Author's Note

Hello! I see you've come quite a long way up to this chapter, and I gotta say:
First, I thank you for tracking my story, it was done with love and I'm glad you were interested in reading it.
Second, after seeing a video of deleted scenes I wanted to included them, specifically three scenes: two in the mining disaster, the other will be in the next chapter. If you already read them after the edit, well, not much to say; if not, maybe you can be interested.
This is the video I got those scenes.
Author's note: 28/July.

8. The Road to Manehattan.

September 11th, 1024 ALB. Manehattan, Equestria.

It was dawning in the city that never sleeps, a new day brought by Celestia's sun. The morning activities were now starting.

In Rarity and Applejack's hotel room, and the CMC were preparing for the day to come. Business with Coco Pommel continued to keep them here.

"I keep wondering why she doesn't answer, Twilight sent us the message that Starlight would return, but no one answers there in Puerto Caballo... that for some reason they're there." Rarity says, frustrated, after hanging up the phone again.

“I'm sure she's comin', sugarcube, it's just a matter of waitin' at the airport for sunset.” Applejack says.

The discussion continued in the dining room when the Cutie Mark Crusaders began to wake up on the couch, in front of the television on.

They stayed up watching TV again.

Seeing that they left it on the news channel, for some reason that they cannot explain, they see images of Puerto Caballo.

Puerto Caballo devastated. State of Alert… Cities on the South Coast prepare for possible attacks… The joint UPA Aircraft Carrier Group has been deployed…

The images of a great battle between colossal animals, destroying everything in their path, one flying, another on the ground, between bites and blows. The winged one flew away, escaping, while the terrestrial one returned to the sea.

“Wow, isn't that amazing?” Scootaloo says to the others.

“Sister, Applejack, come see! Dragons!” Sweetie Belle yells at her sister.

Interrupting their talk, they go to see, only for their hearts to sink as they see the images of the city where they were told Starlight came from.

September 11th, 1024 ALB. City of Puerto Caballo, Puerto Caballo.

The capital of the Dominion of Puerto Caballo lies in ruins, billions of Bits in damage, thousands dead and injured, and countless others missing. A desolate landscape of rubble, fallen helicopters, semi-collapsed buildings and hundreds of victims after the battle between the alpha predator and its prey ended in a draw.

Starlight, Sunburst, and their little protégé definitely hadn't had a good night. They had to get to somewhere, Manehattan, Canterlot, Ponyville, anywhere, but they had to get there; but first, they had to find this foal's parents.

Approaching a tent above were several medical ponies.

“Good morning, this colt was separated from his parents.” Starlight said.

"Yes, fill out these forms and we will get back to you right away." The nurse said.

“Hey, are the phones still not working?” Sunburst asks some ponies nearby, getting distracted.

“No, all communications are cut off.” Says the stranger.

While both were distracted, the colt separates from them.

Then Sunburst finished talking and looked back at where he left the colt.

“Starlight… And the child?”

"What?" Her heart skipped a beat.

Stopping what they were doing and turning to look at their surroundings, they begin to get restless.

Until they see the colt.

"¡Mamá! ¡Papá!" The boy shouts, being hugged by his parents, both fortunately healthy.

"Well, that's good." Sunburst comments, relieved.

Behind the parents, a military truck passed by.

Suddenly, a column of soldiers march in a column, reminding them that they had to get to the continent.

Another idea struck the mare's mind.

“Soldiers… I have an idea, Sunburst. I joined the army during the war, maybe we can go with them.” The purple unicorn said, approaching the column.

“Ah, yes, I'd forgotten about that.” The orange unicorn said.

"Sergeant. – Starlight calls a reddish horse. – former private Starlight Glimmer, my friend and I need to get to the continent.”

"Bien… ahem… Well, this is your lucky day miss, anything that isn't tied up goes north. The princesses ordered a mobilization of the reserves as well.”

“Is that where you’re going?” asks the unicorn.

“Yes… – the horse points out, walking away. – Now we hunt monsters, it seems.”

“Well, Sunburst. This is our chance.”

Both unicorns started walking alongside the military column.

The skies over Puerto Caballo were filled with UH-1s, F-4s, C-130s, C-141s, all heading north.

September 12tth, 1024 ALB. RHS Seatoga, Fire Sea, 100 kilometers east of Saltmane.

