Chapter 34 Illustrations and Chapter 35 Promo · 6:37pm Jan 23rd, 2017
The ever lovely and oh so talented Faith-Wolff has graced our tale yet again with four new illustrations for Chapter 34! Check em out!
http://faith-wolff.deviantart.com/art/Aura-vision-659119337
http://faith-wolff.deviantart.com/art/You-Knew-659119346
http://faith-wolff.deviantart.com/art/Deal-with-the-Devil-659119354
http://faith-wolff.deviantart.com/art/A-New-Aspect-659119360
Chapter 35 is almost done, only one scene left to finish and it's half typed. I expect to submit it in for proofing within a day or two, given tweaks. Until then, here's a bit to chew on.
The S.S. Mermare rocked against the gradually calming waves before falling still and adrift. Hours as the ship drifted along. Away from the calm sea, it careened into turbulent waters yet again and touched upon a veil of mists so thick they were impossible to see through. This mist was one filled with sights, many of clear waters as well as jagged, stone reefs in multiple directions. Had the ship been under control, any wise captain would have avoided the latter and drove towards the former without knowing most of the reefs were illusions meant to redirect pirates out of the haze. But lacking that, the usual method of keeping the boat away from what lay in the center of the sea of fog wasn’t effective. The ship chugged along until well into the night, eventually pushing through the mist. The hull groaned as it rubbed up against and made a stop upon a wide sandbar that stretched around in a wide ring. Once the mouth of an enormous sea volcano, the atoll ring contained a wide blue hole of water that in turn encircled the entirety of a small mountain island at its center.
The calm waters were parted by a trio of heads poking out of the surface, one large individual flanked by two smaller ones. The former turned to those beside her and whispered,-
“Stay here, I’m gonna look. If it's pirates, go get help.”
-before swimming up closer to the stalled boat. Ducking under the surface momentarily, she vaulted herself out of the water an impressive distance. Anyone watching would have glimpsed a scaly lower body, colorful fins, and the glint of a shell necklace around her neck before the investigator’s body became lined with magical light and landed upon the sandbar as a blue-furred earth pony mare with a long, rosy magenta mane. Aside from her wet hair, the only indicator of her true nature was the small set of scales dotting her stomach and hindhooves. Shaking herself off some and walking with some unease, she cautiously approached the boat that bore her species’ namesake and poked her head above the rails.
“Hello? Anyponies on here? Your ship ran aground.”
The searcher’s two smaller companions, a pair of seahorse-shaped, filly sized beings called seaponies; swam closer. The first was a blue and yellow striped seastallion named Arrow; and the orange and purple striped seamare following suit was his sister, Coral. Reaching the boat, they called out to their friend with curious and worried expressions respectively clad on their faces.
“Electra, is it empty?”
“Or are the land ponies playing peek-a-buoy?”
The transformed mermare, Electra, climbed on deck, slowly pacing around while on the lookout for anypony around or hiding. Not too many pirates in the Celestial sea, but she knew well to be cautious.
“First I think. Check the flanks for lifeboats.”
Once again Faithy has outdone herself, Shining and Cadance look hilarious!
Definitely looking forward to the next chapter, seaponies need some more love.
Keep up the good work you two!
I wonder if it's Gaira?
Well hopefully 35 won't disappoint me on the subject of Ghidorah.
The deadpan look on Xen's face makes me smile. Favorite is easily the one showing Bagan's talk with Sombra and Chrysalis. The teaser is shorter than some past ones, but it's hype build up is certainly large.
Left four favs on DA today. Faith has outdone herself as she used two different styles of art for at least three pics. On the first, she uses luminescent colors to show off the aura of Luna and Rarity, showing the ethereal nature of their "souls" and how even the purest people have darkness within them. The last two picture use overwhelming darkness or dark colors to give an ominous vibe to the scenes as it shows off how dangerous Bagan is in the sense that he can make people like Chrysalis/Sombra look like insects or how he can turn good Equestrians like Sunset into monsters. The first place of my favorite is a tie between the aura scene and the Pregnancy surprised. I said before today on the pic's DA page, Faith should be part of an animation studio like MLP because I haven't seen such vivid expressions of surprise in the show as the ones I'm looking at right now. It's refreshing to see a bit of humor on this chapter and seeing Cadence, of all people, be the most surprised as she's usually calm and confident in the show. Shining Armor's surprised face is funny as hell, but the best part is Xenilla's annoyed expression at how long it took them to figure it out. Seems like becoming an official hero has made Xenilla far more expressive.
