

She addressed her as such. “Agent Daring Do.”

“Special Agent Sweetie Drops,” the adventuress said, raising her left hoof. Sweetie Drops did the same. She slapped her hoof against Sweetie’s, bringing the mare in for a quick and clean hug. She heard her chuckle. “It’s been too long.”

Breaking off the hug and dropping her hoof, Sweetie Drops smiled with a quick nod. “That it has. And I go by Bon Bon now.”

Daring understood. The need for security. To lay low. She herself was no different. Nodding, Daring smiled and said, “Of course.”

“Have the agents of T.I.T.A.N. secured the area?” Luna asked, bringing focus back to the conversation.

“That we have,” Daring replied. She waved them along, spinning accordingly and trotting off towards the ancient pillars within the vines. “Come on. We can take you to the chamber I discovered.”

Daring was sure to send a smirk Caballeron’s way, who only snorted and faced away from her. He still followed her, though. Everypony did. From the former rulers to the current princess, to the Council of Friendship and to the agents of T.I.T.A.N., from Dr. Caballeron and his mindless goons. They all trotted or flew behind the adventuress Daring Do.

“Sorry about the smaller numbers, Your Highness,” the Pegasus stated, Twilight flinching but realizing quickly that Daring was referring to Celestia. Holding out her hoof to the many other T.I.T.A.N. agents left behind to study the pillars and outer temple grounds, Daring Do explained, “Since T.I.T.A.N.’s scrubbing, all I really had to rely on was the skeleton crew you sent me. Them, and a few old agents and old friends coming out of retirement to face this threat head-on. A threat… that’ll hopefully be the last one.”

“These are smaller numbers?!” Dr. Caballeron questioned, hoof outstretched to the many ponies confirmed to be secret agents of the organization Daring Do was apparently a part of. The fact that she was not only A. K. Yearling but also a secret agent working for Celestia still boggled the stallion’s mind. Everything about that day was just out of control, and the amount of security he had seen backing Daring was considered to be a small number just didn’t make any more sense than everything else.

It seemed to make perfect sense for Celestia though, the Alicorn nodding gently to her explanation. “It will be enough for now,” she replied.

The rest of the trip was mainly quiet, save for a few hushed whispers and mumbles from the crowd of ponies. Pinkie’s obvious wonderment creating soft sighs and gasps escaping the mare when she saw the pillars of stone erected from the jungle floor. It only got more and more interesting once that floor had broken, Daring Do leading the pack into the depths beneath the vines, beneath the grass, and beneath the earth itself into an underground cavern of sorts. That was when Pinkie was truly left breathless. Fluttershy as well.

Lanterns and torches lit the way, makeshift in design and added recently by the agents already far ahead of them. The cavern was spacious and cold, cobwebs crowding the corners while cracks infected the ceiling, walls, and floors they stepped upon. Nearly everypony was taken aback by the discovery, perhaps Dr. Caballeron most of all. He was especially intrigued by the relics left behind, small vases and plates scattered across the dusty and dirty floors. He wondered how much they would be worth. The not-so-gentle shove on his back by a T.I.T.A.N. agent brought Caballeron back to the group, much to his dismay.

While Caballeron was imagining how much he could smuggle out of the temple without being seen, everypony else was fixated on the engravings and carvings on the walls. Rarity was once disgusted by the dirt and webs and dust all around her, but soon lost interest when her eyes quickly faced the left wall. Her jaw fell, eyes widening alongside Applejack, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and even Bon Bon. Rainbow Dash flew above them, her own crimson irises washing across the walls and the ceiling and capturing even more of the legend forever engraved upon their surroundings. The story the images could tell, the legacies left behind for the future of ponykind to discover and learn.

What Twilight and her friends had witnessed, what Bon Bon could see, all of it reflected back and focused onto the image of the great moth. Its majestic wings, artistically stunning and spreading from one end of the wall to the next, presented what could have very well been a deity to the ancient ponies who were shown bowing to the beast. Worshipping it. The rays from its wings shined down upon them all, upon all of the great moth’s followers.

While Twilight was simply breathless to what she was witnessing, Celestia and Luna seemed less curious with the engravings and more so anticipating with what lied ahead. Bon Bon herself had heard of the legends, had known the stories told again and again when she still worked for T.I.T.A.N. If what Daring Do had discovered was true, if what the temple carvings displayed were accurate… then what they would find would prove the legends.

Bon Bon gazed to the former princesses. They held no awestruck expression, gazed maybe once or twice to the walls and ceilings surrounding them. Their eyes were hardened, expressions even more so as they soldiered on ahead. Almost as if they were fully expecting to see something at the end of the tunnel.

And so, they did.

Once Daring Do had led the group to the end of the tunnel, blocking their path was a massive door. At least, everypony believed it to be a door, what with the many stallions pushing and shoving the stone aside. Engraved on the stone was another stunning image of the great moth, perfectly intact and visible even after remaining hidden and gathering dust and age. The Pegasi beat their wings furiously to aid the Earth ponies below, the unicorns doing the same with their magic. With their combined strength, the agents of T.I.T.A.N. and labor force of Dr. Caballeron succeeded in muscling the several hundred-pound door out of their way.

Twilight lit up her horn. Rarity followed. Celestia and Luna did the same.

With the door moved at long last, the ponies either trailed behind or picked up a torch to further explore the dark chamber that rested on the other side. Daring Do picked up a torch and continued to lead them onward, though not knowing what remained within the unexplored darkness. Dr. Caballeron explored with her, Daring handing him a torch and approaching the only other source of light, that being the small fireflies hovering several meters away. Daring Do instantly recognized the insects. They shimmered the same turquoise glow and danced above the heart of the chamber. The unicorns and Alicorns illuminated the area in their own unique hues. The Pegasi grabbed torches and spread the light to every corner of the room. With that, their sight was given.

And they paid witness to one of the most stunning discoveries any of them had ever seen.

What they had stumbled upon was not simply another cavern in the ancient temple ruins. The glowing fireflies descended and made their rest upon a large object resting in the center of the room. Daring Do studied the object further, her eyes narrowing and widening when that same turquoise light from the fireflies infused with the object itself. The glow it created sent a pulse of light throughout the room, nearly blotting out every torch, every magical light from the unicorns. Until everything, every corner, every space… was consumed in a heavenly green and blue.

Ponies flinched back, but not Daring Do. Not the princesses. Certainly not Bon Bon. Daring Do placed her torch on the stone stand next to her, her expression frozen. Her breath seemingly ceased. Her eyes could not widen any further. The large object resting before them continued to glow and shimmer. It continued to pulse with what appeared to be veins across its surface. From that light the object radiated, something was stirring inside. The pulse Daring Do could hear and now… feel… was not some magical energy spike.

It was a heartbeat.

Daring Do gasped. Her smile grew.

The room they were in was not some random cavern. It was a nesting chamber. A birthing chamber. The object that sat in the center of that nest and towered over everypony else was not some random anomaly. It was an egg. And it was alive.

While everypony was fixated and lost on the glow of the egg, Daring approached the nearest agent she could find. She leaned towards him and said, “Get the other agents and scientists… Tell them to bring the equipment to our location.”

The stallion nodded with a firm, “Yes, ma’am.”

As the pony trotted out of the nesting chamber, an atmosphere of silence settled over the masses. An atmosphere of silence and tranquility under the heavenly glow. Dr. Caballeron was simply at a loss for words. If he thought mere vases from a bygone era could be worth a lot, he could only imagine what the egg before him would be worth. Whatever the egg held, whatever undiscovered creature was inside it, would undoubtedly be worth millions in gold. Perhaps more. Not like he could take it with the authorities of Equestria breathing down his neck, but it was satisfying to think about nonetheless. As for the others, their reactions were more than suitable.

The Council of Friendship crowded together, each one of their gazes lost to the beauty and majesty of the light reflecting from the egg’s surface. With each pulsating heartbeat, they could somehow feel it within themselves, that pulse of energy filling them and connecting with them on a level that was not yet of their understanding. Perhaps trying to study them as they studied it, hopeful in searching for that potential bond that went deeper than mere physical means. They did not reject it, however. They explored it, allowed that energy and magic to embrace them. Daring Do and Bon Bon shared similar expressions, each mare unable to fathom what they were witnessing. The engravings were evidence enough, but what they saw was more than that. It was far, far more.

What they were witnessing was a living, breathing legend.

“Celestia… Luna… is this the Titan you told us about?” Twilight asked, turning to them for a hopeful shred of confirmation.

Their smiles merely grew. That was all Twilight needed.

“This is… This is unbelievable!” Twilight gasped under a tight whisper, almost worrisome that her voice could possibly frighten the creature within the egg. “The fact that we are actually gazing upon an ancient Titan species for the first time… Oh, my… this is… this is… wow.”

“Well, golly… ain’t it a sight…” Applejack pondered, pulling her hat back so her eyes didn’t miss a second of what she was witnessing.

“Is it…?” Rainbow Dash questioned, hovering forward a mere inch closer. “Is it ready to hatch?”

“Oh, yeah, Dash,” Daring Do responded, looking nowhere else but onto the trembling egg. Her slick, awestruck grin continued to shine. “She definitely wants to be born.”

While the others sat back and watched the birth unfold, Fluttershy broke away from the crowd and approached what she had been dearly needing to understand. She couldn’t wait a second more. She simply needed to know. The stone flooring welcomed her approach, the steps leading up to the nest awaiting the presence of another.

