• Published 24th Jul 2018
  • 2,313 Views, 63 Comments

Supernova Daybreak - Bad Dragon



The sun is going supernova. Is there a way to save Equestria from the looming inferno?

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One for All

Celestia opened her eyes and found herself lying on a makeshift bed. She wearily rose to a sitting position. The smoldered, white head twitched in the rhythm of heartbeats. Even when both hooves rose to support it, the inner thumping wouldn’t cease. When her eyes stilled a little, she noticed a presence in the room.

There was a pony at the desk in the corner, shuffling the papers and writing down some notes. The color scheme was foreign to the sun princess, but she recognized the alicorn shape right away. The wrinkled tissues on the floor beside the pony made Celestia question if it was her orderly student. After squinting her eyes, she recognized the starry cutie mark, confirming her first impression. “What happened to your beautiful coat, Twilight?”

“Celestia, you’re awake! I was scared I’d lose you, too.” Twilight was with her in a flash. “Yeah, my tail, mane and half of the coat are gone, along with most of the feathers on the wing, but the skin is only mildly singed.”

“Your blisters tell another story,” Celestia commented.

“Don’t worry about me. It’s not as bad as it looks, honest. I was only sunbathing for a moment.” Twilight waved a hoof in disregard. “What about you? How do you feel?”

“Ugh!” Celestia pressed both forehooves on the sides of her head. “My sun… I felt the energies being drastically different from usual when I rose it. The wild cosmic energies made me shiver when they intertwined with my magic. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. My instincts told me something was very wrong, but I paid them no heed. I diligently performed my duty for a thousand years, and I could not rationalize putting an end to my daily habit based on a mere feeling. The ponies depend on me to provide them with the sunlight, and that thought made me go forward with my morning routine. I still cannot fathom the destruction I have caused today. Everypony relied on me, and I let you all down.”

“It’s my fault!” Twilight sobbed. “You sent me a letter, warning me of the protuberances.”

“That letter was just a trivia,” Celestia said. “Well, at least I thought so when I sent it.

“I took the measurements, but I failed to connect the dots in time...”

“No use worrying about the past now. What matters from this point forth are the actions we take. You should not blame yourself for the events beyond your influence, Twilight. You already did more than I expected you to. If there is blame to be put on somepony, it ought to be strapped on my back. Despite being responsible for the sun, I have always taken my solar companion for granted because it was a constant in my lengthy life. I thought the yellow orb would moderately shine forever. My assumptions were unfounded. I have felt the stirring energies even before I rose it this morning. Despite the early signs, I remained a slave to my daily routine. Since fillyhood, I have pictured myself growing wise through the centuries. In hindsight, it seems that I have fallen stagnant, instead.”

“Perhaps there are still survivors burrowed in some hiding-place outside.” Twilight looked up at her former caretaker. “The sun… Is there a way to lower it? ”

“‘Tis not that easy. You see, for more than a millennium, I consistently stayed connected with the solar energies. It is what allowed me to move the sun beyond the horizon even when lacking a direct line of sight. The bond, which also preserved my longevity, held firm throughout my life. In the wake of the daybreak, this link was broken. I broke it... The energies were too much for me to bear, and I feared for my very life. In the heat of the moment, I cut the ties with my precious. The only way to establish them again would be for me to face the sun directly.”

“Well, that’s out of the question then.” Twilight sighed. “The rays would burn you in an instant...”

“Perhaps not in an instant, but yes, you are correct. Lowering the sun in its current condition would be my last sunset.” Celestia caressed her former student on the half of the head that was still covered in coat. “Where are we? How are my ponies fairing?”

“We’re in a cavern under Canterlot. It’s fortunate you had this place repurposed into a shelter after changelings attacked. Three dozen ponies made it here in time. I was just calculating how many stockpiles we have. The food won’t be a problem. There are hundreds of hay bales in stock. Even though the streams of fresh water have already dried up, there are enough liquids in reserves to last us a lifetime. What worries me is the rising heat in the cavern.”

