Stars Were Exploding (Oneshot)
Nighttime falls on Ponyville, but Twilight Sparkle does not sleep. In the dark of her loft, she slips silently from under the bedsheets, careful not to alert her baby dragon companion snoozing soundly at the other end of the room. Down to the bottom of the spiral stairs and out the treehouse door, she is greeted with a peaceful solitude.
“Ponyville is so quiet tonight,” she muses as she passes furtively by the unlit houses of the drowsing town.
The quiet is welcomed by Twilight; it indicates that Ponyville is healing. It appears that life is returning to normal as everypony recovers from the chaos that consumed the town several days prior. For Ponyville to be attacked by giant monsters was not an uncommon occurrence (especially during season 1), but even so, this last event had been utterly unprecedented.
—
Following the arms race of the historic cold war between Equestria and Yakyakistan, the looming threat of complete nuclear devastation had become a mainstay of everyday existence. This horrific revelation, which traumatized an entire generation, was slowly accepted as a matter of fact by their children and their children’s children, morphing into a keystone of the modern unspoken social consciousness. In today’s world, it is taken for granted that the Equestrian way of life could, at any moment, be upended by forces beyond anypony’s comprehension.
Nopony knows this threat more grimly than the island nation of Nippony. Every one to twelve years, the “King of Monsters”– a walking avatar of nuclear desolation– appears from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to lay waste to the nation. In the wake of its attack lie the ravaged remains of their communities, now laden with hostile isotopes from its radioactive beams. With nowhere else to call home, the Nipponies are left to reconstruct a facsimile of what they once knew, perpetually bracing for the monster’s inevitable reappearance. This monster with which the Nipponies revolve in the cycle of death and rebirth is named Godzilla.
As a result of their tragic history with nuclear technology, the nation of Nippony had been the sole target of Godzilla’s wrath. That was, until…
—
Nopony had ever dreamed that Godzilla would make landfall on the shoreline of Equestria. And yet, on that fateful morning, Twilight awakened to an urgent correspondence from Celestia explaining the situation. In stunned silence, Twilight read the princess's letter, its ink still wet even as the green hue of Spike’s magical fire smoldered from the parchment’s edges. “Twilight, I am entrusting this matter to you. Gather your friends immediately and convene at the rendezvous. I will bring the Elements of Harmony.”
“What is it, Twi?” inquired Spike, attempting to peer over her shoulder at the letter.
Her mind racing, Twilight hurriedly scribbled an affirmative on the page and begged Spike to send it back right away.
Spike complied, though reluctantly. “You’re scaring me, Twi. Why won’t you say what’s up?”
“Spike, it’s G–”
No sooner than Twilight had begun to speak, a loud voice boomed from somewhere outside the window. “Everypony, the government at Canterlot has declared a state of national emergency! Godzilla is headed for Ponyville! We repeat, Godzilla is currently en route to Ponyville!”
Twilight and Spike pressed their faces against the glass. Ponies on the streets below looked up to see the Canterlot royal guard descending on their town. “Do not panic! We have come to evacuate you!” Though the guards tried to maintain order, their handle quickly crumbled. Ponyville devolved into mayhem, ponies shouting frantically and fleeing in every direction.
Twilight turned worriedly to Spike. “We have to find the others.”
—
At the outskirts of Ponyville, Twilight relaxes her gait. A quick glance backwards confirms that nopony is following. “Phew.”
This is the trail that leads to the nearby reservoir, Lake Griffon, which the citizens of Ponyville lovingly call “Lake Griffy”. It is an expansive and serene body of water, popular for recreation, though at this time of year the water is very deep and cold with snowmelt. Lake Griffy is, in actuality, an artificial lake created by the largest ponymade structure in all of Equestria: the Hoofer Dam. The dam’s gates control river flow through Equestria’s southwestern watershed, providing consistent year-round irrigation to Ponyville’s crops and a steady supply of drinking water to the town.
As Twilight climbs higher into the hills, she spots the silhouette of a pegasus flying across the full moon. Though the distance is difficult to determine in the darkness of the dense forest, it appears that the pegasus is heading towards the same destination as herself. Twilight has a hunch that she may know who this winged figure is.