Twilight shot out her hoof. “Wait, Fluttershy, maybe—!”

Celestia rested her own upon the mare’s shoulder, easing the young Alicorn with a comforting nod and a motherly smile. Soon enough, Twilight fell into that comfort, seeing and understanding just as her former teacher did. This was Fluttershy’s trial to face, to overcome. This was her moment to shine.

This was Fluttershy’s time to listen.

Standing now upon the edges of the nest, Fluttershy gazed into the light the egg was constantly pulsating. The warmth she felt, the light filling her heart and her being gave her the assurance that the animal was not dangerous. Not in the slightest. Not to somepony like her. Cautiously and carefully, Fluttershy laid her trembling hoof on the egg and breathed out. It certainly took her by surprise at first contact. The veins. The slick surface that was quivering and bubbling and almost ready to pop. It was more like an egg sac if anything, the shell having degraded and the last stage of the creature’s birth ready to commence. Hearing the pulses, feeling the soft cooing of the creature within the egg, Fluttershy breathed steadily and closed her eyes. She listened for several more silent seconds.

Everypony behind her did.

Until, finally, Fluttershy said, “She…”

The crowd held their breath. The Pegasus gently opened her eyes.

“She feels very distressed,” Fluttershy finished. Everypony reacted differently to that revelation. Celestia and Luna turned to one another cautiously. Daring Do and Bon Bon gulped softly. The Council of Friendship watched on, silently encouraged and cheered for their friend to press on.

And she did. Fluttershy leaned closer, not enough to where she was touching, but close enough for even her whispers to be heard. She rubbed the egg softly, told the animal within, “It’s okay… You don’t have to be afraid. We’re not here to hurt you. Come on… Come on out…”

Her calls were met with a slight hesitation, but with an answer nonetheless. Her eyes widened, Fluttershy quickly backpedaling down the steps and across the stone pathway when she felt the tremor shake across the nest. From the egg itself. Her friends were quick to join her side, all of them gazing in awe and wonder as the top of the egg broke… and the creature within began to hatch.

Its first breath was a wind whistling through the chamber, the body of the creature splitting the sac and rising higher and higher as the seconds moved on. The following rumbles and gurgles that escaped the creature filled the birthing chamber with continuous tremors, but not of any dangerous kind. The ponies held their ground, feeling the creature’s sounds fill their bodies and tremble their bones. But it was calming. It was soothing. Like a song. Maybe even a lullaby.

The skin of the animal was wet and bioluminescent. Its glow only amplified as the egg sac fell from its hide and the creature rose up to full height. Turquoise light mixed with pulses of green and blue radiated within the expansive nesting chamber. Once all had settled, the towering behemoth of a larva turned in accordance to the many other life forms present within the chamber. It made a soft, curious sound, almost unable to identify whether or not the species before it was dangerous or not.

And then, Celestia herself took a step forward. The creature turned to her, to the closest, most familiar pony approaching. Then, a second pony approached, the larva turning to her and mumbling gently. Together, the light and dark, the two sisters, Celestia and Luna stopped before the great beast.

With that same smile, Celestia called out, “Hello again… old friend.”

It took several moments before the creature could properly identify the pony or understand her words. The voice was what caught the creature most of all, that tender and loving call she had heard once so long ago. Staring first at Celestia, and then turning to Luna, the larva cooed gently to them both. Finally, assuredly, recognizing and knowing them.

Luna sighed with relief, her eyes burning from the mere beauty of it all. She could still hardly believe who she was staring at, the legend made truth, the savior and benevolent beast of peace. The first Titan she had ever witnessed… returned to them after a thousand years.

Wiping her eye, Luna proudly announced, “Everypony… say hello to Titanus Mosura… or better known as—”

“Mothra,” Bon Bon breathed.

Her name was spoken, and all absorbed the power of it. Breathed it in as Bon Bon had breathed it out. To some, they were witnessing a legend brought forth to the real world, brought forth and made to be definitive truth and reality. Daring Do and Bon Bon and several other T.I.T.A.N. agents present had only ever heard of her legend, but were never born to see her for themselves. Those like Celestia, like Luna, they had lived long enough to know her legend was real, and to know the stunning tranquility of her in the flesh once again.

To the others who had never heard nor believed in her legend, they were certainly made believers now. Dr. Caballeron and his followers were at a loss for words, no thoughts of treasure plaguing their minds, but her alone filling them with the heavenly images of her presence. The Council of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle and her friends, had only been told by the princesses of who she truly was. Now that they saw her with their own eyes, they could truly believe every word Celestia and Luna uttered. Because they were right. Mothra exemplified and defined every meaning of the ancient deities and what they were always meant to be, what the old generations and tribes worshipped them for: Beauty. Serenity. Peace. Love.

Hope.

“Absolutely stunning…” Rarity gasped, her eyes shimmering the twinkles of turquoise reflecting off of Mothra’s slick, newborn skin. The larva leaned back, her glowing blue eyes staring to every single pony that stepped forth to observe her closer.

“Wow…” Pinkie and Spike simultaneously whispered.

The Council of Friendship continued to step closer, and their actions only startled Mothra. She leaned further back, crying softly and hissing. Twilight instantly stepped back, tugging Rarity and Pinkie with her. Applejack shook her head—simultaneously breaking out of her daze—and caught Spike by his wings, the young dragon seemingly lost in a trance to Mothra’s beauty.

Rainbow Dash flinched back, chuckling nervously. “Whoa… guess we scared her, huh?”

Fluttershy turned to her friends, eyeing them shortly before turning to the subtle cries and worrisome gurgles of the great larva. Studying Mothra’s posture and trembles, Fluttershy understood the emotions she was feeling at the moment. She was still apprehensive to the others. Hardening her brow to her friends and those with them, she slowly moved forward to approach the creature a second time. And that time, nopony tried to stop her.

Mothra was cautious herself, but eased slowly when the yellow Pegasus began to speak. That same soothing, calming voice that had spoken to her earlier. Knowing that, sensing that, believing that, Mothra lowered her head to closer examine the pony. She was gentle in her approach. Both of them were. When they met in the middle, it was Fluttershy who raised her hoof to meet her. Mothra stopped, stared at her hoof, then slowly pressed against it.

Fluttershy laid her hoof on the head of the majestic beast and simply… rested it there.

Smiling at last, Fluttershy turned back to her friends and waved them over. Slowly, she warned them silently, so as not to scare her. In a crowd of seven, Twilight Sparkle led them onwards to the face of the mighty larva. Pinkie and Spike stuck close together, Rarity and Applejack doing the same with Rainbow slow behind Twilight and Bon Bon. Celestia and Luna were the last ones to join the group, letting the mares and dragon take the necessary steps first.

“It’s all right… These are my friends…” Fluttershy assured the great beast.

Back and forth, Mothra’s sight shifted from the Pegasus and to the crowd of ponies approaching her. Though seeing the familiar Alicorn sisters also with the ponies made Mothra’s fears subside exponentially, calming her just enough for the crowd to reach Fluttershy.

And turning to them, Fluttershy gave a supportive smile and nodded them along. “Go ahead… she won’t hurt you,” she told them, her hoof still patting and rubbing Mothra’s head.

The Princess of Friendship herself was the first to raise her hoof, apprehensive at first, then seeing the nod of approval from Fluttershy, proceeded to take that brave step forward. Her hoof connected to Mothra’s skin, and Twilight sighed. Mothra seemed to sigh as well, her bioluminescence shimmering softer and softer by the second. Her pulses, her heartbeats, dropped slowly. Her breathing even more soft and slow. Calm and secure. Seeing that, the other mares took the chance to embrace the Titan for themselves.

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Rainbow Dash were the next brave souls, each mare and dragon laying their hoof and or claw upon Mothra’s soft hide and feeling the creature stir to their touch. Pinkie looked like a filly in a candy shop, pressing both of her hooves into Mothra’s skin and squishing it playfully, giggling to herself and whispering rapidly, “Squish, squish, squish!” Applejack smirked as her hoof grazed across the beast, backing off rather quickly after getting as much of a feel as she wanted. Spike was transfixed by Mothra’s glowing skin, the young dragon’s eyes as wide as can be as his claw gingerly traced her veins and followed her pulsating glow.

Rainbow’s hoof gingerly rubbed the larva’s slick skin, the Pegasus chuckling. “So cool… and kinda gross. But still really cool.”

After hearing that, Rarity tapped the tip of her hoof against the larva’s skin. Already shivering when she felt the cool slickness of it. She decided that was enough and backed away, clearing her throat with a forced smile and saying, “Oh, yes, she is certainly quite beauti—”

Mothra turned to the alabaster unicorn and blew hot air into her face. If the stench didn’t do it in for her, then the dampness of Mothra’s breath certainly made Rarity gag. She froze in place as the steam practically engulfed her face. Rarity coughed and wheezed, her mane a frazzled mess that stuck out behind her skull.

She gagged once more, forcing out a hoarse, “… beautiful.”

Mothra made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a soft giggle.

As for the last member of their small group of mares, Bon Bon took her sweet time simply staring at and studying the beast for any sudden movements. For any sort of threatening motions. Only she made none. Mothra was as curious about them as Twilight and her friends were about her. Finally giving in to her own curiosity, Bon Bon approached while the other mares backed away. Mothra turned to her and her alone. Bon Bon froze, already seeing the same blue tint that struck the heavens and tore apart the skies of the snowstorm. Hearing that horrific roar sting her ears one more time…

She closed her eyes.