“Luna?” Celestia whispered.

“My condolences...” Twilight bowed her head. “Your sister didn’t make it. And…” She sniveled. “Neither did any of my friends from Ponyville.” She paused. “Not even Spike...” A tear drifted down her muzzle and splattered on the floor.

“I’m sorry for your losses, my poor thing. Yours and mine. Alas, this is the time when we have to reach deep for our inner strength. As hard as it may seem to fight the despair in our hearts, we are expected to rise above the challenges that face us. Heavy is the crown of a princess, but wear it we must. The times like these mark our noble nature. We must ensure that it shines like a beacon of hope.”

“And if there is no hope?” Twilight sighed.

“Listen, Twilight. As princesses, we must be the first ones to address the threats and the very last to falter. The dark thoughts of the past have to bow before our royal will and resolve. Our focus must be directed toward the ones who are still around. ‘Tis our duties as protectors of Equestria to shield the fragile subjects from harm. We cannot stand idly in the time when ponies need us the most.”

“I’d do anything to make things right.” Twilight’s eyes shied away. “But I just don’t see a way out of this cosmic disaster. The scale of it all is over my head.”

“It pains me to see my sun be the source of such turmoil. I wish I had paid more heed to my obligation. It was placed in my care so long ago, but ever since my first sunrise, I have always taken the source of light for granted. As embarrassing as it is for me to admit this, you have studied the sun more in a decade than I have in a millennium. Twilight, have your scientific endeavors taught you anything about the nature of our predicament? Can we wait it out?”

“Wait it out?” Twilight raised her eyebrows, though only one of them was still intact. “The fusion is reaching critical levels…”

“Heh, science talk. You still haven’t grown out of it, I see. Do you remember when you were still my protegé, and I showed you a sunspot at the end of the day? Most of the telescopes in Canterlot mysteriously disappeared overnight. You obsessed over it for moons, trying to understand the sun’s irregularity. I found it endearing then, but never would I have imagined that you could actually learn of the orb’s inner workings since then. Tell me, Twilight, do you presume this climate change is permanent? Heatwaves dissipate in time. Perhaps, the same will happen with this one”

“Heatwave? Celestia, don’t you understand? The sun is going supernova! It’s impossible to reverse the chain reaction once it starts. The power output is on the rise and what we’re seeing is only the beginning of the end. The radiation will scorch the whole of Equestria until all life is extinguished, and the sun shall grow hotter, still. Even if a few of the lucky ones managed to reach safety in time, they’ll be cooked alive not long from now. This shelter is no exception as far as the long-term prosperity goes. Our fate is already sealed. There’s just no place to channel excess heat to. With the fireball in the sky transitioning into its last form, the ground will reflect its condition.”

“Thank you for laying it on me straight, as you have. I see this quandary is dire, indeed. I do not mean to pressure you, Twilight, but I need to know this as a foregone conclusion. Are you absolutely certain that nothing can be done to circumvent our desperate situation?”

“I wish I'd figure out the sun’s hyperactivity sooner. Then, you could leave the arising supernova set behind the horizon, and we’d be safe from its deadly rays. But I missed the window of opportunity. That course of action was the only thing that could save us, yet I didn’t utilize the option. Instead, I chose to sacrifice the lives of everypony in exchange for a nap. The answer is no; nothing we do from here on can absolve us of my mortal sin of complacency.”

“Don't blame yourself, Twilight. When a new development arises, we make the best of it. Trot with me, my distressed one!” She stood up and walked out of the modest cavern chamber.

“I don’t foresee adaptation to lava as a viable option...” Twilight’s ears drooped as she followed behind.

At the intersection of three long corridors, Celestia brushed a forehoof on the wall. “Ah, I remember exploring this crystal cavern with my sister once. It is ironic that Luna had the right idea a millennium ago. I used to despise her for the ploy and even banished her to the moon when she tried to enact it. And yet, her darkly vision is the one thing that can save Equestria now.”

