Invasion of the Astro Monster: All Out Attack

Chapter 7

Frayed Ends

"Sister, how do I look?" Celestia asked Luna, straightening her crown.

Luna giggled. "You look fine, sis. Don't worry, I'm sure the Griffon King won't notice if your crown is ever-so-slightly off-balance," she said.

Celestia shuffled nervously. "You know how he is. I thought Twilight was a perfectionist, but he's just impossible! Do you remember the last time we met with him?" she said, chuckling in an attempt to alleviate the tension.

Luna smiled, humoring her sister. "I do. And believe me, I am certain nothing anywhere near as disastrous will occur again. Besides, it's been over a century. I'm sure he can't still be particularly upset about something so small, right?"

Celestia took a deep breath. "Right. We just need to be calm, and everything will be fine," she said.

The throne room's doors opened, a white unicorn mare peering her head in. "Your highnesses? King Archibald is here," she said.

The diarchs each inhaled deeply, Luna nodding for the mare to let them in.

"Well, Celestia, it seems we'll know soon enough,"

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King Archibald was an old griffin. Not quite an immortal, but indeed blessed with an almost tragically long life, he was beginning to show the signs of his old age. Short-tempered and quite demanding, the grey-feathered griffon was one who expected nothing but the finest quality in all manner of things. Perhaps this was the result of the griffon kingdom's recent depression that had only been escaped a few decades ago, and now that times were good once more he desired to experience life to its fullest. The last time he had come to Equestria had been a century ago, to celebrate the two-century anniversary of the Pony-Griffin War. That event, now four hundred years in the past, paled in comparison to the reason he was here today.

The arrival of kaiju in Equestria was a big event, pun not intended. To irrevocably confirm that their world was just one of many, and that there were forces out there beyond the scope of imagination was a frightening thing to most. And if one was not a pony, things became even more concerning when one realized that three of these monsters were now at Equestria's beck and call. Equestria already dominated the political landscape, but this move was pushing it closer and closer to a potential dictatorship. As such, it should be no surprise that the other fantastical nations of the world were very concerned and demanded an audience with the twin diarchs. Archibald and the griffins were merely the first, as envoys from the Minotaur Kingdoms, Saddle Arabia, and Yakyakistan were already on their way.

His arrival in Canterlot had only been satisfactory thus far. Nothing in particular seemed of any interest or import, and the castle was almost identical to the way he left it, save for the new stained glass fixtures that had been put in place to commemorate several new events. He had been quite intrigued by the newest image, one of King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra fighting the evil Hedorah and its minions. It was perhaps the only thing that had served to impress him even slightly up until now, but that was primarily because he had never seen a kaiju before and the power displayed in the image suggested something on a scale far superior to anything he was familiar with.

After waiting for a few moments (which was a few moments too many for Archibald), the guards opened the doors to the throne room, revealing both princesses at the other end. They were seated in their thrones, adopting a regal stance that was equally inviting and intimidating. King Archibald strode to the steps of the thrones, before bowing before them. "Your highnesses," he said.

Celestia and Luna bowed their heads in acknowledgement. "Your highness," they responded.

Archibald raised his head, looking the two of them in the eyes. His predatory gaze had been refined by centuries in court, and was enough to send most trained assassins scurrying. The two princesses did not flinch. "I take it you are aware of why I am here?" he asked.

The princesses nodded. "Very well," he said. "Let us get down to business."

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"GRAAARGH!"

The rage-fueled shout shook the castle walls, causing Gourmet to look up from her cooking out the door. Rodan flew into the kitchen, grabbing a raw fish that sat on the counter. In a rush, he shoved the fish into his mouth before noticing Gourmet looking at him. "Ohm, ffey fourmet," he said with his mouth stuffed.

The mare blinked. "Rodan, what's going on?" she asked.

"Fo fime fo falk. Fotta fly!" he said, before swallowing and flying out the back entrance to the Kitchen. Not at all sure what has happening, the earth pony shrugged before returning to her work.