She raised her shaking hoof.

And then released the pent-up anxiety growing inside of her in a long exhale when Mothra pressed herself against the pony’s touch. Bon Bon gazed up to the Titan in awe and… excitement. She even managed a real smile. Though her history with Titans was not the brightest, nor the friendliest, Bon Bon could at least mentally jot down her encounter with Titanus Mosura as certainly peaceful. Not all Titans were ferocious, bloodthirsty monsters. Bon Bon still needed to remind herself of that, because Mothra definitely wasn’t.

She took a step away to make room for the former princesses. Celestia and Luna both neared Mothra and raised their hooves in order to grace her once more. Mothra was more than willing for them, cooing affectionately when her head connected with their hooves. The scene was enough to make Fluttershy’s heart swell.

Celestia gasped, struggling to hold in her tears, but managed to say, “It has been far too long.”

“Indeed,” Luna added, patting the great larva lovingly.

Twilight and the others gazed to the reunion, knowing for sure it was a reunion. Meaning there was more story between the former rulers and the friendly Titan than Celestia and Luna were willingly to reveal. Meaning there was still more for Twilight to learn. Giddy at the thought, she nearly dismissed the sudden tremor quaking through Mothra’s body.

To their surprise, and to the surprise of everypony else present, Mothra slowly leaned back, chittering at a high-pitched moan. Her legs quivered in a showing of emotional distress. Though many looked about and asked to themselves what was wrong with her, it was Fluttershy who flew up to Mothra and pressed her hooves against her forehead once more. That seemed to calm the creature down, but only for a moment. Her breathing was rapid, her pulsating heartbeats far from normal. Fluttershy shushed her in a calming, motherly tone, stroking the newborn’s head and whispering words of comfort. The entire crowd watched in anxious anticipation.

“Why are you so afraid?” Fluttershy asked, feeling the trembling skin of the beast and feeling her own heart threatening to break. The little cries and whimpers Mothra made did not help her, either. But she was determined. She had helped nearly every animal and creature deemed too dangerous to save many a time. Such as the manticore when she first met Twilight.

All she needed to do was find Mothra’s thorn.

Soothing the creature, Fluttershy pressed her own forehead against hers and continued to shush her, assure her, peacefully speak to her in a way only the two of them could understand. Her next question came after a near-minute of silence, a near-minute of soothing.

With her eyes closed, Fluttershy whispered to the creature, “Can you speak to me?”

It was nearly a minute once more of silence. At least, everypony thought it was silence. There was no other sound heard in the room except for Mothra’s minimal whimpers and chitters. Her cooing grew rampant as the seconds pressed on, more turquoise pulses filling the nesting chamber with light and warmth. Finally, Fluttershy broke off from the larva, but still held her hoof to her. She opened her eyes.

“What’s she saying?” Daring Do asked.

“She…” Fluttershy replied, trying to recollect just what exactly Mothra had spoken to her. It was a difficult tongue, but it was an animal nonetheless. Fluttershy could understand her, maybe not be normal means… but by a way that felt natural. Not really her mind… but her heart. Her spirit. Her soul. That, for some reason, was the only way Mothra could speak to a pony with a talent like hers.

Pursing her lips, Fluttershy managed to translate, “She says her rebirth is occurring because…”

Mothra cooed to her.

“Because she has sensed a great imbalance soon to come… greater than… before?” she said, almost uttering it in a question. Fluttershy stared at Mothra, trying to understand if she uttered that correctly. Mothra cooed once more. “She was born again… and therefore must take action.”

Breaking her hoof away, she flew down to meet with her friends and the former princesses. “She says that she still needs time to rest and grow strong.”

Celestia stared to the majestic animal, nodding fiercely to that. “We can assure her that T.I.T.A.N. will keep her safe,” the Alicorn declared.

Mothra stared to them, singing what seemed to be a gentle response of comfort. Almost as if she understood what Celestia had said.

Bon Bon stared back at the creature, turning quickly to the yellow Pegasus and telling her, “Fluttershy, we need you to keep talking to her. Find out what we need to do to help, and what Mothra means by this… ‘great imbalance’ and what it entails.”

Fluttershy nodded to that, her mission set, her priorities laid out. As long as she got to stay with Mothra and keep her safe, then that was all that mattered. To her, anyway. As for the others, Bon Bon faced the Alicorn and properly addressed them as such. “Celestia, Luna…”

The many turned her way, not just the former rulers. That was good, because Bon Bon needed all of their attention. Especially the Council’s. Especially when she told the sisters, “I think now would be the best time if we told Twilight and the others everything they need to know… about everything they don’t know.”

Mothra gave off an astounding sound. A shriek. A roar of her own. One that made the entire temple quake and made everypony turn her way. One that made Bon Bon smile again. At least there was one Titan she could come to like.

Maybe.

Chapter 7 – The Gods of Old

Once they were all safely inside the confines of Celestia’s lead airship, the Radiance, they settled themselves within the main bridge. The former princesses politely cleared the room, the various pilots breaking off from their posts and exiting the bridge. The Council of Friendship remained and watched as Celestia and Luna positioned themselves around the center table, where the map of Equus was displayed in a clear glass containment. They were quick to join them.

Twilight Sparkle led them, trailed closely by Spike. Rarity and Applejack settled themselves on Twilight’s left and right respectively, with Spike popping up in-between Twilight and the farm pony. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie stood together on the opposite side of table, staring down Twilight momentarily before turning to face the head of the table.

As for Bon Bon, she took her seat away from the table and sat near one of the flight consoles. Not terribly far from the center map, but enough for her to recollect on her own terms without too much interference from the rest of the group. She kept her eyes on the former rulers, leaning back in her chair and letting them tell the story of Equestria’s first—and last—guardian.

With her horn alight, Celestia closed the bridge’s doors to ensure their conversation didn’t travel too far to any unwarranted ears. With that out of the way, she stared to the many patient and eager eyes surrounding the table. Allowing herself to breathe, break out a short, sweet smile, Celestia took in a deep breath and began.

“From what little we told you about Mothra during our travel to the Forbidden Jungle, we can assume you all have several more questions following your… first impressions with the Titan?”

It was Twilight who raised her hoof first and foremost. Celestia and Luna chuckled warmly at that, nodding her way.

Dropping her hoof, Princess Twilight began what was undoubtedly going to be her long tirade of questions with the most important one, asking them, “What is our history with Mothra?”

The others seemed to hold a shared understanding of that question, wishing to know just as well and nodding to Twilight. They all turned to the sisters for an answer. And Celestia and Luna, knowing nothing else could be hidden from their knowledge, allowed themselves to answer any question the current ruler and her friends had for their predicament. Nothing hidden. Nothing veiled. Everything out in the open and on the table.

Celestia answered her and replied, “She is before even our time. Far before our rule or even our birth. The earliest recordings T.I.T.A.N. have found suggested that Mothra is said to be thousands and thousands of years old. Cave paintings, ancient manuscripts, all theorized to have been dated back to hundreds of thousands of years… all showed her.”

That was a bomb in and of itself. Everypony each took a moment to collect themselves and try to understand that what they just heard needed to be taken as a high probability, and perhaps not just a theory. To know that Celestia and Luna were not the oldest living beings in Equestria was shocking, especially for Twilight. Bon Bon hardly even moved, having felt the punch of that revelation many years ago. It was not as shocking now, and not nearly as shocking as what else the princesses were to reveal.

Luna took over, saying, “Even with her great age, Mothra has an even greater legacy. She earned it after helping us defeat many beasts left over from Grogar’s reign.”

Seeing the confusion ripple across the group of mares and young dragon, Luna chuckled shortly and clarified, “Not Titans. Grogar’s creatures were not natural to our ecosystem, birthed through wicked and demonic rituals that only the Father of Monsters could concoct. But Mothra would not have that. My sister and I… including our parents… battled alongside the great moth to ensure Equus was rid of Grogar’s fiends. Hm… legend even spoke of Mothra fighting alongside Gusty the Great to overthrow Grogar… but that was long before our time. She became a heroic figure to all, exemplified even to the status of a vengeful angel, a deity, if you will. It is no wonder she was worshipped by ancient pony tribes for thousands of years prior.”

Celestia said, “Mothra had proven to be a benevolent and peaceful giant. She kept order in our world during a time of lawlessness, where the magic of friendship was yet to become even a concept to consider. Yet after the last of the great beasts born of the Father of Monsters was defeated… Mothra vanished. We never found her. It was almost as if… she was just a vengeful angel… arriving simply to balance our world back into its natural state. So you can understand why we are so concerned for her return. Something big is coming, something that could shift the balance of our world once again.”

Fully engrossed and beyond the point of no return, Twilight Sparkle could have sworn she felt her jaw hit the table beneath her. She was hearing history she never believed to have even happened, from the lips of the ones who had lived through it no less! To know that Grogar was defeated by the combined strength of the Royal Sisters, their parents, Gusty the Great, all alongside Mothra at one point or another was beyond earth-shattering for her. Mothra had existed with them all this time, and only now was she truly understanding it! It was unbelievable. Nopony could fully fathom it, nopony could object or speak or even breathe. Save for one who cleared her throat.

“Sooo… just to clarify again,” Rainbow said, objecting to their history lesson and asking a question of her own. “Grogar’s monsters… are not Titans?”

Luna shook her head. “No. Titans are far more ancient than Grogar’s beasts.”