“That’s not even remotely funny.” Twilight thumped a hoof on the ground. “Luna is gone and with nopony capable of shading the sun, the scorching day will last forever. We’re all doomed.”

“We are not doomed just yet,” the white alicorn whispered under her breath. “It is not over until it is over.” She turned around. “Twilight, wait here.”

“Celestia, the main chamber is in the opposite direction.”

“Sadly, my condition will not allow me to address anypony. Thou shalt have to be the bearer of the news, my dear.”

“I tried to calm down the survivors before, but they’re stricken with grief. They’ve lost their loved ones. We all have. There just isn’t any hope left to cling onto, anymore. Nowhere is our faith more evident than near the entrance. This is how hot the rest of the shelter will feel like after a while. What is it that you wish to accomplish here, anyway?”

“Royal duties,” Celestia said simply.

“Ah, yes. You’re right. We ought to evacuate everypony to the farthest side of the cavern. Perhaps we should also cause a cave-in to produce more thermal isolation between us and the outside. The door will never be opened again, anyway.”

“Never say never,” Celestia said under her breath while she peeked around the corner.

Twilight perked her ears and raised an eyebrow. “On any other day, I’d agree with you, but with the whole world turned into a deathtrap...”

The mentor ignored the former student’s pessimism. She tapped a hoof on the ground. “Guard, come here and report!”

“Princess Celestia! I’m glad to see you on your hooves!” The guard swayed from around the corner, respectively nodded to Twilight and bowed to the taller alicorn. “There were no other survivors after your arrival, Princess Celestia. I doubt there could be any… The red door is a clear sign of the looming danger outside. Despite being in the safety of the shelter, I’m already drained because of the heat that’s protruding inside. May I please request permission for a short breather at the water reserves? I’m dehydrated.”

Celestia’s horn flickered as she walked to the entry corridor and looked toward the door. “There is nothing else for you to do here, my faithful guard. You are relieved.” She glanced at Twilight, “And you should get some water, too, my dear.”

“No, I’m okay.” Twilight sighed.

“I’ll be back with two flasks for both of you,” the guard said as he walked toward the main chamber.

“My successor...” Celestia’s voice cracked.

“Hmm?” Twilight looked up at her former mentor.

“With Luna gone, the sun cannot be eclipsed. Fortunately, there is another way to shield us from its reach. As I have lowered it each day for a millennium, I can lower it one more time.” Celestia’s horn glowed brightly as she firmly stepped forward. “Take care of my little ponies for me as best you can. The night will last forever!” She disappeared behind the corner.

“Whaa...” Twilight gasped in horror. “Celestia, no! Don't open the door!”

The back wall bathed in glaring light. An alicorn-shaped shadow defied the brightness from the center. Though the brightness engulfed the silhouette, consuming it little by little, it was the darkness that prevailed in the end.

When the illumination faded, the smell of burned flesh filled Twilight’s nostrils.

The heat that had rushed inside the shelter through the open door slowly dissipated as it protruded down the corridor. The scorching rays of the blazing sun no longer sustained it. The molten orb was knocked out of the sky for good.

And from then on, there was only darkness—the eternal night.

Author's Note:

Let me know in the comments what you thought about this story. I want to know. I like all kinds of feedback. You can be as critical, nitpicky and negative as you want; I’ll still upvote your comment, regardless.

You can also play the Comment section minigame.

Gdoc

Comments ( 55 )

Comment section minigame for the chapter 2 of the story Supernova Daybreak (anypony is welcome to play this game in the comment section of this story)

THE GAME
Does this story remind you of a song that you know? If yes, post it in the comments in the following format:
- A link or embedded Youtube video of it.
- Percentage of correlation (0% being an unrelated song, 100% being a song written exactly for this story).
- The reason why this song reminded you of this story or the excerpt of the lyrics that resonates with this fic in some way.