The Joint Carrier Group of the United Ponies Alliance is heading northeast, at full steam, among the powerful warships is Gojira, in the center of the formation, being flown over by helicopters at all hours.

Twilight and friends were outside of the bridge, watching the giant thorns of the swimming creature.

“I still can't believe we had to leave Puerto Caballo without first making sure Starlight or Sunburst are in one piece.” Twilight, shocked by what happened yesterday while Spike puts his hand on her back.

“Don't blame yourself, Twilight, we must have faith that they are okay.” Fluttershy assures her, before being interrupted by the officers talking inside the command center.

“Admiral Stronghammer, come see.” Seaspray calls.

They enter the superstructure again.

"What's happening?" The admiral asked.

According to the tracking and radar models, everything indicates that the MUTO continues north… The models show the targets converging on the coast of Manehattan.” Says the Hippogriff.

“Oh buck…” Stronghammer swears.

“He's hunting.” Twilight intervenes, before the red-coated admiral continues giving her orders.

“Let all ships keep their distance from the target. Monitor the speed and heading of those things, I want to know exactly when and where they are going to make landfall.” Stronghammer commands, then directing her attention to the alicorn.

"Mrs. Twilight, what do you mean by he's hunting?...Do you think Godzilla is chasing the MUTO?"

“But if the MUTO is his prey…” Fluttershy now intervenes.

“The signal shows a call. Why call out a predator?” Spike wonders.

“No, I don't think it's that; I think Godzilla was just listening… The MUTO was calling for something else.” Twilight notices.

Stronghammer stares at them, confused.

“The pattern… Focus the search on Crystal's Edge.” Twilight says, hurrying to the screens.

“The Crystal Empire? Why would they go so far north?” Seaspray wonders.

"It just can't be. It is impossible." Spike counterargues.

“What is impossible?” Stronghammer intervenes.

“There was another spore. Intact. – Fluttershy continues. – It was in the Draconian mine.”

“But we dissected it, Twi, we did studies on it all these years. – Spike adds. – You yourself confirmed that it was a sleeper.”

“Maybe it already woke up.” Twilight answers, looking at the map table.

“That spore. Where's it now, ma'am?” Seaspray asks.

“It was highly radioactive, the army took it away.” Fluttershy adds, nervously.

“They supposedly destroyed it...” Spike concludes.

“Miss Twilight. Where is it?” Stronghammer asks, wanting an answer now.

“Where do the military keep the nuclear waste?” Twilight asks, looking at the mare admiral.

September 12th, 1024 ALB. Yaket Range, 100 kilometers north of Snowbury, Crystal Empire.

The column of military vehicles and helicopters moved quickly across the summer green plains of the Crystal Empire, nothing around for many kilometers.

There was Shining Armor, after a rude awakening by the message that came from Twilight to his daughter Flurry Heart, preparing his HAZMAT equipment alongside his soldiers in the back of the truck; just like the old days of the Great War, he thought.

He already needed some action after so many years of inactivity.

“Alright, guys. – He tells the Royal Guard soldiers, and by radio. – Adjust your masks and equipment well, this environment is not pleasant for organic life.”

"Yes sir." They all say.

“The mission is simple, but vital, each soldier will have to open the hatches of each containment room and see that everything is in order and move on to the next one. Check for anything strange or out of place. Understood?"

"Yes sir." They answer him.

The convoy moved fast on the road a few more minutes before they approach a mountain.

"We've arrived." It's heard on the radio.

Mount Everhoof, Nuclear Waste Repository. Restricted area.

A couple of guards open the barbed wire doors of the facility.

At the entrance to the tunnel the trucks stop, letting all the soldiers get off.

“Come down quickly, I want a visual inspection of each vault.”

"Yes, sir!" They all yell, running on the hallway.

First vault. Open the hatch.

Nothing.

"Clear." A soldier shouts.

Second vault. Open the hatch.

Nothing.

"Clear." Another shouts.

As more vaults were searched only the word "Clear" came.

Tenth vault. Open the hatch.

Day light.

"Here!" A soldier says, making everyone turn around.

“Open it.” Shining orders.

The ton-weight gate opened slowly, letting in the light of day.

The light of day reveals a huge gap in the side of the mountain, on the other side was one of the column's escort helicopters. Everyone present is stunned by the magnitude of such a hole in the solid granite.

“What the…” Shining said, going outside and taking his binoculars and getting his mask off.

He starts looking through his binoculars.