Twilight tilted her own, asking, “How ancient are they?”

It took quite some time for the former princesses to respond, almost as if they were forming the words in their minds or the words were stuck on their tongues. After catching the look Bon Bon gave them from her seated position further off, Celestia knew hiding the full truth was not worth the consequences. Luna seemed to share her sentiments. After a moment longer to gather themselves, the sisters began again with the eldest starting.

“The rulers today… the rulers of Equus—the equines, griffons, dragons, and so forth—are not the original rulers of this world. While we have theorized Mothra to be hundreds of thousands of years old… a more accurate representation for all the Titans we’ve studied have shown that the majority of them are, in fact… millions of years old.”

The oxygen seemed to be sucked out of the bridge, as if the cabin was suddenly depressurized and everypony was left gasping and silent. Left to a silent, gasping death. Their hearts nearly stopped, but they managed to survive in the aftermath of that revelation. Rainbow Dash and Applejack leaned their necks backwards. Pinkie Pie’s jaw cartoonishly dropped and smacked against the map of Equus. Spike shared her expression, only not as outlandish or… stretchy. Twilight and Rarity’s eyes popped open so wide they could have nearly popped out of their skulls. Outside of the aftermath, Bon Bon slowly nodded and closed her eyes, lowering her head gently.

Letting the former rulers continue on and tell the true story of Equus.

Luna was the next one, taking the responsibility and stating aloud, “For millions of years, the Titans lived and battled upon our fair planet for dominance. They reigned over one another, a chain of power the beasts share similar to creatures today. Alphas, pack leaders, much like we see from timberwolves… they followed the same ritual of leadership. They were regarded as the first gods… the Gods of Old, if you will.”

“Gods of Old?” Spike repeated, voice high and quiet.

Celestia nodded and explained, “Ancient tribes and civilizations of ponies, of various other species, left behind temples, manuscripts, clues of the Titans’ existence. But for some reason… something made the creatures disappear. Our hollow earth theory was devised around forty years ago, which states today that the ground beneath us is not entirely compact. Instead, there is a world that lives beneath our world, a hollow earth that holds the beasts that once roamed our lands many, many millions of years ago.

"Something made the creatures disappear… something made the Titans burrow into the earth. Theories state that they fell into a deep hibernation due to the less geothermal radiation of the planet’s core, rather than the natural radiation they used to absorb. And now, as you have seen and what we have told you, the Titans are slowly awakening, slowly trying to reclaim their kingdom. Dozens have already awakened… and potential hundreds more await beneath us.”

It was the truth and it was still so hard to tell it. It seemed even harder for Twilight and the Council to accept it. Applejack leaned forward on her forelegs, rubbing a hoof through her golden-blonde mane and pushing her hat back in the process. Pinkie seemed all too giddy at the prospects of so many other monsters beneath her, monsters she hadn’t given a proper welcome to Equestria surprise party. Her giddiness was slowly suppressed by the growing fear and anxiety that the Titans wrought, even when she tried well to hide it. Rainbow Dash was at a loss for words, Spike as well. As for Rarity…

Rarity gulped and quivered where she stood, laying her hoof over Ponyville displayed on the map. Where her friends and family resided. Her home and her livelihood. Her hoof blanketed it like a Titan very well could have. Wiped it off the face of the planet…

She gulped a second time, having no spittle to do so, and whispered fearfully, “This is… well… this is certainly…”

“Wow,” Twilight whispered in an astonished gasp. A far cry from Rarity’s own emotional expressiveness, but a unique reaction nonetheless.

“Wait a minute now,” Applejack interjected, earing the attention of the bridge. “Ya said that the Titans went into a deep hibernation before. Why did they burrow? Ya don’t suppose those ancient ponies had a clue as ta what happened ta them, do ya?”

To her unfortunate luck, Applejack watched both sisters shake their heads.

“No, it would seem that the ancients did not have a… particularly positive outlook for the future,” Celestia answered. Her expression seemed to fall, to darken at the prospects of what she was about to utter. “In fact, they prophesized quite a grim end to their world. If not theirs… then the one to come. The ancient tribes referred to the future generations—if there were to be future generations—as the New Ones. New gods, new rulers, the ones who will lay claim to the world with the Titans gone. They prophesized… how the New Ones would bear the greatest burden if the Titans were to return in their time. Turns out they weren’t that far off.”

Twilight leaned forward, placed her hooves on the table and asked, “If the Titans burrowed into the earth, then why didn’t the ancient tribes lay claim to the world? I mean, nopony was stopping them.”

“Not entirely correct,” Luna replied. “Like many theories T.I.T.A.N. holds today of what occurred in the world before, we also have theories as to why the Titans vanished, and also why the tribes went into hiding as well.”

Twilight’s ears perked up higher at that, the other mares and Spike leaning forward, closer, as if nearing the princesses meant they would receive the story quicker.

Luna noted that and continued regardless. “We have theorized that it was perhaps Grogar casting a spell over the inhabitants, causing the beasts that could threaten his rule to hide beneath the earth while he claimed it for himself. But… this theory was disregarded. There are no writings or paintings showing Grogar within the same era as the Titans. The Father of Monsters would have certainly been worth recording in history had he existed with them. Our knowledge of him falls back merely thousands of years, so Grogar could not have been millions of years old. Whatever happened was before Grogar’s time.”

Celestia nodded to her and faced the crowd, bringing their attention onto her as the elder stated, “Which brought us to our most accepted theory… that of an apocalyptic event.”

The silence in the room was stifling. All except for Bon Bon’s breathing, which had grown far more skittish the moment Celestia had mentioned that particular theory. The Earth pony opened her eyes, pupils shrunk and trembling. Her hooves began to shake, her breathing intensifying and shivering. She was lost in her own terrified past, listening intently to every word Celestia said.

“The intelligence we’ve managed to gather over the years have provided. Not much, but they have provided. Strange writings of an ancient language, far more ancient than Old Ponish, discovered many decades ago in one of the oldest temples in all of Equus. There, we have found cave paintings showcasing a devastating battle between two great monsters. Two Titans. Two alphas. We still struggle today interpreting the writings, but the paintings tell enough of the story. This… battle, this… clash between these two alpha predators seemed to have shaken the entire world. Until all the world was bathed in the fires and devastation of their rampage.

"The other Titans went below ground, went into hibernation to escape the event unfolding above. They did so to survive, to escape the devastation before it claimed their lives as well. It could have been what wiped out the ancient tribes and civilizations, or most of them. Many of these tribes could have very well escaped all the same, left behind their legacy in the hollow earth and the caves… where their paintings told us of their apocalypse.”

And with that, Celestia breathed out. Nearly all the pent-up frustrations of her secrets had been fully exhaled to the many, to the ponies she trusted most of all with such critical information of their world’s true history. And from that, the many reacted accordingly. The idea of an apocalypse in the past or even one to come left the mares and dragon in an uncertain and frightful state. Rarity was openly shivering, though the unicorn did her best to maintain her composure and remain strong. Applejack and Rainbow were equally taken aback by such information, with Pinkie Pie and Spike trapped in an uncertain state of understanding.

Twilight was stuck in a similar boat as all of them combined. She was fearful, but tried to remain strong. She was taken aback, and tried to understand the uncertainty. In the heart of it all, she was stuck on one idea, that being the idea that two monsters alone caused the other Titans to run with their tails between their legs. As if that wasn’t enough to be worried about, just the battle of the two Titans nearly wiped out all life on the planet.

Just two of them. Two Titans.

Two alphas.

Twilight cleared her throat, closed her eyes, and breathed in and out. In and out. Pressed a hoof over her heart and exhaled. She opened her eyes and began again. “Who…”

Facing the head of the table, of the map, of the center of the bridge, Twilight Sparkle met the gazes of the former princesses and ensured they were fully engrossed in what she had to ask them.

And so, she asked them, “Who were the alpha Titans?”

Seemingly shaken out of her dazed stupor, Bon Bon was pulled back into reality when Princess Twilight asked that particular question. Because it was Bon Bon who had the answer to it, who had more connection to it than perhaps anypony else in the room. More so than Celestia or Luna. More so than the Council of Friendship. More so than the entirety of T.I.T.A.N. because she—she alone—was the only pony alive to have actually seen one of the alpha Titans with her own eyes.

The same alpha Celestia spoke of.

The same alpha Twilight asked of.

And the same alpha that haunted her to this day.

Uttering a small, weakened sound, Bon Bon tried to stop herself, but it was too late. The table had turned her way, every eye and every mare facing her and awaiting her word. Her interjection. Her knowledge. Bon Bon’s mouth had fallen but no words could escape. No words could be formulated that could outweigh the fear and dread in her heart. But she had to. She needed to be strong. She needed to push away her past and focus on what mattered today, with them, with her friends, and with the fate of the world. She collected herself once more, turning to the table and parting her lips, taking in that short breath to say…

The front doors were thrust open, stealing the breath from Bon Bon’s lungs and equally the words from her tongue.

Flinching to the interruption, the entirety of the Council of Friendship and the Alicorn sisters all turned appropriately to see for themselves who the perpetrator was. They lowered their defenses when it was only Daring Do breathing heavily by the bridge’s entrance. Celestia and Luna and everypony else backed away from the table and faced the entrance, all silent and wide-eyed to what the adventuress had to inform them.

Breathless and shaken, Daring Do announced loudly and proudly, “I think Fluttershy was able to get something out of Mothra!”