She was immediately interrupted by King Ghidorah charging into the room with a crash. The dragon was steaming, fumes snorting from his nostrils in rage. He was soaking wet, and his heads were completely covered in noodles. His middle head had an upside-down pot on it, worn almost like a helmet. Steam rose from his body, and he emanated a distinct heat that would probably be enough to kill anything that remained in it for any lengthy period of time.

"WHERE IS RODAN?" he demanded.

Gourmet was not a liar. While she was certainly no element of harmony, she still prided herself on her honesty - however blunt it may be at times. However, she also was one who took great joy in causing mischief. Granted, being subject to pranks by Discord had put her on the receiving end of what was once an occasional pastime, causing her enjoyment of it to wane. Now, though, she was presented with a choice. She could tell Ghidorah exactly where Rodan had flown off to, or she could lie and find out just what the pterosaur had done to put the space dragon in such a fit.

With a grin that was warm to Ghidorah but quite sinister in actual intent, Gourmet opted for the latter. "I'm sorry, Ghidorah, but I haven't  seen our red friend at all for a while now," she said.

Ghidorah snorted. "ARE YOU SURE?" he demanded again.

Gourmet shrugged. "Sorry," she replied.

Ghidorah sighed, slumping downwards for a moment. "That damn flying nuisance. I was having a perfectly fine day, until he went and ruined it!" As he lamented whatever had occurred, a few noodles tangled in his horns slid downwards, falling to the tiled floor.

Resisting the urge to giggle at the three-headed kaiju's plight, Gourmet decided to ask him how he ended up in this sorry state in the first place. "So, would you like to explain what happened?" she asked. Ghidorah responded by puffin air out of his lips in defiance, but he didn't outright shoot her down. After a moment of waiting in silence, Ghidorah responded.

"I woke up and saw that my bedroom door was slightly ajar..." he said.

Gourmet looked at the pot that presently hid the eyes of his middle head and connected the dots. This was too good. For a destroyer of worlds, King Ghidorah sure was gullible. "Well, don't worry about it," Gourmet said. "I'm sure wherever Rodan is, he feels really guilty about what he di-"

"DAMNIT!"

Gourmet was interrupted by a very loud curse from down the hall. Ghidorah stood, recognizing Rodan's voice. His eyes glowed with anger as his claws clenched the ground, crushing the tile like dust. "RODAN! GET BACK HERE!" he roared, charging out of the kitchen in the direction of Rodan's voice.

After that rather chaotic turn of events, Gourmet was once again alone in her kitchen. Shrugging, she moved to collect the broom and dustbin to clean up the mess the two kaiju had made. Clearly, today was going to be a long day.

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"As you can see, King Archibald, just because Equestria now has three kaiju at its disposal does not mean that we, in any way, shape or form, intend to stray from our peaceful ways," Luna said, pointing to a spreadsheet filled with complicated statistics as she made her point. Herself, Celestia, and Archibald all stood in what would've looked like a war room to anypony else at first glance, as a model replica of Equestria and the surrounding nations and their geography took up most of the center of the room. On the wall was a cork-board, filled with all manner of spreadsheets, studies, and polls detailing just how thoroughly the magic of friendship permeated the land and its populace. The griffin nodded, scratching his chin with his talons.

"And what of your military? Surely you have made some technological advances as a result of all this?" he asked.

Celestia nodded in response. "Indeed, King Archibald. However, nothing has moved past the experimental phase. Besides, Equestria still lacks a standing army, and my sister and I intend to keep things that way. That said, recent events have forced us to at least consider the possibility of mobilizing a self-defense force, but any further steps in that direction have not yet been taken, I can assure you,"

The Griffin king snorted. "And what of these kaiju? Will I be able to meet with any of them?" he asked.

Luna and Celestia shared a look. "Your highness, I'm not sure if that's the best idea. Although not hostile, these are beings from another direction. They are still not quite used to life at this scale, and their manners and social skills are a bit lacking," Luna stated.