Music recommendations for reading this story:
They Might Be Giants - Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) — Correlation: 50% (Lyrics)
The sun is mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace
Where hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees

They Might Be Giants - Why Does the Sun Really Shine? (The Sun is a Miasma of Incandescent Plasma) — Correlation: 50% (Lyrics)
I hope it never morphs — Into a supernova

Iron Maiden - When The Wild Wind Blows — Correlation: 30% (Lyrics)
They’re in the Shelter — Feeling Snug — Not long to wait  — For Absolution — Don’t make a fuss — Just sit and wait

Yeah, I'm not seeing any major problems with story here. The only two complaints I really have are that the deaths should've been bigger issue than they were, and that the ending confused me a bit, but I just might need to back and read it again. I would say it was too fast paced, but thinking about the situation, it wouldn't make sense for it not to be.

All in all a decent short story.

9068251 I'm glad to hear you liked it. I don't know where those downvotes come from, either. None of the downvoters are saying anything. I can't fix anything if I don't know what the issue is. Maybe they just don't like my name.

And thanks for the review. The deaths are only implied. Twilight can't be sure. It's hard to grief without confirmation. Also hard to think about others when your own tail is burning.

I'd love to hear what it was that confused you in the ending. Perhaps I could make it less confusing. It's certainly not confusing in my mind, so there shouldn't be any reason why it couldn't be written as such.

--Sweetie Belle

9068800
Yay!

Funny thing was they ended up having to write that second song because the science in the first one got out of date. I like the actual song better on the original, tho'.

Of course, the line about the supernova in the second one was perfect.

They Might Be Giants is a pretty fun band in general.

--Sweetie Belle

I like this and i dont know why people downvoted?

9068251
9068259

I'm not normally so nitpicky, but you wanted feedback, so okay.

The wild cosmic energies made me shiver when they intertwined with my magic. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. My instincts told me something was very wrong, but I paid them no heed.

and

I wish I had paid more heed to my obligation. It was placed in my care so long ago, but ever since my first sunrise, I have always taken the source of our light for granted.

That would be out of character for Celestia. She wouldn't be so careless.

Lowering the sun in its current condition would be sunset.

"Would be sunset?" Did you mean "suicide" instead of "sunset". The sentence doesn't make sense.

The deaths are implied? Uh...okay. Considering Twilight got BARBECUED out there, they are more than implied.

“I’m sorry for your loss, my poor thing. Yours and mine. Alas, this is the time when we have to reach deep for our inner strength. As hard as it may seem to fight the despair in our hearts, we are expected to rise above the challenges that face us. Heavy is the crown of a princess, but wear it we must. The times like these mark our noble nature. We must ensure that it shines like a beacon of hope. The dark thoughts of the past have to bow before our royal will and resolve. Our focus must be directed toward the ones who are still around. ‘Tis our duties as protectors of Equestria to shield the fragile subjects from harm. We cannot stand idly in the time when ponies need us the most.”

A bit too much exposition...she could have made the point in half this speech. It drags on too long.

“Wait it out?” Twilight raised her eyebrows, though only one of them was still intact. “The fusion is reaching critical levels…”

and

"...Tell me, Twilight, how long do you think this heatwave will last?”

I'm guessing Celestia knows something we don't if she doesn't seem to think this is more than a "heatwave". I can't imagine she's not understanding what she's being told or is that stupid.

"Then, you could leave the arising supernova set, and we’d be safe from its deadly rays."

What? What does that mean? Leave it set? Please explain.

The heat dissipated as it rushed inside the shelter through the open door. The scorching rays of the blazing sun no longer sustained it.
From then on, there was only darkness—the eternal night.

I agree. The ending of the chapter makes no sense.

Is Princess Luna's death also "implied"? If not, then I'm outta here. Too big a fan of hers to stick around for the ending. If it is implied, you can PM me and let me know without spoiling it for anyone else.