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay. Been a pretty... eventful and scary past week. Nevertheless, I'm getting back into writing. Stay safe, everyone. God bless.

Chapter 8 – Above the World

In a fleet of airships big and small, the Radiance led the pack. The biggest, mightiest, and most intimidating airship of all tore through the skies until the sun fell and the snowstorm impacted them with the ferocity the Frozen North was famous for.

Within the Radiance, the main bridge was a flurry of T.I.T.A.N. agents spouting off orders to one another while trying to keep a steady balance between altitude and speed of the behemoth of an airship. Communications were also shared among the fleet of airships, several mares on headset and establishing secure networks despite the onslaught of the storm they had entered. The Radiance—as well as all of T.I.T.A.N.’s air fleet—had been specially designed to face various different storms.

The Frozen North was but one of many. And a storm they had all been trained for.

In the heart of the bridge, Celestia was once more controlling the reins of the Radiance, acting as the airship’s lead authority despite no longer holding her royal position. Her younger sister Luna shared her status, but they remained alongside the current ruler of Equestria, the Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle. Her power technically outranked everypony else present, but she let the sisters take command. This was all still so new to her.

Together, with the Council of Friendship and Special Agent Sweetie Drops, the agents of T.I.T.A.N. had no doubt in their minds that they were being led by the most trustworthy and reliable authority in all of Equestria. They should have had no reason to doubt.

They should have…

But they were heading directly into the Frozen North, for an emergency deemed as a high-level threat. In Celestia’s own words. The few agents that emerged out of hiding or retirement jumped at the first opportunity to join Celestia once again, but after hearing of the mission ahead… they were beginning to regret their decision. There was only one thing in the Frozen North that required T.I.T.A.N.’s insight and knowledge. Just one thing.

One thing the entire organization swore to an oath to never speak of outside closed doors, not even to other agents in the field. Not even when T.I.T.A.N. was still fully running.

And they were flying directly towards it.

Though they could not speak of their grievances with the princess or the former rulers. They were too busy following orders, keeping the airship and the fleet under control, and listening in as Fluttershy of the Council of Friendship informed the ponies around her of her discoveries.

“Fluttershy, you must think,” Luna inquired. “What else did Mothra tell you?”

The lights within the bridge helped to illuminate the map resting within the table they all surrounded. Yet outside the bridge, nothing but darkness and flakes of snow infested every inch of atmosphere. As for Fluttershy, she gazed fearfully to the darkness and trembled slightly to see no conceivable end to their destination before them. Nothing but darkness lied ahead, and they were flying directly into its heart. Something she was warned of and something that struck her own heart with an icy rod.

But she pressed on. Mothra would want her to. Mothra needed her to. With a gulp, and forcing her eyes away from the ever-consuming darkness, Fluttershy answered, “She told me of the dark cloud billowing over the Frozen North. She told me of its unnatural origin… of…”

With a moment’s pause, Fluttershy took the time to stare at the large map displayed before her. The compass was directed north, directly where they were headed. Beyond the Crystal Empire and to the area circled in red. The exact location Mothra had given Fluttershy, and the exact location where Fluttershy told T.I.T.A.N. to embark towards. The exact location where the heart of darkness stormed.

She continued, beginning again with a deep, calming breath. “Deep… seismic readings were also being sent from the Frozen North. Several miles away from the Crystal Empire. Whatever they are, they were strong enough to bring Mothra back. They were strong enough to upset the balance of nature.”

Everypony was staring at her. Applejack raised a brow.

“Of course, I’m just reiterating what Mothra told me,” she said quietly, clearing her throat and forcing another stroke of courage to speak up. “And, um… she mentioned that she wouldn’t be alone in bringing back the balance of nature. The seismic readings have been occurring for years, only growing stronger and reaching a farther radius. More Titans are going to awaken. Many have already done so.”

Celestia leaned back, staring to the floor and muttering to herself, “So that is why they have been stirring more frequently…”

Fluttershy nodded and continued. “She also… um… She also said that the actions of my ‘pony allies and the New Ones’… her words, not mine… would ensure the world fell into greater chaos than we could ever hope to recover from.”

Everypony took that information as best as they could. Twilight, in her usual anxious state, cocked her head with a somewhat displeased and shaken expression gripping her features. It was grim news, far more unsettling than the princess had initially imagined. But if it came from Mothra, a benevolent Titan once worshipped by the ancient tribes of Equestria, what reason would they have to doubt it?

Rainbow rubbed a hoof through her multicolored mane, blowing a raspberry while shaking her head. Pinkie even seemed distraught on the manner, her chin resting on the table while the tips of hooves tapped depressingly together. Rarity and Applejack were confused yet concerned. It was true Mothra had a deeper connection to nature than the rest of them, but to prophesize what was to become of their world just by the equines’ actions… it seemed unlikely. Spike was silent and awestruck, still quite stunned at the situation they had all suddenly found themselves in.

How they were all flying towards an old T.I.T.A.N. facility in the Frozen North, discussing the possibility of a global catastrophe, all in the midst of a monster uprising were just a few of the many events he was still trying to process.

Luna broke the silence and sat down, staring to the ceiling and to the light bulbs hanging over the table. “She even refers to us as the ‘New Ones’… just as the ancients did. Huh… perhaps there was a greater bond between the ancients and Mothra than we initially thought.”

Celestia turned to her sister and pondered that, nodding slowly.

“What else did she tell you?” Twilight asked, bringing focus back to the situation.

Seeing the shiver rush through the Pegasus’ body was not a comforting sign.

“You’re… not going to like this part… but then again, Mothra technically isn’t wrong,” Fluttershy began, lifting her eyes and ensuring her gaze met them each. Just as she needed the words she translated to meet them.

To change them.

To make them believe… as she did.

“For millions of years, ponies have inflicted their will upon the world. Bringing their magic into nature itself; controlling the storms, determining night and day, and keeping the earth fed or devastated. The natural radiation the Titans lived in has left with them, and so our world has changed because of it. But… their return is not something to be feared. Their return would bring about a natural balance back to the world, the way it was always supposed to be.”

Fluttershy was growing more fervent in her statements, more emotional in her explanations. As if she had been truly swayed by the Titan’s words. The others thought so, seeing a whole other side to their usually timid and affectionate friend with every syllable she proclaimed. They didn’t know whether to be disturbed, invested, confused, or all three.

“A dark shadow is looming over the Frozen North, yes, but it’s unnatural. It was never meant to be there because it does not belong to the natural ecosystem. The seismic readings are coming from it and the Titans are awakening to stop it! Don’t you all see!” Fluttershy declared, standing up tall and placing her hooves upon the center map.

Her friends leaned backwards. Celestia and Luna both raised their brows. Even Bon Bon seemed particularly more interested into what Fluttershy was saying. She announced it loud and proud, not even caring if several T.I.T.A.N. agents turned her way.

“Nature was never truly in our control! Nature is going to balance itself out after millions of years of misuse since the Great Cataclysm! Yet Mothra needed us to find her!”

In the midst of Fluttershy’s outreaching and influential discourse, there was something that gave pause to the minds of the Alicorn sisters. The statement that made their hearts simultaneously freeze. The Great Cataclysm. They turned to one another upon that revelation. Celestia and Luna pondered, kept it in the back of their minds for later dissecting, turned back to the table to listen.

“She needed us ponies… maybe out of fear or something else. Maybe she wanted to trust us, to see if she could trust us again. I tried to convince her that ponies are not evil. We are not enemies of nature, but have bonded with nature. We have made the world balanced in harmony and friendship. Maybe… that was what Mothra had suspected, and what she desperately needed to hear.”

Twilight was nearly at a loss for words, but her curiosity was unsatiated. Mustering up the strength despite the overwhelming flow of information already crowding her mind, Twilight asked, “How else did Mothra respond?”

Fluttershy sighed, falling back down and resting on the edge of the table. “She said that she was going to return regardless, and would consider the actions of the ponies. Consider if… we would be worthy of unity with nature like our ancestors were. But above all… we have to trust Mothra.”

She turned to the former rulers. They met her stare.

And Fluttershy told them, “We cannot act rashly and let things fall into greater chaos than they already are. We need to let nature take its course… and let the great imbalance be healed by nature’s own hand.”

“Mothra told you… all of this?” Celestia asked.

The Pegasus nodded. With that confirmation, both sisters deflated like balloons, exhaling and lifting hooves to rub their eyes, their foreheads, and to rest them there as they wordlessly decided their next course of action to take. With magic that was beyond even Twilight’s knowledge, the sisters communed telepathically, informing one another of what they had heard and what was needed to be done. They never did come to a complete conclusion, only knowing what they didn’t know.

And what they didn’t know was the unnatural darkness consuming the Frozen North.

“That is what we feared,” Celestia finally said. “If we do nothing, we risk the world falling into chaos regardless. We must act with the safety of Equus and its inhabitants above all else, and if one of our most secure facilities has been breached by this… dark shadow… by these seismic readings… and by this great imbalance… then we must act if we are to understand this threat.”

Luna nodded, dropping her hoof and adding, “The quicker we understand it… the quicker we can come to handle it. Seize it before it can cause even greater damage to our world. It is a risk we simply cannot allow to pass, Fluttershy.”