I'm also curious as to what the next chapter will be like in the coming days as you're using MLP characters from other magazine sources besides the IDW comics and that makes me curious. Thanks for the news, Tarb.
Man, the character page is going to be really full. Glad I actually read "Under the Sparkling Sea" or else I would have been so lost. Does this mystery have something to do with that dog hating entity you talked about a blog ago?
By the way, I recently updated "The Lost Hero".
Yay! More Faithy art and a new chapter on the way! That's always good news. ^_^
"To us, the sea below is filled with wonders and mysteries. To those below, above is just as strange and wondrous. But...both worlds have their dangers...."
Impressive as usual Faithy, by the way Tarb what percentage of their power were Bagan and Harmony when they faught, oh please tell me Harmony was at like around 30% and Bagan around 10% that way I would know that Kaiju Gods are no way weaker than Pony God's because I don't want them to become the Starscream to the Rainbow Dashes like in Death Battle
4394166 Both Harmony and Bagan were at about 30% in the fight. They are dead even and any victory they'd have over the other when at full power would be based more off tactics and luck than one being outright stronger than the other.
I'm now waiting patiently for the new chapter. Got me all hyped to what surprises may come our way.
Good to see Faith's artwork again, it's been a while
Also, I think what those sea ponies are about to meet is that possessed Sunset Shimmer (aka the new Enjin) who now obeys Bagan; I could be wrong, but what it says at the very end of the chapter got me thinking it could saying:
4394178 what the heck dude, you have to make Bagan stronger otherwise the Kaiju verse would lose credibility of being equally awesome to DC, Marvel, Hell even Dragon Ball and they damn outright Outrank the Ponies
4394237
May I remind you full power Tirek was a casual mountain buster on par with a very strong kaiju and yet he got 1-shot by one of Harmony's artifacts made up of her own power. Your average Equestrian isn't very powerful and would get stomped (literally) by a kaiju, but their high end members are very powerful in their own right.
Comparing Harmony to your average pony is like comparing Bagan to your average human. It's all about scale.
4394115 What are you talking about? Sombra and Chrysalis were indeed talking to Bagan in that image.
4394350
Eh heh. ^_^;
4394310 phh Godzilla has destroyed more than just mountains like a Continent or an Entire F***ing Planet, he even casully Tanks Nuclear Megaton Bombs without a scatch, Killed Planet or Star busters for a living, hell he even faught his way through Actual Hell and Won, he even killed the Olympian God's and took a giant Meteor to the Face and came out unscathed, F*** he even hand the Asses out of the Avengers (which includes Thor who can stomp Celestia and Luna at full strength and win, Fantastic Four and X-men at once (without having to amp up his power Red Spiral Mode or Burning Form), even with all that Bagan made Godzilla his Bitch until Super Godzilla arrived, you should try looking at feats more often, I'm not denying that the Deities of Equestrian are powerful in their own right and Harmony can ponyhandled(pun intended) some of the great Kaiju, I'm just saying that she and they can't handle Bagan or SuperGodzilla
4394439
I am well aware of character feats, I research the hell outta all my stories. However the only time Godzilla has ever been continent or planet busting was in his meltdown state, which killed him, or in Godzilla in Hell; where the writer forgot to research anything outside of Dante's Inferno because they got two huge factoids wrong.
In the comic, it's explained Godzilla died and blew up the planet during a beam fight with Spacegodzilla that caused a nuclear ignition of the atmosphere. This runs contrary to the fact we've seen kaiju do plenty of beam fights before with only building sized (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2) or city block sized (Godzilla vs. Monster X) conventional explosions. The nuclear "ignite the atmosphere" was a theory from the 1940s that's been disproven time and time again. Thus, I do not include Godzilla in Hell feats because they run contrary to logic and films, which are the chief canon.
Also the Big G beating down the Greek gods is impressive, but not game breaking. We got myths of them getting stabbed or hurt by mortals with mortal weapons, so the Olympians are basically glass cannons.
Full Power Tirek was on par with many different kaiju, including many strong ones, and again he got one-shot by something made from just a portion of Harmony's power. He didn't struggle, he didn't resist it, he got taken down in one hit. And the Rainbow Power was made of just a portion of Harmony's power so now multiply that to her full strength. And when you also consider she's the originator of pretty much every use of magic we've seen the heroines and heroes use in-canon, it piles up quickly.
Long story short, I mulled on this for a long time and calculated many feats. Harmony and thus her counterpart Grogar are dead even with each other and thus also either even or so close to Bagan's power it's impossible to tell who is strongest.