He saw a huge multi-legged insectoid creature heading towards…

"Oh no…" The Prince said, with his hearts sinking.

The Crystal City.

September 12, 1024 ALB. The Crystal City, Crystal Empire.

That creature managed to break Cadance's shield. Celestia save us.

Chaos was absolute in The Beating Heart, explosions on all sides of the city and a MUTO even larger than the one in New Manehattan, with eight legs and longer, robust arms.

The royal family, fortunately, could evacuate to the basement of the palace on time.

Many weren't that lucky.

In one of the rooms of the Crystal Palace, firefighters knocked on the door, looking for any possible survivors that were left behind.

"Is somepony here?" They ask.

Nopony answers.

After a few well-aimed knocks, they manage to open the door with their hammers, advancing down the hallway only to reveal that more than half of what was once a royal bedroom was now an enormous gap leading outside; helicopters passing by, following the creature that was now heading southeast.

They could see the artillery explosions and the tanks' firing hitting that thing to no avail.

September 12, 1024 ALB. RHS Seatoga, Fire Sea, 150 kilometers east of Saltmane.

“Stronghammer, we have the images of the new MUTO.” Seaspray notifies.

“Let me see them.” She orders.

Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike turn to look at the screen as well.

They see how Crystal City is being devastated by this thing, dozens of destroyed buildings, fires everywhere the MUTO walked through and the big gap in the Crystal Palace. Causing them great grief.

“Oh no…” Twilight says, raising her hooves to her head in anxiety.

“I hope they were able to evacuate them…” Fluttershy says, also anxious.

“... Is that my statue?” Spike asks.

Only causing looks of scolding at his comment.

“It measures almost a hundred meters... I can't believe it...” Says the alicorn her face now lay on the table, ignoring the dragon's comment.

“Hey, this one doesn't have wings.” Mentions Stronghammer.

“Sexual dysmorphism?” Spike asks.

“A female… is the one he was talking to.” Fluttershy adds.

The alicorn's mind tried to focus a bit.

“A mating call. – Twilight assures. – The female remained sleeping... until the male matured.”

Twilight couldn't help but start sobbing, the weight was too much to her now. She now knew how Starlight felt. She was right about her, trying to learn about those things was a mistake, now her family was paying the price.

“Now they're looking for radiation…” The pegasus follows dreadfully, conforting her distressed friend.

“To reproduce…” Spike finishes.

Several officers were gathered in the meeting room, while Twilight and friends just watched.

“Tracking models tell us they will converge here. In Manehattan Bay.” Admiral Rain Rider of New Mareland says.

"But if we put a time detonator on a nuclear bomb, we put it on a ship thirty kilometers from the coast, we attract the MUTOs to it, and therefore the MUTOs attract Godzilla." The admiral finishes.

“And we detonated it, with minimal risk to the city.” Seaspray intercedes.

“You can't be serious… They feed on radiation.” Fluttershy intervenes.

"Correct. That’s why we use the bomb as bait.” Seaspray supports.

“And we kill them with the force of the explosion.” Admiral Rider says.

“That's crazy.” Twilight says.

“Ma'am, if you have any other idea, you have my full attention.” Stronghammer tells her, leaving the alicorn speechless.

"Admiral." Fluttershy says.

"Yes ma'am?"

“Gojira, may be the solution. – says the pegasus. – It seems to me that he's here to restore balance.

“He can beat them.” Spike adds.

"And? Shall we just stare? Sorry, Your Majesty, Ma'am, and Mr. Dragon, it's an enormous risk… – Stronghammer finishes, before returning to the officers gathered. – The warheads must be prepared and transported to the coast. I'll inform the Princesses.”

Immediately afterwards, everycreature present collects their papers to leave.

A frustrated Fluttershy also leaves the room, without saying a word. Only Stronghammer, Twilight and Spike remain.

“Your Majesty, I know you don't agree with this, but my priority is to safeguard your subjects. The sisters will understand.”

Twilight, quiet, takes a watch she was carrying and hands it to the admiral.

“It's from when I went to the Changeling lands.”

"It stopped."

“Yes, at seven fifteen in the morning. July 5, 1014 ALB.”

“Vraks…”

“When we went to see the results of our work to Vraks, a young changeling gave it to me after rescuing him... He died from radiation a few days later.”

The alicorn says gloomily before she and Spike leave, leaving the admiral to her thoughts.