It was about what she expected to hear as a response, what Mothra had warned her about. The hubris of the equines, of the beings believing they understood nature, it was something that could not be controlled so easily. Despite even Fluttershy’s connection to the natural world, she knew that her knowledge alone was still far less than the creatures connected to it on a level that was far beyond that of mere ponykind. In the end, the former rulers of Equestria had the final word. They knew what was best for Equestria’s inhabitants, and on a larger scale, all of Equus.

In the end, Fluttershy shuddered where she sat and whimpered, “I hope you’re right.”

Celestia and Luna both nodded, the eldest affirming, “For Mothra’s sake… I hope we are, too.”

“Celestia!” one of the airship’s pilots alerted, earning the eyes of the entire table onto him. He held up a scroll with his magical aura, the unicorn declaring, “We just received a magical letter from Agent Daring Do!”

Perking up at that news, both sisters turned appropriately to the T.I.T.A.N. pilot. Luna asked, “How is Mothra’s status?”

He recalled what he had read, announcing the gist of the letter and saying, “Agent Do has confirmed the larva is in a settled state, ready for the deep sleep! She wants to know if we’ve made it to the Frozen North yet!”

Celestia answered, “Send a letter in return. Inform Daring Do that we have just entered the storm and are nearing the checkpoint. More updates to follow.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

When the former rulers turned back to face the table, Twilight earned their eyes and ears when she asked them, “Did you already contact Shining Armor and Princess Cadance? Surely they should know of this facility outside of the Crystal Empire?”

The sisters nodded, Luna saying, “They know. We have contacted them before we left the Forbidden Jungle. They will have a proper transport waiting for us when we arrive to the checkpoint.”

“How will we know when we get to the checkpoint?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I suppose… that might be a good indicator?” Rarity interjected, pointing her hoof to the front windshield of the Radiance.

In accordance to Rarity’s observation, the entirety of the Council of Friendship, of a vast majority of T.I.T.A.N., and even the Alicorn sisters themselves all turned to where she had pointed. Beyond the glass windshield of the main bridge, cloaked within the darkness of the night and the raging flurry of snow, there emerged two lights. They only grew closer, the Council breaking off from the table to get a closer look. Bon Bon joined them, gazing out the glass and seeing the light becoming brighter, stronger… closer.

By the time the lights reached the front of the Radiance, the snow had cleared considerably to give the crew in the bridge all they needed to see and understand. Two Crystal Pegasi were flying in the storm, batting their wings harshly while gripping shimmering crystal staffs. They waved those staffs like flares to warn them and direct them to the ground below. Celestia gave the order and the pilots followed through.

In a downward descent, the Radiance led the fleet of airships out of the skies and to the solid earth once more. The titanic airships’ propellers and engines began to die down as the mighty balloon settled itself upon the ground. The Pegasi landed in the snow, backing away quickly and waving their staffs above them, signaling to the bridge to pursue onward. They did so slowly, carefully, the winds batting against the balloon and nearly titling the mighty airship. But the storm was no match for the prowess and engineering of the Radiance.

It settled and touched down onto the icy floor of the Frozen North. The great machine died down until only the sounds of the snowstorm filled the world.

Once the Radiance and the entire T.I.T.A.N. fleet settled themselves upon the icy earth, the Crystal Pegasi lowered their staffs and turned instead to the approaching pair behind them. They bowed appropriately. The pony duo nodded to them before proceeding along, gazing to the astonishing sight of several towering airships resting upon the Frozen North’s treacherous terrain. Their spotlights waved back and forth from their hulls, washing across the snow and wastes and settling near the location of crystal staffs.

Their bodies were bundled tight and warm, with several layers of coats, scarves, and a pair of goggles each wore over their eyes to shield the rushing wave of snow impacting their bodies. They only things that weren’t concealed were their horns, and the princess’ wings. Despite the snow and fog, they could see that the inhabitants of the Radiance came prepared all the same.

Stepping off of the airship from the extending ramp, the Council of Friendship, Bon Bon, and Celestia and Luna emerged into the storm and set hoof onto the snow. They were bundled up in the appropriate attire, large coats and scarves with goggles and winter hats to shields every exposed part of their body from the harshness of the storm. Except for their horns. Except for their wings. Except for that familiar face of Princess Twilight Sparkle gazing ahead.

And she saw them. They saw her. Shining Armor and Princess Cadance lowered their scarves and shared Twilight’s smile.

“BBBFF! Cadance!” Twilight exclaimed, rushing forward and wrapping them both within her forelegs. Despite the spine-chilling cold that surrounded them, it felt warm to be able to embrace their family once again.

Shining chuckled and hugged her back. “Nice to see you, too, Twily!”

“I hope we didn’t interrupt the Princess of Equestria enjoying her new role in Canterlot!” Cadance giggled, having to speak considerably louder over the storm.

Breaking off the hug, Twilight blew a raspberry of her own and stated aloud, “Please, I’ll take an adventure with my family and friends any day!”

It was just then did she sense a larger presence behind her, the Alicorn turning around and seeing a caravan of ponies lined up and awaiting the next step. Her friends joined her side, with Bon Bon standing alongside various other T.I.T.A.N. operatives decked out in the appropriate armor and layers. Celestia and Luna led the pack, amused and sly smiles tugging at their lips, especially at Twilight’s statement.

Twilight rubbed her foreleg with a clothed hoof, giggling nervously, “Not like Canterlot is boring or anything! Hehe…”

“Then you best get settled in for one,” Shining interrupted, bringing the focus back on the adventure that lied ahead, “‘cause we’re riding to the facility in style!”

After that, Shining Armor turned into the deepest, emptiest, and loneliest area of the storm and faced it fully. Everypony waited in the darkness, under the dying light of the shimmering crystal staffs. The spotlights from the airships continued to wave back and forth, the light from the bridge alive with various T.I.T.A.N. agents and pilots remaining in position. All stood and sat in silence. All stared in the direction Shining Armor had.

Then, he lit up his horn twice, signaling to whoever or whatever was within the white wall of snow. A horn was given as a response, a deep, thundering sound that only a machine would make. Bon Bon let herself ease after initially flinching at the sound.

In less than a minute, a pair of headlights broke through the storm.

The earth trembled lightly, the sounds of gears and tracks roaring and tearing across the ground and making its headway to their location. Everypony backed away when Shining Armor did, he and his wife standing in unison and gazing to the massive, snow terrain vehicle making its approach. Celestia, Luna, and Bon Bon seemed less surprised, but Twilight and the Council of Friendship took it all in with agape jaws and breaths of vapor leaving their lungs.

The vehicle was several meters tall, built like a small train with a steam engine and several cars to boot. The lead engine paused, stopping the rest of the vehicle and signaling to everypony present with another thundering horn. As the mares approached it slowly, they noticed its wheels were practically frozen from the low temperatures, sickles of ice attached to their caps. Its tracks were like that of a tank, its large headlights illuminating the dark path ahead of them, flakes of snow flying rapidly through the light.

Then, they watched as Shining Armor leaped onto the first car, turning around and facing the rest of the crowd. “Hop aboard!” Shining declared.

Bon Bon directed a team of T.I.T.A.N. agents to accompany them. The rest stayed behind to watch over the fleet, the crowd breaking up and leaving less than a dozen mares and stallions in the snow while the rest embarked onto the vehicle. They all climbed into the designated cars, with Celestia, Luna, Bon Bon, and the Council taking the lead car alongside Shining Armor and Cadance.

The Princess of the Crystal Empire paused though, turning back when she felt the tug on her coat. She met Rainbow Dash’s narrowed eyes, the Pegasus pulling down her scarf and flinching to the onslaught of wind and snow striking the side of her face. Cadance flinched to it too, but listened carefully over the storm and even over the roaring engines of the vehicle beside them.

“You sure you can see through this storm?!” Rainbow shouted, turning to the path ahead, her foreleg rising above her narrowed stare. “Even with my eyes, I can barely see ten feet in front of me!”

Cadance merely smiled to her, shouting back, “We got that covered!”

That time, it was Cadance that lit up her horn. But unlike her husband, she fired off a spell directly in front of them. Rainbow watched its trail of light descend further and further until the spell erupted into a flurry of fireballs, shooting off like sparks from a lit flame. Each spark was directed and attached to the crystal staffs embedded in the snow, the staffs that Rainbow never even knew were there. The staffs lit with magic shimmered through the snowstorm, more and more illuminating the darkness and creating a large enough path for them to follow.

“Hold on tight, everypony! Gonna be a bumpy ride!” Shining Armor announced, reaching down and helping his wife onto the car. Rainbow Dash was the last one, flying inside and settling herself next to Fluttershy in one of the many seats.

Shining leaned out the open door and signaled once again to the driver, the vehicle lurching forward and proceeding into the depths of the Frozen North. And just as Shining closed the door, he turned to the many faces inside the car and lowered his scarf from his mouth.

“And keep your eyes open,” he told them. “Never know what’s alive out here.”

While many took that warning with a grain of salt—namely the Council of Friendship—the leaders and agents of T.I.T.A.N. knew better than to ignore something so grim and so true. But unlike anypony else in the vehicle, only Bon Bon knew the truth and severity of that warning.

She stared out her window, passed the ice starting to freeze around the glass, and gazed to the unforeseeable darkness that raged within the never-ending blizzard of the Frozen North.

Within those swirling clouds, she could have sworn the snow stirred like an awakening serpent. The winds howled like a great beast returning from its slumber. Bon Bon knew better than anypony else. She knew exactly what was alive out there.