—
*Click* A beam of light shot forth, adorning the far screen with the glowing projection of a ruined city. Though mangled beyond recognition, the buildings were discernible as Equestrian architecture.
“At 04:00 this morning, Godzilla was first spotted off the coast by several fishing trawlers.”
*Click* The next photo displayed a massive reptilian footprint, craterous in the earth.
“Though the boat’s reports corroborated one another, nopony believed them until the moment that Godzilla came ashore, trampling the unsuspecting town of Maneport.”
*Click* A map appeared, showing a dotted trajectory beginning at Equestria’s coastline and passing through Ponyville, straight to the capital of Canterlot.
“Based on military reconnaissance performed over the past few hours, the Canterlot Intelligence Agency has extrapolated Godzilla’s expected path. If we allow Godzilla to continue along this path..." Celestia paused for dramatic effect. "Well, I believe this map makes matters explicitly clear.”
Huddled around the briefing room table, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy observed in horror.
“I commend all of you for your bravery in coming here. Each of you has volunteered yourself willingly, and I am certain you understand the risk that this operation poses to your own safety.”
Rainbow Dash stood up from her seat and saluted like in that funny meme image. “Princess Celestia, if it means saving Equestria then we are more than happy to put our lives on the line.”
“And gol-lee, who’da thunk there was an entire military base right here inside the Hoofer Dam!” marveled Applejack.
“Indeed,” said Celestia. “This is the first time that such an emergency has warranted the use of this facility.”
Twilight flipped through the pages of her literature frantically. “I don’t remember reading about this place in any of my books.”
Celestia simply chuckled. “I have to keep some secrets, even from my most astute pupil.” Her tone then returned to its prior seriousness as she addressed the gathered friends. “I’m sure that Twilight has informed you all of our plan to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Godzilla.” As she spoke, the Princess placed a strangely shaped object on the briefing table. It was some sort of futuristic-looking device consisting of a chrome capsule enclosed by a cylindrical cage of rods.
Pinkie Pie held a hoof to her chin. “Ummm, that doesn’t look like the Elements of Harmony.”
“Very astute, Pinkie Pie,” laughed Celestia. “I informed the Nipponies government of our plan and they expressed some… concerns. Based on the research of their top scientists, they believe that friendship magic will be inadequate for defeating Godzilla. They suggested we instead use this,” motioning to the strange object, “their prototype anti-kaiju weapon, the Oxygen Destroyer.”
Rarity nearly fainted at the proposition. “Oh, dear! What a dreadful name. And they want us to be the guinea pigs that test the infernal thing?” (A small guinea pig popped out of Fluttershy’s mane and glowered at Rarity for her insensitive comment before retreating back into the wavy, pink tangle.)
Celestia tried to reassure the unicorn. “I know it is not ideal, but if the Elements of Harmony are ineffectual then we are left with no other alternative than the Oxygen Destroyer.”
Applejack also had a bone to pick. “Now I ain’t no scientist, but if I am to imagine that this ‘Oxygen Destroyer’ does as its name implies, wouldn’t that cause some serious problems?”
“She’s right,” Twilight said. “Depleting the surrounding oxygen would have major consequences on the environment in all strata. Hypoxic soil is no good for crops, and who knows how long it would be before Applejack's orchards would grow again. Fluttershy’s aquatic animal friends can’t live without the proper amount of oxygen, either. Not to mention that it would change the local composition of the atmosphere, which would be disastrous for Rainbow Dash's weather patterns!”
They all turned an exacting gaze to Celestia, who was forced to give a stern reminder of the inescapable reality of their situation. “Defeating Godzilla will require sacrifice on everypony’s part. Believe me, I understand that. But consider what will happen if Godzilla continues its course of destruction. All of Equestria shall burn with the unholy flame of nuclear death. What we are doing is selecting the lesser of two evils.”
After exchanging some knowing glances, the friends nodded somberly– all of them except for Fluttershy, who had been silent the entire time.
“I see we are not in unanimous agreement?” inquired Celestia.