4394504 OK I can understand you wish to follow your logic (though you'll have to bring up a link that proofs that Godzilla died in a Beam struggle with SpaceGodzilla because I read it and It didn't show that he died just engulfed in the explosion and woke up in purgatory), but I read most of Greek Mythology and it doesn't say the Gods where harmed by mortal weapons but weapons made by them
4394570
1. If you are in purgatory and the afterlife without a celestial escort, pretty much all religions say that means you died.
2. Two times that are easily found are in the Iliad during a fight between the Trojans and Greeks. Both Aphrodite/Venus and Ares/Mars took damage from mortal weapons, a spear through the wrist and a sword in the gut respectively from Diamedes, who is a normal human.
New Pictures! Totally sweet!
Gettin' some ideas.... gettin' some ideas....
And we get to spend some time with the Mermares and seaponies, interesting. It's been a while since Tarb released that blog about his headcanon for the aquatic equines. Looks like it's about to pay off.
I do have some HC for the two species, but this makes me want to flesh it out a bit more.
Is that what happened in "Godzilla in Hell"? He got blowed-up with SpaceGodzilla? huh, I'll have to take another look at it.
4394593 or they brought him there from the otherside of the door, it could go both ways
4394504 i always thought Tirek's big form was a supercharged state(similar to the Burning or Super form) and the state he was in during his stay at Canterlot was his regular full power.
4395172 I meant full as in "highest power he got". Point still stands he was that strong and yet Harmony's trinket 1-shot him.
4395206 never disagreed with you there, part of me wonders why Tirek called Scorpan's medallion worthless yet he still kept it until the point he gave it to discord when he had plenty of opportunities to throw it away sooner?
4394479
Pretty much. It was a mistake, and I'm sorry. XD
4395623 can't blame you though, it's hard to make out details with how dark it is.
Had to squint my eyes to see.
Out of curiosity, i wonder what X would look like without his helmet(in Kaiju form)?
4394504 So I take it that means Twilight with the Alicorn magic (or all four Alicorns fighting together) is Kaiju tier as well?
Also, I do sincerely love hearing Tirek being that strong.
I LOATH how many stories just have the new villain or the other side of the crossover just take him out in five seconds.
4396494 so essentially you're upset with how Tirek is usually on the receiving end of the Worf Effect?
Similar to how i felt watching Ghidorah getting his ass kicked by Kaizer or a mental shriek by Bagan?
Of course my feelings have waned over time but they're still there, i also like Tirek as well.
4396499 Similar, yeah.
Though at least in this case Ghidorah is still part of the plot and a threat. A lot of stories KILL Tirek off or similar.
4396511 but why?
I personally think he's a villain with great potential.
4396512 Mainly they do it so they don't have to deal with him or make their villain/character/side of the crossover look stronger.
4396522 so either due to laziness or a half assed method to establish another character's power?
Well at least we won't get such nonsense here unless Tarb decides to make another anti villain with a dead wife who has grudge against Tirek and an unknown superpowered evil side of evilness!!!
4396522
4396526
I am happy GW likes what I've done. The fact Tirek at max power proved so strong and yet was dealt with via the Rainbow Power meant my views on Equestria having it's own powers that wouldn't be outclassed was vindicated. Fun fact, I've actually been hinting at Harmony since the start. It's why the words "Harmony's Realm" is capitalized in the description.
Back to business however, one reason I didn't take issue with King Ghidorah getting a small smack on the head(s) while I didn't undersell Tirek and the other Equestrians is 3 reasons.
1. One of them is a kaiju, we don't need to know how strong he is. We already know that. The Equestrians by comparison, are very prone to being underestimated.
2. Bagan establishing itself as stronger than Ghidorah affirmed it's role in the lead antagonist and that it is something else. King Ghidorah is extremely powerful, but we've seen him beaten numerous times. It shows Bagan is less of a kaiju and more of an eldritch entity (backed up by how ancient it is) completely unlike what we've seen before.
3. King Ghidorah is powerful, he is dangerous. He is not all powerful. In films he is treated as a big, mass threatening force... but not an unbeatable one. I have seen every single movie the guy was in and the one time he ever scored a win, it was
A. Not lethal
B. Against Mothra Leo, who's only real attacks are energy based, which Grand King Ghidorah is basically immune to.
I really think some people hype King Ghidorah up too much. He is powerful, he is dangerous, he could probably beat 95% of all kaiju 1-on-1. But fact is he's never really been the main baddie of a series outside of Rebirth of Mothra; and even then he still lost. In fact there are far more times he's acted as somebodies WMD than he ever has acting alone. In the entirety of the Showa series he was either under the Xilian, Kilaak, Nebulan, or Gargos beck and call; and there he had a steady decay in dangerous where at first it took a 3v1 fight to drive him off, then a 2v1, then a 2v2, a 1v1, and then he got killed by a mob without taking out any of them. Heisei!Ghidorah was at best on-par with Godzilla Senior and he still lost even after getting an upgrade. Heck if you compared successful fights, Kaizer Ghidorah actually outdoes him as he curb-stomped FW Godzilla (one of the most OP versions ever) and would have killed him had deus ex machina not acted in.