Chapter 9 – Frozen

During the trip into deeper tundra and below freezing temperatures, Twilight Sparkle kept the life in the vehicle alive by catching up with her family.

The behemoth of a snow terrain vehicle they all rode in bumped and rattled and roared across the vast, icy wasteland. The occupants did everything in their power to remain stable and warm. All they had as a substitute for real warmth were the lanterns shaking haphazardly from the ceilings of the cars. It gave little light to the interior, and very little warmth.

Everypony cared for each other in other ways the lanterns could not. Unicorns used their horns to give much-needed light to the area. They sat close to preserve and share their body heat, tightening their limbs around themselves while their exterior clothing only grew colder and colder. Everypony’s breaths could be seen, puffs of frozen carbon dioxide filling the atmosphere and fogging up the frost-covered windows.

Perhaps Twilight was to blame for a majority of that fog, she and Cadance gabbing on and catching up with one another.

But mostly Twilight. “And the delegates just kept going on, and on, and on, and on, and… well, you get the picture. Never realized how boring ambassador meetings and politics can be unless you’re actually the focus of attention. But it was the first step, and that’s always the most important one. If it means a potential peace between the Abyssinians and the Diamond Dogs, then I’ll take whatever I can get! Heh…”

Cadance giggled politely at that. Shining on her right remind silent, eyes narrowed as he scanned the storms outside. The Princess of Love replied, “Trust me, Twilight, it’ll eventually get easier. Before you know it, you’ll be brokering peace between the remaining outlying nations. One step closer to bringing the magic of friendship to all of Equus.”

“It’s all I’m hoping for,” Twilight said, already breathless at the possibility. Shaking her head, Twilight stamped her hooves on her seat, lifting her eyes and her smile back to her sister-in-law. “So! Enough about me, let’s catch up with you! How’s the Crystal Empire? Any strange anomalies like the one we’re headed towards? What about my niece? How’s little Flurry doing?”

The young Alicorn finally took in a much-needed breath when Cadance raised her hoof.

“Easy, Twilight,” Cadance calmingly said with another laugh. Watching Twilight gasp and regulate her breathing, Cadance leaned back into her seat she shared with the Princess of Friendship and thought over the multitude of questions.

She smirked slightly, scoffing and saying, “The Crystal Empire is fine. We’ve been caring for it about as well as you’ve been caring for Canterlot, so no need to feel overwhelmed. It’s a hard job, and one that takes more out of you than you realize. And believe it or not, this is the first anomaly we’ve heard of since…”

Her expression took a dark turn, her voice trailing off into that shadow of a memory she did not want to relive again. Twilight could see that sudden shift and felt all the happiness in her heart simply… freeze to its core. It seemed they shared the same memory, just the mere image in their minds making the small flame in the lantern above them flicker. Not enough to kill it, but to stumble it. To shake it.

And the two mares were certainly shaken, just at the potential of a dark storm growing over the Frozen North. A dark shadow…

Princess Cadance blinked. She breathed again, exhaling vapors of near-ice. Shining turned her way. “Well, since you and your friends saved our empire once again,” Cadance finally said, leaning back on Twilight for that life and support. Her smile returned, as did Twilight’s. Shining turned away. “And Flurry Heart is doing wonderfully. Our new Crystaller is caring for her back at the empire while we’re away.”

Twilight laid her hoof over her heart, shutting her eyes with a thankful smile gripping her lips. “Oh, that’s a relief! I was beginning to wonder—”

“Okay, stop! Stop!”

Shining Armor’s sudden uproar caused an uproar in and of itself. Ponies were shaken from their stupors and awakened from their quick naps, the night slowly darkening worse and worse for every minute they traveled. Pinkie Pie leaped out of her chair and scared the daylights out of Rarity beside her. Rainbow jolted awake and earned a small squeak of surprise from Fluttershy, the butter Pegasus having pulled her eyes away from the storm outside her window. Applejack and Spike each leaned out from their shared seating, Celestia and Luna’s heads turning in accordance to the front of the car. Bon Bon opened her eyes, the breath from her nostrils already fogging her vision, the hairs in her nose frozen.

She, like the rest, turned to the disturbance. She, like her fellow agents of T.I.T.A.N., readied themselves for anything.

While the crowd in the car brought their attention forward to understand what the commotion was about, Shining Armor was already leaning out the window, lighting up his horn to signal to the driver who apparently hadn’t heard his voice.

Shining turned back to the car’s occupants, his face covered in snow as he told them, “This is far enough. We walk the rest of the way.”

“In that blizzard?” Rarity asked aloud, using her magic to pry Pinkie off the ceiling of the car, her hooves attached to it like that of a feline. Settling Pinkie beside her, Rarity turned back to Shining and huffed. “I say, we might as well just stay in here, then. We’d freeze to death slower.”

“Let me clarify,” Shining began, lighting up his horn and keeping it glowing. “We made it. And freezing is the least of your worries from here on out.”

With that confirmation given, the T.I.T.A.N. agents simultaneously arose from their seats, gathered their necessary supplies and equipment, and exited the car. They were the last ones on and the first ones off, making way for the Council of Friendship, the Alicorn sisters, and the rulers of the Crystal Empire to step hoof onto the blanketed earth.

Each car was emptied of its occupants, the strike team of more than two dozen T.I.T.A.N. agents, soldiers, and scientists led by Special Agent Sweetie Drops securing the area. They created a perimeter around the royalty and the rulers, the storm tearing at their coats and scarves, manes and tails. Bon Bon planted herself firmly in the snow, foreleg rising to shield her face from the oncoming blast of wind and sleet. Bon Bon noted the sleet, noted the dampening atmosphere. She sighed, but no one could hear her. They had definitely made it to the outpost.

Once the Council, the sisters, and Shining and Cadance stepped off of the lead car and into the storm, they each took a moment to quickly adjust to the sudden drop in temperature. Pinkie shivered and wrapped her coat-covered forelegs around her body. Rainbow pulled her goggles down over her eyes, and Twilight did the same with her scarf over her mouth. Applejack kept a free hoof down tight over her hat, ensuring it wouldn’t blow off to be forever lost in the blizzard. Rarity whined but nopony heard her, the unicorn wrapping another layer of scarves over her face. Spike held onto Fluttershy’s hind leg, the Pegasus leaning back from the onslaught of wind and nuzzling Spike to shield him. To comfort him. Celestia and Luna both stood alongside Shining and Cadance, eyeing the same direction.

They scouted their surroundings. The pathway of crystal staffs had ended, leaving nothing but a wall of darkness beyond the flurry of snowflakes falling in front of the headlights. Shining growled at that, fighting through the wind and snow and pulling his goggles down over his eyes.

He shouted, “Stick together! Do not branch out! Follow my horn!”

Everypony did. They formed a caravan of ponies with Spike fighting along like everypony else. Pushing, tearing, clawing, stamping one hoof after the other closer and closer to their destination. The light from Shining Armor’s horn was bright and alive, flickering from the constant wave of snow pushing against their line, but leading and visible nonetheless. After several more seconds of fighting a constant, uphill battle against nature itself, the war had ended, and the winds died with it.

“Storm should be relatively calm here…” Shining exclaimed, lifting his goggles and lowering his scarf. He took in a breath and exhaled loud. He was able to walk without struggle, without a fight. Soon, everypony was able to as well.

And with their eyes set dead ahead, Shining Armor introduced them all properly. “Fillies and gentlecolts… welcome to T.I.T.A.N. Outpost Frostbite.”

Though it wasn’t particularly surprising to the slew of T.I.T.A.N. agents with them, nor to Celestia, Luna, Cadance, or Bon Bon, it was still quite a shock for the Council to witness a fully-functioning facility in the middle of the arctic wastes. Various buildings and facilities were scattered throughout the icy tundra, with countless vehicles moving about and crystal staffs lighting several different paths for them to follow. What appeared to be icy peaks sat on the edge of the facility, directly beyond any construction and seemingly lost in the darkness. Several hundred yards to their right were the crashing waves of the ocean upon the frozen shore. Dark rocks and icebergs were scattered across the sea’s surface. Bon Bon was the only pony to stare to the ocean for an elongated amount of time, her stare growing harder and harder by the second.

Her ear flinched and Bon Bon jolted to attention directly ahead of her. It was that familiar sound. Only to the Council of Friendship’s shock did they all witness a unicorn in a full-body hazmat suit approach them. He stepped free from the hold of the fog, the raining sleet and snow. He held a radiation counter is his magical aura, washing it across the icy floor while the familiar tick, tick, tick of the counter went off. Bon Bon gulped to that, lifting her eyes back to the hazmat suit.

“Your Highness,” the suited unicorn addressed, pausing in front of the large group.

Shining stepped forward and asked, “Any updates, Agent Stellar?”

T.I.T.A.N. Agent Cosmic Stellar strapped the radiation counter on his side bags, turning back to Shining and those who stood behind him. “Radiation levels remain constant. Storm has been getting heavier with signs of a potential whiteout here in the next hour or so.”

“Any signs of…” Shining said, looking back at Celestia. She nodded. “… tremors?”

The unicorn nodded, his expressionless face shield pelted with flakes of rushing snow. “Sir, we’ve had about a dozen more than yesterday. At first they were subtle… but now they’re growing stronger. Louder. Reaching a wider radius with each pulse.”

That was exactly what Shining Armor was afraid of. By the looks of dread from Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Bon Bon, they all knew what it meant. They all knew what the signs were pointing to. What Fluttershy had told them about. What Mothra had warned them of.