Hope none of this offends you. Just offering the feedback.

9069010 Thank you for this! I, for one, appreciate your nitpickiness. Your feedback was awesome! I've fixed all the issues you addressed.

9069334
Thanks. Some of my questions couldn't be answered in the story, though. If you're not addressing them here, I guess I'll never know what the answers were. Okay. Good luck with the story *shrug*

9069346 Which questions? The ones you posted were legitimate and made me fix the story so the questions are no longer relevant now that it's fixed.

*"Would be sunset?"

would be my last sunset.

*What? What does that mean? Leave it set? Please explain.

Then, you could leave the arising supernova set behind the horizon, and we’d be safe from its deadly rays.

*Is Princess Luna's death also "implied"?

With Luna gone, the sun cannot be eclipsed.

It's implied plenty now.

Thanks for your comments. They led me to fix the parts you pointed at.

If you have any more questions, feel free to post them, and I shall answer them all.

Huk

OK, who the hell is downvoting this is beyond me. It was very, very good!

One thing though… Celestia basically killed the other half of the planet by shifting the sun, didn’t she? I mean, unless it was ‘singed’ earlier already, shifting the sun wiped out all life on the other side of the world.

Trading ~ 40 ponies for half of world population? Hmm, I guess nobody showed her ‘The Wrath Of Khan’ :trollestia:

Anyway, nice work :twilightsmile:

9087751 I don't know where the downvotes come from, either. I had high hopes for this story.

Equos burning on the other side is a good observation. However, in my MLP headcanon universe it shouldn't be a problem, IMO.
s1.hubimg.com/u/12330622_f520.jpg

Huk

9087774

Well if you put it like that, then I guess it makes sense. Modern flat Equestria society forever! :trollestia:

Sorry, I really wasn’t a fan of this. I rather liked the premise of it, both the sun going out of control and Celestia’s eventual solution to it. On paper, I think the events of this story could make for a rather beautiful story.

And yet most of this ended up falling a bit flat for me. The first chapter, in particular, I think just felt cruel more than anything else, more like a horror story than a tragic one. And showing the first chapter through Twilight’s eyes seems like an odd choice to me--when the story hinges on Celestia having made a terrible mistake, my first instinct would be to have the entire story be from Celestia’s side of things, so that her mistake and the flaws of her character that led to that mistake could be adequately explored and developed.

Furthermore, it felt like more of the story was the characters explaining that the sun was turning into a supernova, and hardly any of it all was the sun turning in a supernova. There’s one part where the effects of the scorching heat are shown, and it’s rather lovely in a horrible way, but that was about it. The lack of emotion in the characters is perhaps justified--as you said in the comments, it’s difficult to grieve without confirmation and perhaps harder still without proximity, and Twilight has neither of those things. But that same principle applied to the story as a whole, I think. It was difficult to care much at the end when Celestia’s actions are such that there’d be enduring, drastic consequences for a world that’s hardly been shown at all.

Basically, I think this story was too ambitious. I could see it working had it been quite a bit longer, but as it stands right now it honestly didn’t do much for me.

9107817 Thank you for your honest review. Those are my favorite. Perhaps all the downvotes do have some merit to them, after all.

showing the first chapter through Twilight’s eyes seems like an odd choice to me--when the story hinges on Celestia having made a terrible mistake, my first instinct would be to have the entire story be from Celestia’s side of things, so that her mistake and the flaws of her character that led to that mistake could be adequately explored and developed.

Celestia made her mistake out of ignorance, but such wasn't the case with Twilight. The later made her mistake due to negligence, which is harder to justify. Also, if I were to focus on Celestia, there wouldn't even be any need for any interactions, and they might feel forced.

Furthermore, it felt like more of the story was the characters explaining that the sun was turning into a supernova, and hardly any of it all was the sun turning in a supernova. There’s one part where the effects of the scorching heat are shown, and it’s rather lovely in a horrible way, but that was about it.