Celestia nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is as she has stated. Perhaps another time, your majes-"

"DAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNIT"

Celestia was interrupted when Rodan burst into the room, panting heavily and with fear in his eyes. He looked around, ensuring the area was safe, taking a full seven seconds to even notice the Princesses or their guest. When he did, he attempted - and failed - to regain his calm. "Oh, h-hey princesses! Gee, who'd have thought I'd see you girls here, am I right? Boy, your throne room sure does have a big closet!"

Both of the princesses sighed, while King Archibald looked quite confused. "I take it this is the one they call 'Rodan?'" he asked.

Rodan puffed out his chest in pride. "You're damn right! The one and only!" he said.

"Rodan! What have we told you about language?" Celestia chided.

"Yes, and what are you doing here, anyway?" Luna added.

Rodan chuckled nervously. "Yeah, you see, about that..."

Before he could answer further, the door to the room was kicked open with a crash, glittering golden talons piercing the dimly lit area. Rodan backed up against the scale model of Equestria, knocking over several trees and houses in the process. "N-now, look Ghiddy! The princesses are here! You wouldn't want to hurt me in front of them, would you?" he asked.

King Ghidorah stomped into the room, grabbing Rodan by the neck by biting into it with his left head. Rodan squawked in shock as he was lifted off his feet. Ghidorah's middle and right heads leaned in close to his face, the intimidation slightly thrown off by the noodles tangled in his manes. "Princesses or no, you will pay for what you have done!" he shouted, his furious voice shaking the walls of the room. Before Rodan or the princesses could protest further, Ghidorah responded by lifting Rodan higher, before slamming him down into the center of the Equestrian model, crushing Canterlot in the process. With a violent crash, the model was completely destroyed and Rodan was slammed into the most likely quite expensive tile floor. Ghidorah then rose his clawed foot to crush Rodan like an insect, ready to stomp the poor kaiju into dust if need be.

"King Ghidorah! Behave yourself!"

The King of Terror stopped himself before bringing down his anger, turning to see both Princesses furious. He growled. "Have you any idea what this fool has done? How my honor has been impuned?" he half-asked, half-demanded.

"I do not care, Ghidorah! Whatever he did, it is no excuse to throw a fit like a foal!" Celestia scolded, causing the dragon to seethe. Snapping his jaws in frustration, Ghidorah knew he had lost. He hissed at both princesses, before giving Rodan a kick and stomping out of the room. Rodan rolled over, standing up and chuckling.

"That was totally worth it," he said, before flying out of the room.

Both princesses sighed, before turning to King Archibald. "We apologize for their behavior, your highness," Luna stated, before noticing the King himself. "Your highness?"

King Archibald had assumed the fetal position and was trembling terribly. A foul smell suggested that he had reacted adversely in other ways as well. "Are the monsters gone now?" he asked in a feeble voice, before proceeding to suck his thumb.

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After cleaning up after the poor griffin and sending him on his way, both Princesses sat in their thrones, exhausted. It had been a long day. Between foreign diplomats, angry kaiju, and their usual chores, both Celestia and Luna were tired beyond belief. At the moment, the pair sat slouched in their thrones, eyes only half-open, and some of their shoes kicked off lazily. Regal stature be damned, they were tired and they deserved a rest.

They had sat like this in silence for an hour, before Luna opened her mouth. "Sister?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think that perhaps, Biollante may have had a point after all?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you saw how Ghidorah acted today. I haven't seen him that mad since before Hedorah. And over a prank, no less!"

"Yes, it is a bit of an overreaction,"

"I mean, if he could react like this over something so petty, what if something serious were to occur?"

"Well, I like to think he doesn't truly mean any harm. He just has a terrible temper and needs to learn to control it. As I recall, you were not so different at one point,"

This statement struck Luna, prompting her to be silent for a moment as she mulled it over. After consideration, she spoke again. "You are correct, sister, but Ghidorah has powers on a completely different scale. Apocalyptic, if we're not careful. Now, I do have faith in him, and I don't believe for a moment he would ever intentionally bring serious harm to anypony, but..."

Celestia nodded. "But you fear what he may do unintentionally, as a result of his tremendous strength?"

"Yes, exactly,"

Celestia sighed, slouching further into her chair. "As much as I hate to admit it, I am in agreement. A plan should be put in place to prevent Ghidorah from bringing harm to anypony,"

"Should he become a threat, do you think we could simply take his powers away?"

