Invasion of the Astro Monster: All Out Attack

Chapter 5

Not Again

"No, Rodan, no matter how many times you ask, I'm not going to sanction a hunting season for whales," Celestia said, fed up with the requests of a certain red-scaled pterosaur.

"But Celestia!" he pouted.

"Rodan, not everypony shares your carnivorous tendencies. I think you'll find that there are few, if any, ponies that would delight in a hunt in the same way you would," she said.

"To be fair, there are always the Griffins," Luna chimed in.

Celestia shot her sister a look. "Luna, you're not helping," she said. Luna responded with a shrug.

"I'm just providing another viewpoint," she said.

"Rodan, this is the fifth time this month. Surely you've grown as tired of this as the rest of us," Ghidorah muttered, absentmindedly looking out the window.

"Hey, not all of us can live off of one kind of food for our whole lives, buddy!" Rodan squawked at him in response.

Celestia sighed, facehoofing. "Biollante, please tell me you have something to say on the matter," she said.

Biollante, who sat in the sunlight, looking out the window, only shrugged. "It is only natural for a predator to desire to hunt. I say let him do it," she said.

Celestia groaned. "I can't believe it. I brought you here to help me with this," she said, gesturing to Biollante and Luna, "and the only one I have on my side is the ex-Destroyer of Worlds!"

Ghidorah glared at her a little. "Thank you," he grumbled. Celestia rolled her eyes in response.

"Fine. Rodan, I'm allowing you and only you to hunt whales. For food, alright? Not sport. And don't go crazy, either. We don't want a sudden dip in whale populations just because you get hungry, got it?" she said.

Rodan pumped a fist in the air. "Score!" he shouted victoriously, before prompting turning and flying out the window.

A collective sigh of relief echoed through the throne room. "Well, at least we can all agree that we're glad that's over," Luna said.

Ghidorah, Biollante, and Celestia nodded in agreement. Ghidorah opened his mouths to say something, when there was a sudden popping sound as Discord teleported into the room. "Hello everypony! Have I missed anything important?" he asked.

Ghidorah and Biollante jumped at his sudden entrance. Ghidorah bristled in annoyance, with Biollante quickly regaining her composure.

"Rodan will now be allowed to hunt whales, per decree of Celestia," she said.

Discord's eyebrows danced in piqued interest. "Oh? Now how did that happen, Celestia?" he asked.

Celestia looked away. "Don't worry about it, Discord," she mumbled, eliciting a jolly laugh from the draconequus.

"It would seem some things never change, do they?" he said to no one in particular. "Oh, by the way, Celestia, how long has it been since a kaiju entered our pleasant little dimension again?"

The Royal Sisters blinked at him quizzically. "Three. How come?" Luna asked.

Before Discord could answer, Rodan landed on the balcony, a look of worry. "Ghids? Biollante? We've got a problem," he said in a worried tone.

Celestia looked at Rodan with a pleading face. "Please tell me it's not..."

Rodan rubbed the back of his head. "It's not that bad! I mean, I know the guy, but..."

"But?"

"There may be a teeny, tiny..."

"Rodan, spit it out,"

"There's a kaiju headed this way."

Ghidorah and Biollante stood now, bodies tense. "Here? Now?" Ghidorah demanded, stepping forward.

Celestia looked downcast. "Again? Why now?" she muttered.

Luna put a hoof of reassurance on her sister's shoulder. "We knew it was just a matter of time. At least now, we're ready," she said.

Turning to the princesses, King Ghidorah spoke. "We haven't any time to waste. I'll be back once they've been dealt with," he said.

Celestia and Luna nodded, Discord pulling a pair of binoculars from a bag he was carrying. "Oh, I won't miss this for the world!" he shouted with glee, teleporting to the balcony, now seated in a reclining chair. "Well? Get to it, guys! Best not to keep your audience waiting!"

Ghidorah nodded to Rodan, and the pair flew out the window. Biollante's avatar sighed. "And here I thought today was going to be boring," she muttered.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

As the two airborne kaiju flew west, the sight of the encroacher became larger and clearer. Rodan looked at Ghidorah with worry. "Think we can get him out of here without making a scene?" he asked.

Ghidorah huffed. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll leave," he said.

Rodan nodded. "Yeah, I sure hope so," he said.

Far below, a mass of vegetation that had looked like a hill reared up, revealing Biollante's saurian head. She roared, announcing her awakening, before turning. Looking down, she saw the aggressor, who had stopped in his tracks to enter a defensive stance. She looked down on him almost with pity.

"Ebirah. Welcome," she said.

The red crustacean had its claws open, ready to strike. "Damn, Biollante. Didn't know you were here," he said.

Rodan landed next to him. "Same could be said for you, buddy. Hey, when'd you show up in this place?" he asked.

Ebirah turned to him, claws cocked open. "Few days ago. Mothra told us about you guys, putting up shop in this place. Can't say I ever thought I'd end up here, though," he replied.