Indeed, my descriptions of vivid surroundings could use some more work. Perhaps I'll add some more show instead of tell to it.

It was difficult to care much at the end when Celestia’s actions are such that there’d be enduring, drastic consequences for a world that’s hardly been shown at all.

There's actually a sequel in the works that focuses more on the aftermath of Celestia's action.

Basically, I think this story was too ambitious. I could see it working had it been quite a bit longer, but as it stands right now it honestly didn’t do much for me.

It's unfortunate. I had high hopes for it. In my head, it seemed epic, but it seemed I didn't transfer it well onto the paper.

Again, thank you for this. Due to your comment, I'll make some adjustments.

9107929

Perhaps all the downvotes do have some merit to them, after all.

I would guess that at least a handful of them are simply from the rather bleak nature of it all--the one story I’ve written which had a less-than-happy ending is I think objectively better than all the ones with happy endings, and yet it’s also the most-disliked, which has made me suspect that any story with a premise like this is going to be a bit of a hard sell.

Celestia made her mistake out of ignorance, but such wasn't the case with Twilight. The later made her mistake due to negligence, which is harder to justify.

Ah, good point! I will confess to not having seen things that way; having it spelled out makes it much more apparent why you’d want to spend some more time with Twilight.

But, I’m sorry to say, I’m still a bit puzzled by it. You’re absolutely right, the story hinges on Twilight’s mistake, so it should of course be justified. But, at least to me, Twilight’s mistake in this story is not nearly as compelling as Celestia’s.

The story introduces Twilight’s mistake right off the bat, and as far as I can tell there’s not much justification for it beyond the simple “I could have done more” thoughts Twilight reveals through dialogue. To me, that’s cutting out the most interesting part of a tragedy and also the most crucial--if the story hinges on characters making mistakes, I want to know exactly why they did things the way they did, what aspect of their character led them to make their fatal decisions.

For Celestia, I think there’s something of that sort to be found here. She’s suggested to be somewhat complacent, unwilling to deviate from her thousand-year-old habits. And perhaps there’s something there about her being afraid to frighten all her subjects if it turned out her feeling was nothing more than a hunch. As she said, she grew stagnant. To me, that’s an interesting look into what the life of a pony who’s burdened with such a lofty responsibility and bears it for so long it seems innocuous and trivial might be like. That, I think, is a compelling story idea.

But for Twilight, there wasn’t much like that, at least not that I saw. She was... what, careless? Perhaps lazy, as she mentioned putting things off until it was too late? We’re given some intriguing insight into why Celestia did what she did, and yet there’s comparatively little of that for Twilight--her flaw could perhaps be attributed to the usual imperfections of humanity, but that’s not very personal to her, whereas Celestia’s faults are. We spend the whole story looking at the consequences of Twilight’s mistake, and as far as I can see very little looking at the causes of it.

Sorry, bits of that might be a bit rambly :twilightsheepish: Part of that may be personal bias, just so we’re clear. Since you mentioned a sequel, I’m wondering if there’s some disconnect between what you find interesting about this scenario and what I find interesting about it--in my mind, it’s the buildup to this scenario that’s intriguing, whereas it sounds like you might be more fixated on the fallout?

It's unfortunate. I had high hopes for it. In my head, it seemed epic, but it seemed I didn't transfer it well onto the paper.

Just so we’re clear, I think the premise is certainly an epic one. The sun is something that the ponies likely very much take for granted, since it’s been under the control of a benevolent ruler for as long as anyone who’s alive can remember. The thought, then, of what might happen when something most of them never thought twice about turns against them is rather fantastic--and, with just a short scene, there’s already some intriguing insight into why Celestia would let it happen. There’re a lot of places you could go with all this, I think; this feels more like the ending of a longer story or perhaps the history of a larger, post-apocalyptic kind of story.