"Yes, that should work, granted so long as we are both present when it happens. Still, I think we should have something better. Perhaps a preventative system to keep him from losing his temper?"

"I'm sure I could acquire some potions of calming from a few alchemists I know. Twilight herself could probably make them,"

"Yes, but that should be a last resort. I would hate to take his free will from him just to make the castle a little safer,"

"You are right. It would be a great betrayal of his trust for us to do that,"

"I think what Ghidorah needs is therapy. He clearly has a lot of baggage, both mentally and emotionally. Perhaps you should enter his dreams to try and help him deal with that?"

"Not a bad idea at all. If nothing else, I think it is a first step," Luna replied, pausing for a moment. "Sister, I just don't understand him. He is a great puzzle, truly. He may be docile one moment, and enraged beyond reason the next. What could possible lead a soul to behave in such a way?"

"I don't know if we will ever know the whole answer to that question, Luna. Think of Ghidorah's soul as a tapestry. Although we have done wonders to mend it, or at least, I would like to believe as such, there are still frayed bits and pieces here and there around it. These can only be fixed with time, which is something we should not have to rely on, or further intervention, which may be risky, but also may be our only choice,"

"I suppose you are right, sister. Your logic makes sense, and for the moment it is all we have to work with. I will attempt to enter his dreams tonight, and see what I can learn. I can't guarantee that he will be particularly willing to undergo such an invasive procedure, however."

Celestia nodded, closing her eyes and breathing deeply before standing up. "Alright, then. I'm going to go look into some psychiatrists I know, then I'm gonna take a nap. I don't know about you, but I think I need it," she said.

Luna half-smiled. "After today, I don't think there is anypony who wouldn't benefit from a good rest," she said.

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Fluttershy, Applejack, and Biollante's Avatar walked through the Everfree Forest, taking in the wondrous sights of nature. The sun was setting, and the three had decided to take this opportunity to take a nice stroll through the forest. Biollante, although of fairly stern decorum, was quite enthralled with Fluttershy's love of nature. Initially, she was quite uninviting to Applejack, considering her farming no better than any attempt by Humanity to control nature. However, after a visit to the Apple Family Orchard and a detailed explanation of how ponies farm in such a way as to be environmentally friendly and to keep the local ecosystem stable, Biollante relented and eventually began to accept Applejack as a friend.

"So how are things in Canterlot, Biollante?" Fluttershy asked. It wasn't often that Fluttershy would initiate conversation, but Biollante was just as quiet - if not more so - as her.

The plant pony shrugged. "I suppose it is all the same. Rodan is rowdy, Ghidorah is grouchy, and the Princesses try to handle them both. At the very least, nothing concerning has occurred for some time,"

"Well, ah s'pose that's good. I reckon things aughta get a bit more fast-paced soon, though, what with the Gala fast approachin' and all," Applejack replied.

"Yes, the Gala. I am intrigued by this event you ponies place so much importance on. Perhaps I will attend, should I find somepony to go with," Biollante stated.

"Oh, Biollante, I don't believe Applejack or I have any plans to invite anypony else this year! You could just go with us!" Fluttershy said, excited by the prospect.

"Yeah, that's a mighty fine idea. We could get Rarity to make a dress for you and everythin'!"

"You are too kind, friends. I would be honored to attend with you," Biollante said.

"No, Biollante, the honor's all -"

"Wait a minute, Fluttershy. What's that?" Applejack interrupted, pointing at a dark figure further up the road. It was dark, furry, and seemed to be hunched over something.

"I guess it's one of my critters. Let me go-"

"Freeze!" A gruff voice barked behind them, as the figure ahead turned around. Its gleaming eyes studied the ponies with malicious intelligence, and it stood at full height, more than twice as tall as any of the ponies. Only now did they see it was clothed, garbed in a shiny, almost metallic suit that flashed in the sun's dying rays. It smiled a wicked grin, flashing fangs behind its black lips.

"Well, it seems we have found some natives."