"Then I take it she told you about me,"

Turning, Ebirah saw King Ghidorah hovering above. His golden scales glinted in the sunlight, making him seem like an apparition, some horrid and powerful deity of judgement sent to smite those deemed unworthy. "I, uh, I -" Ebirah stammered.

Ghidorah landed before him, wings flared to an impossible length. "I can't say she did," Ebirah forced out, causing Ghidorah to smirk.

"Of course she didn't. Who would believe her?" he said.

"Look, guys, I don't want any trouble. Can I go? I'm really sorry if I pissed any of you off or something, but I promise I won't cause any trouble. Come on, don't tell me this is the wrong neighborhood or something,"

Rodan and Biollante looked at Ghidorah expectantly, the three-headed dragon nodding. "Luckily for you, violent measures won't have to be taken, it would seem. Rodan, escort our friend to the nearest ocean. In any case, I imagine you'll want to go there yourself?"

Rodan nodded, before squawking at Ebirah. "C'mon, shrimpy. There's a big sea west of here. I'll take you there and we can eat some whales!"

For his part, Ebirah was very confused. "Wait, so you're not going to horribly kill me? Fry me? Serve me as a battered dish with a side of biscuits?"

Ghidorah chuckled, a hint of his ringing laugh coming through. "Only if you give me a reason to," he said.

Shocked, but not upset, by this response, Ebirah turned. "Alright then. Can't say I ever expected to hear that - least of all from you - but I won't complain. I guess I'll be on my way, then," he said, before following Rodan westward.

The two red kaiju gone, Biollante looked at Ghidorah. "My, my, King of Terror. You really have changed," she said.

Ghidorah snorted. "An astute observation," he said sarcastically, before turning and flying to the castle, shrinking as he did so. Biollante sighed, and proceeded to return to her gargantuan slumber.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Ghidorah landed on the balcony, ignoring the disappointed and pouting Discord. "The job is done. The kaiju has been dealt with," he said.

"How disappointing. Not even a single punch," Discord muttered, before teleporting away to parts unknown.

Celestia smiled. "Not a huge threat?" she asked.

Biollante's avatar walked towards them, shaking her head. "Ebirah simply wishes to survive. He harbors no ill will to anything in particular," she said.

A sigh of relief echoed from the Royal Sisters' mouths for the second time today. "Well, that's reassuring," Luna said.

Celestia smiled up at King Ghidorah. "You know, that's the first time you've said those words and not left behind a giant mess for me to clean up. Did you know that?"

Ghidorah snorted. "I tried a diplomatic approach. It would seem I have picked up a thing or two from you," he said.

As King Ghidorah turned to walk away, the twin sisters beamed. "It really is an impossible feat you've accomplished," Biollante said to them as Ghidorah exited the throne room. Luna smiled at her. "In Equestria, Biollante, nothing is impossible," she said.

The plant pony nodded. "Indeed," she said. "I fear you may be right,"

Celestia's smile disappeared. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Biollante was silent for a moment, carefully considering what she was going to say. After a while, she spoke. "Does it not concern you, Celestia? That one who had spent so long as a being of pure evil just suddenly decided to reverse his affiliation?" she asked.

Luna stepped up. "Ghidorah may once have been evil, but that has no bearing on who he is now," she said in a tone of finality.

Biollante turned and looked Luna in the face. "Unfortunately, I think it does. Think about it. When Ghidorah served you, why did he do it? Because the two of you kept his powers from him. You kept him on a tight leash, and you kept those abilities he held dear from his reach. Did you ever consider how much that might've broken him? And, with one as broken as he already was, how much worse might it have made him?"

Luna looked ready to shout, but Celestia stepped in. "Your concerns are valid, Biollante. After all, I do not know what he may or may not have done in your universe. But you forget, the Elements of Harmony prevent him from returning to his evil habits. What's more, they showed him the value of friendship and all you or I might consider good," she said.

Biollante shook her head. "That's too perfect to be true, and I think you might know it. Ghidorah is unpredictable. I doubt your Elements have truly slain the dragon he once was, only suppressed it. He may seem comfortable, happy, and he may even feel that way, but deep down, hiding from sight is the same genocidal maniac he was known as. I only fear that all it takes is a few pushes in the wrong direction and he will return to his prior state," she said.

Luna pushed Celestia aside with her wings. "Biollante, I suggest you watch your tone. Ghidorah is not the only one to have been converted by the Elements of Harmony. Are you suggesting that I am so weak as to return to the Nightmarish form I once was as well?" she accused.

Biollante merely blinked. "Of course not," she said. "Your Highness," she added in a decidedly derogatory fashion. Before the conversation could continue any further, she turned and left  the throne room.

Luna pulled to go after her, but Celestia stopped her with a hoof on her shoulder. "Let her go, Sister. She has every right to be distrustful,"

Luna sighed. "I know, Celestia. It still hurts, though. She has no idea what he went through," she said.

Celestia nodded. "Luna, I don't think anypony in our universe or any other knows what he has gone through," she said.