“Oh, ummm…” Fluttershy's eyes darted downwards avoidantly. “I don’t really like being put on the spot like this.”
Twilight placed a reassuring hoof around her friend. “Go ahead and say your piece. You can go at your own pace.”
“Ummm, I, well, uhh…” The pegasus’s soft voice wavered as she struggled to articulate herself. “Well, I like to think that I’m pretty good at handling animals. And, umm, even though this big, mean lizard, Godzilla, is more of a kaiju than an animal, they’re still basically an animal, right?” She searched her friends’ faces, unsure whether their expectant expressions indicated concurrence or dissent. “And, ummm, even though friendship magic might not work, that doesn’t necessarily preclude… just… plain… friendship…” Sheepishly, she turned to Celestia. “...Right?”
“Fluttershy.” Celestia sat, stunned. “Are you saying that you would like to try befriending Godzilla?”
—
Have you ever gazed up at a cloudless night sky? The infinite vastness of space pans from horizon to horizon, a tremendous, black canvas masterfully decorated with stipels of light.
Since the dawn of ponykind, the stars have been our friends. They’ve given our planet warmth, guided our earliest navigators, provided energy to fuel our ecosystems and agriculture, they’ve inspired countless stories and inventions, and they’ve kept us company in the dark of the fearsome night. But where do they come from? Who was it that saw fit to provide our humble species with a universe of companions so faithful as to endure eternally, despite the unforgiveable actions our species may commit?
The 20th century bore witness to countless ponymade horrors– horrors that far surpassed anything our species had yet achieved during its entire existence on this planet. Many of the atrocities we committed were made possible by the invention of the nuclear reaction. It was that advancement, more singularly than any other, which elucidated how our technological prowess had far outstripped our capacity for empathy.
And yet, it was by the merits of those same technological advancements that ponykind was finally able to break free from the confines of our planet, to reach out and touch the stars. What did we find when we got there? What is a star, anyway? Who were these companions that had always been there, just beyond our grasp, twinkling above us in the night sky?
Each pinprick of light, exploding. We learned that the universe had invented the nuclear reaction long before we did.
What must the stars think about us, gazing down on our feebly immature selves? We thanklessly accept their eternal gifts, their own flesh and blood, which we wield as weapons to kill and maim. Still, they remain. What do you think the stars are trying to tell us?
—
Lake Griffy reflects beautifully tonight. After a peaceful hike, Twilight emerges from the treeline onto the lakeshore, only to spot Fluttershy down at the water’s edge. Just as she’d thought.
Fluttershy whips her head around in surprise at the newcomer. Then, realizing who it is, her anxiety deflates into an inviting comfort. “Oh, Twilight! Welcome.” She kneels down and whispers to the water, “It’s ok, you’re safe to come out.”
Twilight joins Fluttershy, watching as the lake’s surface begins to roil. Gradually, a row of jagged dorsal spines rises from the water. Up from their hiding spot, Godzilla lifts their head to greet the two ponies. With lakewater still pouring from their roughly textured skin, the kaiju reveals a toothy grin.
“Hello, Godzilla!” Twilight beams brightly.
Godzilla gently nuzzles their snout against Twilight, ruffling her fur.
Fluttershy scratches underneath the kaiju's chin. “See? You’re not so mean, are you?”
For now, the inhabitants of Equestria are under the impression that Godzilla was returned to the ocean after being defeated by the Elements of Harmony. In reality, neither the Elements nor the Oxygen Destroyer were used, and Godzilla never went anywhere but right under their noses. The kaiju’s presence must remain a secret until Celestia and Luna’s plan is complete. At this very moment, the princesses are working around the clock to finally mend relations between Godzilla and Nippony once and for all.
Twilight and Fluttershy haven’t a care in the world but to enjoy the company of their new friend. Among the forest and water, they bask in the absence of civilization, the absence of fear, of ambition or destruction, beneath a blanket of stars. Godzilla takes the ponies on their back and swims out to the middle of the lake, where they can see the full sky unobstructed by trees. Together, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Godzilla gaze upwards at the gift that has been given to them.
Tonight, the stars are exploding over Lake Griffy.
