Lieutenant Gerigan didn't want to believe what he was seeing on his monitor. He didn't want to think that it would ever come to this. The Nuclear Holocaust was just something in the movies. In real life, cooler heads always prevailed. Always. He radioed in regardless. "Central, this is Station C-1, Central New York. Confidence is high. Repeat, confidence is high. Probable Soviet nuclear attack. Radar detections reported across the Northeastern seaboard. Confidence is high, repeat, confidence is high."
"Copy that, C-1."
Gerigan paused, before speaking again. "Central, I need confirmation: Is this an exercise?"
There was silence on the line for about five seconds, before the other end spoke. "Negative, this is not an exercise. Repeat, this is not an exercise."
Gerigan dropped the phone and vomited. The contents of his stomach spilled out onto the linoleum floor of the radar station. The distressed Lieutenant began to sob and shake.
No. Not like this. Please, God. I wan't to see my family again. Please.
"I want preparations made for a counter-launch. For every American they kill, I want two dead Russians!" President Reagan looked like he had aged at least a decade over the past few hours. The negotiations with the Russians had ended with the red phone being launched at the wall opposite to the President. With his final command, one could sense an invisible weight laying down on his shoulders.
"It's already happened, Mr. President. NORAD has authorized and carried out ICBM launches. The die is cast." Secretary of State Shultz was always a good source of information.
"It's done, then." The President slumped back in his seat. "I presume we need to get to a secure location."
"That would be correct, Mr. President."
Nuclear detonations confirmed in West Germany, France, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey. Contact lost with Japan and South Korea. Over five hundred confirmed ICBMs, inbound from the USSR to hit US and Canada. First are due in thirty minutes. Automatic counter-launch initiated. Standby for further news.
The robotic words still rang in Weinberger's ears. That was fifteen minutes ago. That meant that there were fifteen minutes left until the USA was alight. The Secretary of Defense almost wanted to laugh out loud. Two hundred years of history since the founding fathers wrote their declaration, and it was all building to this, this... abomination of hatred.
He was sitting along with many of the senior military staff officials in the spacious NORAD command center in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. It was prime seating for viewing the destruction of humanity.
Even now he watched the massive NORAD central monitor, relaying in real time the movement of the ICBMs that would send his world crashing down. New York, Los Angeles and everywhere in between seemed as if they were being targeted.
"God. How did it ever come to this?" It was a question aimed nowhere, but Deputy Secretary Taft took note.
"It was inevitable. As long as either us or the Soviets held power, nobody was truly safe."
Weinberger didn't respond. It wasn't necessary.
Now the only sound in the spacious room was the bleeping of the central monitor, as the ICBMs moved closer and closer to their targets.
Weinberger wondered where his wife and children were now. Most likely in the shelter. It was a glorified hole in the ground that he had dug the prior summer when it began to look like war was coming. He knew that it wouldn't be enough. He only hoped that his family's deaths would be quick. He knew the effects of radiation poisoning, and it wasn't a fate that he wished upon anyone.
God help us all.
Suddenly, to the surprise of the gathered military officials, an aide burst into the room.
"Secretary Weinberger," He almost shouted, "You aren't going to believe this! We called out to God, and he has answered us!"
Lieutenant Gerigan couldn't believe his eyes. One by one, the blips on his radar feed were vanishing. By this point Manhattan should have been cinders. He had just gotten off the phone with them. They were still there.
What the hell had just happened?
Twilight Sparkle was thoroughly enjoying her afternoon. Her and her friends had decided to go out about the town. It was an activity that the six had been lax on in recent weeks. So many events had occurred that Twilight and company scarcely had enough time for such trivial enjoyments, but today all six of them had mostly clear schedules. Right now they were sitting outside of a local cafe, patiently awaiting their food.
"So lovely out here today," Rarity said in a gushing tone, "So much better than yesterday. Oh, so dreary!"
"Yeah, well, plants gotta have water too." Rainbow Dash wasn't in the mood to talk about rain evidently. "Anyways, Twi, how's that letter coming along?"