This is not me shitting on King Ghidorah. I love the guy, he's one of the big Five from Toho and I adore his powers, design, and concept. That's why I always hyped up his fights even in the times he didn't win.
Didn't win in 1998? It's because he was fighting the strongest Godzilla and Mothra ever in a 2v1. And it was less because he was critically wounded and more he just got annoyed and figured it was more trouble than it was worth.
Didn't win in Final Wars? He basically had the Destroy All Monsters scenario but he managed to live. And he wasn't actually under mind-control like the aliens thought. He was acting out of amusement.
Didn't win on Xilian 370 years ago? He was up against the Entire Xilian Empire and Kaizer Ghidorah, and he inflicted enormously heavy damage on both before surviving. He crippled the one peaceful empire in ways it has changed even centuries later and he did heavily injure Kaizer Ghidorah. Kaizer was just too hyped up to register it.
Heck the fight he had with Irys, Gigan, and Megalon was basically my version of the "Ghidorah: Three Headed Monster" fight; but it actually ended better for Ghidorah because he stopped fighting out of boredom.
My point is, King Ghidorah is like the General Zod of the Godzilla universe, not the Darksied. He's a massive, dangerous, powerhouse of a force; but he's not lead villain material. I've seen others do such for him and that's fine. I just wanted to do something different. And as we'll see in future chapters, that won't undersell how dangerous or cunning he is. He has a plan.
Tirek by comparison, has always been an enormous threat every time he's been used. In G1 and G4, he's this juggernaut of a danger that very nearly succeeds multiple times and it's only by use of a massive force outside the heroes' normal means in which he is defeated. One could make the logical argument G4 Tirek is the most successful and powerful of the current G4 villains and G1 Tirek is beaten out only by Grogar in terms of success.
4396597 i wasn't really criticizing you, last part was really just a joke if anything.
Hell i did agree with you to an extent when you made the point of Ghidorah being overhyped.
I don't have anything against his characteristics, he's an absolute a-hole and i love it!
Though I'm surprised you didn't have any showa gags in the fight like KG shooting Megalon in the crotch(it was funny with Godzilla).
And i don't really have all that much against X, he's one of my favorites and the only gripe with KKKKAAAAAAIIIIIZZZZERRRRR! Was how easy it appeared for him to beat King.
FW Goji's strength is debatable when you look at the opponent roster and portrayal of said monsters.
4396615
Sorry if I came off as ticked off. I was just being very extensive so my point was laid out entirely. I knew you meant well
And no crotch blasting, sadly, but I did include two nods. Irys grabbing onto his back and necks to try and pull him back but getting ragdolled off was a nod to KG handling Rodan, and him stomping on Megalon mirrored Anguirus in GvG and DaM.
As for the kaizer fight, I can see the problem but I did try to address it by having a cut away showing there was a time skip in the fight (as otherwise it get dragging) and a few times I noted just how heavily damaged Kaizer Ghidorah was and outclassed Monster X was. In the case of the latter I just noted how he wasn't registering the damage as he was too enraged to react to the pain, "He was being damaged, but not hurt".
FW Godzilla's power is debatable, but looking at his feats of strength I feel it is safe to class him as in the upper tier of G incarnations. Opponents aside, he did chuck Kumonga (30,000 tons) over a horizon showing massive physical strength and the beam struggle between him and the more or less equal Monster X resulted in a massive explosion far larger than previous beam struggles had.
4396619 really there's no hostility between us, I've always loved The Bridge since the day i first read it.
Though there's a question i like to ask you, i watched your 2nd year anniversary Q&A last night and you mentioned MegaGuirus was a crazy stalker.
Not to mention that Junior was creeped out by her, care to elaborate?
4396624
Megaguirus is, for lack of better terms, an energy vampire. She stings and drains something of its power to add to her own and feed off it. When she stung Junior, the temporary boost she got was big and filling enough she got "addicted" to it and kept trying to get more.
4396630 so she viewed Junior as a walking Jolly Rancher?