9108030 Since all my stories are tragic to some extent, it figures I could never get featured.

You have a point about Twilight's mistake in this story. It doesn't build on her as a character. It's just sleepiness. A mistake that could have been attributed to anypony else in a different situation. One thing that I wanted to portray is that a little mistake out of complacency can have huge ramifications. From that perspective, having a natural mistake that isn't unique to the character might be even more connectable for the reader. It's probably just another one of those things that make sense only in my mind but the story fails to transfer it to the reader.

The sequel was planned to be in the fallout, yes. It was supposed to be about how the ponies would cope with eternal night.

When I write a story, I usually don't want to tell a tale of a character. I want to expose a situation/development/dilemma in which a character only takes part. In my mind, it's not about the characters but the underlying principle. In that sense, what you're looking for in this story differs from my goals. Even when I described Celestia's past, it wasn't to develop her character, it was to explain the situation. Again, I might be doing it wrong. If nopony sees the message, it means I'm failing as a writer.

9162375
I simply don't have the energy to read another chapter -- it's very... bizarre.

As for stories, I find that the stories that explore different themes are far more interesting -- it is one reason I really enjoy Fallout: Equestria and the like. Those that stick to the overtly-happy, over-the-top themes of the show tend to be... dull? I'm not sure. They aren't as interesting.

I still remember your self-insert fic, that was great! It was funny, and unique; charming, even.

science nit picks.
1 yellow stars like the sun do not go supernova at the end of their life they expand into a red giant then collapse into a white dwarf .
2 Even with a magic yellow star the blast from a super nova would most likely vaporize any planet in the goldilocks zone. so moving the sun to the other side of the world would be only a very temporary fix. a massive solar flare is much more likely see the story " Inconstant Moon" by Larry Niven.

9162397 Don't you have that curiosity that makes you wonder how things end?


9186177 Mmm, I do like science nitpicks.

1 yellow stars like the sun do not go supernova at the end of their life they expand into a red giant then collapse into a white dwarf .

In our solar system, we do have a fairly regular yellow star that will never turn into a supernova. However, that may not be the case with Equus star.

2 Even with a magic yellow star the blast from a super nova would most likely vaporize any planet in the goldilocks zone. so moving the sun to the other side of the world would be only a very temporary fix. a massive solar flare is much more likely see the story " Inconstant Moon" by Larry Niven.

Supernovas don't just happen, you know? They produce early signs. Their output increases a million years before the explosion. The star in this story doesn't turn into a supernova, yet.

9186593

Planet would still be dead pre nova. flare still best candidate for my money. Though with magic involved who knows?
https://www.wunderground.com/blog/Susie77/comment.html%3Fentrynum=549.html

9186702 In this story, Supernova isn't scheduled to happen for a million years to come. Supernovas start acting up way before. The stars don't shine with a constant glow. They go through the cycles. This story describes one of those cycles (one of the pre-supernova cycles).

9186593
I do wonder, however, I haven't had enough time to start the new chapter. In an hour or two from this message, I should be able to read it (just need to make sure my phone has enough life).

9188738 I know how that is. RL has a way of getting in the way of pleasure. Do it at your own pace. No need to rush it.

a super nova is when the sun exploads dude, all this is is a rapid expansion of the sun from yellow to red supergiant
if it was actualy a supernova happening seting the sun would only buy time...

9238982 The sun hasn't gone supernova just yet. This is the first phase before the explosion that could last a millennium. But yes, sometime in the future, there will be an actual supernova explosion.

Ughhh... this story made me recall two pieces of music and it was sadly with a smile that I remembered them. The music that plays in Omega Ruby when Groudon begins to bathe the world in a relentless heat wave, and the theme of Micheal Myers. In other words you've done something fitting.

9243845 Perhaps you'll get a little different feeling the next time you hear those music pieces.

This is a sad story. This is the end of ponies. Even hanging out on the nightside, they are all doomed.

Someponies might point out that the Sun cannot go supernova. Just remind those ponies that this is a magical sun.