Twilight had a clear schedule, true, but she wasn't the type of pony to pass up on an opportunity to work. She had brought along a piece of parchment and quill, and was now eagerly scrawling away. It was Friday, after all. She would have to send her weekly letter out to Princess Celestia, after all. Better to have it done Friday evening than Saturday Afternoon. "Well, thanks."
Fluttershy had been mostly silent for the majority of the friends stay, but finally spoke up. "Twilight, why don't you put that stuff down for one day? Live a little!"
"Yeah, Twi. Y'all need to relax a bit. This week has been hectic for all of us." Applejack smiled at Twilight. "I mean, hot dang, filly! You work harder than me!
"Oh, come on you guys." Twilight talked while writing. "You know how much..."
Something caught Twilight's attention. "What... is that?"
The others all looked up at the same time. There, in the sky, was something. Something big. It appeared to be moving towards the ground, fast.
Nurse Redheart had had a long day.
The ponies of Ponyville writhed in absolute pain as they felt their flesh sear off of their bodies. Eyeballs melted, coats caught fire. Then there was nothing, as a great wind came, sweeping away the town and everyone in it.
"Then... you know what's happened elsewhere?"
The guards glanced at eachother, before the mare spoke. "Yes. Too much. Manehattan is gone, as well as Baltimare. Fillydelphia didn't get hit directly, but the taint is corroding it... now ponies are talking about all kinds of crazy stuff happening there. Refugees are coming in from Griffon and Zebra lands, but there isn't any news out of anything further east."
"Where are you two headed, then?"
"West. Las Pegasus wasn't hit, and the taint is minimal there."
Someplace is still alive. The thought that anything could live normally through this whole situation mystified Redheart.
Thunderlane could remember everything at once. The day his brother had been born. His first kiss. His first weather patrol.
He stumbled, then fell. Redheart stepped over him and continued on.
You need to get up.
Please.
You need to get up.
The dirt was soft, and warm, and dry. It felt like a bed to him.
He closed his eyes, and fell back into the abyss.
She collapsed. Sleep now, little one. Let your troubles slip away.
"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent.
I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.'
I suppose we all thought that one way or another." - Robert J. Oppenheimer, 1965
Faster.
It was the only thought Thunderlane could process. Faster. Faster. His brother held on for dear life as he rocketed back towards Ponyville, towards home.
"Thunderlane... I can't see. I can't see!" Rumble began to cry even harder.
"I'll get you home, Rumble! You'll get through this! Just hold on!" Below them the Everfree forest flew by. In front of them was that pillar of fire - that pillar of death, that seemed to stretch beyond the heavens. What it was Thunderlane could not say, but it produced a deep-seated fear in the pegasus.
The foliage began to clear, but not because the brothers had reached the end of the forest. The ancient trees had been uprooted, and flung about like twigs. The ground was covered in seared wood and singed leaves, thin plumes of smoke dotted the area.
What could have possibly done this? Thunderlane knew that the answer lay in the flaming cloud ahead of him and his brother. What could be so horrible?
As they approached Ponyville, the temperature began to increase. An orange glow permeated the surroundings. Smoke became fire. Thunderlane considered turning back. No. I have to help my brother. Whatever happened, there has to be at lease someone alive. Someone who can help Rumble. Celestia, let it be true.
Finally, they exited the burning forest. Thunderlane felt as if he were in an oven. All around them, yet more fire raged.
There was no Ponyville. Only a collection of burning planks of wood. There was no mom. No dad. No sister. Only him and Rumble, amidst the charred rubble.
No. There has to be something. Thunderlane scanned the surroundings. Finally, he saw it: Ponyville General Hospital. Party Collapsed, but the stone building was still standing tall. He rushed over to it.
Applebloom felt as if her flesh was alight. Searing pain rolled all along her body, prompting screams from the trapped filly. A splinter had entered her left eye, and she felt blood running down her face. All the while the rubble from the farmhouse was crushing her.
