Invasion of the Astro Monster: Destroy All Ponies

Chapter 20

Brand New Day

When King Ghidorah awoke, Luna was nowhere to be found. He groaned as he rolled out of bed, slowly lumbering towards the door and pushing it open. He looked around, not finding anypony. He sighed, hearing his stomach grumble. He left towards the kitchen, hoping Gourmet might be able to help him.

He walked towards the kitchen, finding the mare already making a large serving of eggs. Gourmet smiled when she saw him enter. "Morning, Ghidorah! Already made breakfast for you!"

Ghidorah grunted, seating himself at the table. His mind was focused on last night. What had been with that dream? And why had it affected him so? He would normally have pondered these questions alone, but fate would have none of that this morning.

Luna walked in, causing Gourmet to stop and bow. "Your Majesty! I didn't expect you this morning! Is there anything you would like me to make?"

Luna smiled. "A toast, please, Gourmet," As the chef left to go prepare the meal, Luna sat next to Ghidorah, her expression becoming serious.

"What was all that last night?" she asked.

Ghidorah sighed, not looking her in the eye. "Bad dream," he said.

"Bad dream? What dream could be so bad to make you of all things cry like a foal?"

Ghidorah shrugged, clearly without energy. "It's nothing. It's stupid, anyway," he said.

But Luna was not satisfied. "Clearly it is something, otherwise I wouldn't have had to comfort you last night,"

Ghidorah groaned, remembering the events of the last night.

"Now, are you going to tell me or not?"

Ghidorah sighed, and told her the events of the dream. How he had a family, a home. How he was happy, something he had never truly felt before. And he told of how it was all destroyed before his very eyes. Luna listened politely, until he finished his story.

"It was just so vivid. I've never experienced anything like it before," Ghidorah said when he finished.

Luna nodded. "Dreams have a tendency of feeling like reality. It's only when you wake up when you realize that something was off,"

Ghidorah nodded. "I think I know why you had this dream, though. Tell me, have you noticed anything strange within yourself since you arrived? Something like, say, an itch you can't scratch at the back of your mind?"

Ghidorah suddenly felt a wave of confusion. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. How would you know?"

Luna smiled. "I guessed as much. I felt the same thing when I became Nightmare Moon," she said.

The confused look Ghidorah gave her told her that he was lost. "I suppose some explanation would be helpful.

"Long ago, I became jealous of my sister. You see, the ponies would frolick and make merry in her day, but ignore my beautiful night. I refused to see reason, and eventually the hate and jealousy inside me caused me to change into a being named Nightmare Moon. I tried to plunge the world into eternal night. I failed, and was punished by being banished to the moon for a thousand years. I finally escaped and tried to do it again, but I was eventually reformed. But during all my time as Nightmare Moon, I felt something. Something telling me that this was wrong. I asked my sister about it after I returned to my senses, and she explained to me that the Elements of Harmony had been the cause,"

"Elements of Harmony?"

"Powerful artifacts that influence Equestria. They are the source of all friendship here, and my Sister told me that they instinctively attempt to root out evil wherever it is found. They try to convice it that what it was doing was wrong, and if it would not listen to reason, force would be applied,"

Ghidorah nodded. "So this dream I had, you think that was the Elements deciding to take action?" Any other being would have been shocked by the discovery of the Elements of Harmony, but few things still shocked Ghidorah. His dream being one of them.

Luna nodded. "The only question that remains is - did it work?"

Ghidorah sighed. "Never in my life have I felt the emotions I felt in that dream. I want to tell myself it wasn't real, but..."

"But you can't quite convince yourself otherwise?" She said.

Ghidorah nodded again. "I understand. I had the same problem once. You know, you and I aren't quite as different as we may think," she said.

Ghidorah said nothing, as Gourmet placed a plate of eggs in front of him. Luna grabbed her plate with her magic, before standing up to leave. "Well, Ghidorah, ultimately what happens next is up to you. Though I have a feeling you know what to do," she said, before leaving, leaving Ghidorah alone with his thoughts.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The light blue unicorn stood at the gates to Canterlot castle. She had to admit, she was surprised to have received a letter stating that she was hoof-picked by the princesses for a secret operation. She only hoped that it was authentic, and she wouldn't look like a foal upon asking for entrance to the palace.

She was about to ring the bell, when she suddenly heard somepony land nearby.

"Who are you? Did you get a letter too?"

The unicorn mare turned around to take in the new arrival. She was a pegasus, grey in coat color, blonde in the mane. Most notably, her golden eyes were crossed.

"Stating that I was picked by the princesses? Yes, yes I have," the unicorn responded.

"Oh, that's cool! Maybe we'll work together!" the pegasus sayed.

The unicorn sighed. "By the way, my name's Derpy!" she said, extending a friendly hoof.

The unicorn eyed her warily, before accepting the hoof.

"I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! Or, just Trixie, as recent events have led me to believe," she said.

"Oh, don't be so down on yourself! I'm sure if you weren't Great and Powerful, the princesses wouldn't have chosen you!"

Trixie huffed, before the gates swung open.

Soon, she would know exactly why she had been chosen.