¡I read every 1 of your stories!

9313785 The suns go supernova all the time. It just has to be massive enough.

You're the only one I know who read all my stories. You kind of make me want to write more stories now. I wish I could...

Well, I'm not sure how I feel about this quite yet. Just... geeze.

Though, as I continue to think about and rationalize my thoughts, I'm finding that, while disheartening, this was still amusing -- in some odd way. The events flowed in a natural and logical way, that, without too much thought, one could follow and even presume the actions that would come -- all the way up to Celestia's 'gift'.

The futility of the matter is always present, and I think that helped cement this as 'real', or, rather, grounded. Another strong point was that my disbelief was never shattered; especially with characters acting as they would (at least with how I tend to see them).

Next, the two things I found wrong. They aren't so much gripes about the story so much as the writing. The first is that Celestia has a line asking Twilight about how sure she is; I think using 'certain' (or the equivalent of) would have flowed better. It's such a small detail, but my mind is a weird place. Secondly, two quotation marks are missing; one from the opening of Twilight's dialogues, and the other from one of Celestia's dialogues (I can find them if you'd like).

All in all: this was pleasant, and more than a little grim (which I like!).

9347467 Thank you for your wonderful review. The feelings you had, your general thoughts about the story and the characters, your irks. It's all there. I love it.

What surprised me was that your disbelief was never broken and that the players stayed in character. Those are the areas I struggle the most. Hearing that they were done adequately brings me joy.

And thank you for pointing out the irks you had. I'm always happy to make the story better.
The reason I used the word 'sure' is because I already used 'certain 4 words prior.

I do not mean to pressure you, Twilight, but I need to know for certain. Are you absolutely sure that nothing can be done to circumvent our desperate situation?

I changed it now to:

I do not mean to pressure you, Twilight, but I need to know this as a foregone conclusion. Are you absolutely certain that nothing can be done to circumvent our desperate situation?”

I hunted for missing quotation marks but came out empty. I could use some help in finding them.

9347605
Here's the line for Twilight:

I don’t foresee adaptation to lava as a viable option...” Twilight’s ears drooped as she followed behind.

And here's the line for Celestia:

With Luna gone, the sun cannot be eclipsed. Fortunately, there is another way to shield us from its reach. As I have lowered it each day for a millennium, I can lower it one more time.” Celestia’s horn glowed--

That dialogue change sounds a lot better! :D
(I started reading comments and got distracted, really should have posted this first!)

9539359 There was a sequel planned. I even have the first draft of it, but I might never finish it. I'm sorry.

9539522
Why not? Do you need some help? I am a picky proof reader and I offer my services to you.

Comment posted by Fracturedheart deleted Apr 4th, 2019

9545744 Thank you for the offer, I wish I knew you a few years ago. Anyway, the story isn't ready for editing, unfortunately. It's just a draft.

I have over 200 ideas written down that I could turn into stories. It's just... I think I'm missing something. I'm trying to find it. I'm not in my writing place right now. I haven't been for a while.

9546210
Yeah I know. and its a bummer.

Great story ! Good job, I like.

Behold, my lisp-ridden reading of this thing.

10832380 Thank you for the read. It was really good. When I finished watching it, I couldn't help myself but to rewatch it from the start again. I even implemented some corrections of mistakes I was blind to until you opened my eyes.

And don't worry about the other readings and mp3 downloads. They're just text-to-speech and don't come even close to your beautiful voice.

It had this weird, almost comedic tone this entire time but it was really good regardless.

11850659 You can take me out of a sarcastic story, but you can't take sarcasm out of me. That might be the reason why it sneaks even to non-comedic stories of mine.

Either way, I'm glad you found it enjoyable.

Will this continue it sad but I like it.

11855382
It's good just not sure it the prospective is still Twilight Sparkle or someone new. Good luck with your squeal.

11855750 It's from Apple Bloom's perspective. It explores the drama between the last pony and the last donkey on Equus.

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