Behind him, Shining could have sworn he heard the tiny whimper of fear leave Fluttershy. It was hard to make it out over the storm. Regardless, he didn’t judge her.

Shining needed to be certain. “It’s the subject, then?” he asked carefully, his voice trembling lightly. Not by the cold. Twilight slowly stared at her brother.

For several seconds, Agent Stellar didn’t answer. He simply stared at them with that blank shield, face unknown within the suit. All they could hear were his heavy breaths, somehow rising above the howling winds outside the facility. Finally, he sighed and removed his radiation equipment off his bags and gripped them in his magic, turning around back into the fog.

“I think it’d be best if you all saw it for yourself,” he told Shining. Told them all, “Get suited up and meet me at the elevator.”

With that, he disappeared into the fog and snow, washing his radiation detector all over the ground before him. There was a shuffle of movements within the crowd, a shuffle that appeared as if it was moving dangerously forward. Shining shot out his hoof in front of the others.

He looked back and told them, “Careful now. He wasn’t kidding about suiting up. Passed these buildings, the area we’re about to enter is completely uninhabitable. Not because of the cold… but because its irradiated.”

“Irradiated?” Twilight asked. The Council all turned towards him for an answer.

Shining nodded. “Just a few yards ahead, there’s a pocket of radiation so deadly it could kill a pony in less than a minute. Strange thing is… this is the only area in all the Frozen North where any signs of radiation are present. From Special Agent Sweetie Drops’ reports… it almost seems like something is trying to keep us out of here.”

The Council looked at Bon Bon upon that reveal. She did not meet their surprised glances. She dropped her gaze to the snow, Celestia and Luna casting her a pair of concerning stares. She waited until they were all focused back on Shining Armor before she lifted her eyes again.

“We’re all gonna need to wear some hazmat suits, and some shielding magic to top us all off. They should be enough to protect us from the radiation. If you’ll all follow me into the outpost…”

By Shining Armor’s word, the crowd followed and entered into the nearest facility to their right. Once inside, everypony was scanned up and down for any signs of radiation poisoning. Thankfully, nopony attained anything. With that out of the way, the T.I.T.A.N. agents were given their specialized hazmat suits first and foremost, already made and ready on the spot. For the Alicorn princess, for Spike, it took a while longer for the designers to magically prepare some unique attire.

After a few minutes of tinkering, they were successful and granted Princess Twilight and Spike their own hazmat suits and gas masks. Staring at the mask in his claws quizzically, Spike turned to see Rainbow Dash tighten the mask over her face ease, Pinkie doing the same and popping up behind Fluttershy, surprising her with a frightful “Boo!” The pink party pony laughed it off. Fluttershy tried to. Applejack was struggling to decide how best to wear her hat with a mask. She managed, tightening the hat over both the mask and her head. It surprisingly fit. Rarity observed herself again and again, whining pitifully at the atrocious yellow color given to her. She didn’t even get started on her mane when a T.I.T.A.N. agent passed by, inspecting everypony’s attire and equipment before they shipped out. He frowned and tightened the mask over Rarity’s face before she could even protest.

Seeing the encouraging smile from Cadance, Spike sighed and put the mask on. The short snout from the mask hung downwards, the inky black eyes staring off onto nothing. He observed his gloves, his suit, and was cleared by the passing T.I.T.A.N. agent. They all were. Princess Cadance gave them all the necessary protection via magical spell, a washing wave shielding all of their bodies as an extra layer to keep them safe. With that, they were free to go.

They all exited the facility and stood once more out in the cold and snow, pushed into the fog and darkness.

They followed Shining Armor and stood just outside the radiation line.

What lied beyond was certain death without the proper attire. But they were cleared, checked twice each to ensure where they entered would not be where they died. To know that, to know that the difference between life and death was just a few short steps away. Twilight gasped lightly, stared to the radiation symbols plastered on the signs to her left and right. The poles were frozen solid into the ice and slanted by the ages. By the chilling, screaming winds of the past.

Another fog rested ahead, another color other than white and black that the Frozen North was infested with. The soft, alluring glow of a bluish hue shimmered in the atmosphere. Like an aurora borealis, but not quite as strong or amplified. Just a wisp. A whisper. A vapor of light that flowed and fell in the fog of pure, deathly radiation.

Just one breath, Twilight imagined. Just one, unprotected touch…

She turned to her older brother, noticed he was without a mask just like her. He shared her gaze, declaring, “Once we’re below ground, we can take off the masks, but for now…”

He pulled his gas mask over his face, securing it in place. His horn, also protected, shimmered to light their path into the fog of death. And with that, his heavy breaths were all that she could tell of his presence before he made his way directly into death’s hold. The caravan followed him.

“It’s okay, Twilight,” Cadance assured her, patting her shoulder as she passed by. “Just remember to breathe.”

Twilight gulped, staring into the dark, bug-like eyes of the gas mask. She shakily inhaled, sighed in her exhale, but pursed her lips with rising determination and said, “Might be a little harder now.”

She slipped it on and said not a word more. She saved every breath she could once she stepped her hoof past the line and into the unknown.

Spike gripped onto her for comfort and guidance, his shaking breaths mimicking hers as they traversed the fog with everypony else. As they moved, they could see figures stumbling within the haze. Hazmat suits with radiation detectors moving about and scanning every inch of the environment. The counters were going wild, that haunting tick, tick, tick echoing throughout the area. Bon Bon could see them even through the limited vision of the gas mask. The T.I.T.A.N. agents and scientists studied the soil and captured as much information on the radiation waves as possible.

They could never understand it. Not like she could. For she had seen its creation where they had only heard it through stories.

Agent Stellar was waiting for them on the elevator as he told them before. Near the peaks of ice within the glacier. To the continued shock of the Council of Friendship, they gazed upon the gargantuan elevator literally embedded within the mountain. It appeared like a dark cave, a cavern of pure brilliance in engineering and nature’s frozen design. Once everypony was stationed upon it and settled in, Shining Armor nodded to Cosmic Stellar. He pressed his hoof onto the control panel on the front of the elevator.

With a sudden lurch, the elevator cried out before making a slow and subtle descent into the well of darkness. It descended sideways, slinking into the bowels of the icy earth with the whirs and cries of the mechanical chains keeping it from sliding dangerously out of control. The Council shared similar expressions of wonderment and awe beneath their gas masks, though none could tell how they reacted. Light bulbs were embedded within the icy ceiling, giving their descent a much more visible exposure. The craftsmanship of the tunnel astounded Twilight Sparkle. It must have taken years, a budget worthy of Canterlot’s riches in order for a crew to have worked and constructed in such harsh and unrelenting conditions. But that was the price they paid for discovery. That was the risk they took…

For it to completely pay off.

The tunnel had ended and they entered into an underground cavern beyond imaginable scale.

Shining Armor was the first to remove his mask and take in a deep breath. He was not the last. Not by a long shot. It was spread from pony to pony, each one of them removing their individual gas masks and placing them onto the hazmat suit’s strap. As they did so, a new light was shone upon them. Twilight removed her mask and gasped for air, breathing in the chilling vapors of the world beneath the world.

And beneath Outpost Frostbite, she paid witness to a massive mining facility. They all did.

Structures and beams towered from the floor to the ceiling’s seemingly endless peak. Catwalks were scattered from one beam to the next, smaller elevators used to reach and drill and study the various positions laid out on the icy wall. Tunnels and pathways were laid out throughout the facility below them, various minecarts holding chunks of ice and rock rich with the contents T.I.T.A.N. so yearned to analyze. Below, where their destination was nearing by the second, a station was ready with several T.I.T.A.N. scientists awaiting their arrival.

But beyond them… something terrible had happened. Something Twilight had noticed right away. From her own eyes… and from the grimness etched on Shining Armor and Cadance’s expressions. They all saw it just as she had. Just as Celestia and Luna had. Just as Bon Bon and all Twilight’s friends had. As all of T.I.T.A.N. had.

The cavern was infected. There was a growing number of familiar, dark crystals scattered about. They spread like a viral disease, engrained throughout the ice from top to bottom and near every corner of the facility. But that wasn’t all. Not by a long shot. Besides the dreadful, all-too-familiar crystals, the mining in the area unveiled something hidden beneath the ice, within the shattered mountains.

Light from the radiation above shimmered through the ice, illuminating to them a tremendous shadow. A terrifying figure that slithered in a frozen state. Captured in time to be persevered for their viewing pleasure. For their viewing horror. It scaled a height that was almost inconceivable, growing only taller and more ferocious as the elevator continuously descended. Twilight and the Council of Friendship stood in awe as their jaws only fell further, as their eyes only continued to open.

Everypony witnessed it and shared their dread, their uncertainty, and their fear with one another. T.I.T.A.N. knew the stories. They knew the legend. They knew of the beast captured within the hold of the world, gazing to the mighty jaws trapped in that perpetual frozen roar, screaming as its freedom was stripped away by the frost and cold. They shuddered at the teeth of the monster, at the limbs and wings and tails.

And heads.

Bon Bon witnessed it all for herself, for her own mind’s understanding. For her own belief onto the spectacle that everypony else—presumably Twilight and the Council—were seeing for the first time. She knew it was no spectacle, but a terror. A death song of three storms, fallen from above to a tomb of ice and earth that had trapped it for eons. A hydra. A demon of the stars.

The Devil himself.

Monster Zero.

Titanus Ghidorah.