Wish upon a Supernova

by Hyper Atomic

Prologue: Cycles

Cycles

The star was dying.

Massive and radiant, the solar body seemed as bright as ever, its ruby light and size were a testament to its age. Heavier and denser elements were being fused in the core, pressed together by the unrelenting gravity of their own mass.

Iron was the limit. Up until that point, the lighter elements gave energy back, fueling the nuclear furnace that raged within. It was a cosmic forge, building up the simplest and most pure of atoms into greater and more diverse forms. However, the reaction couldn't go on forever.

The star was dying.

It may not have been alive to begin with, in the strictest sense of the word, but over the uncountable eons that its light shone forth into the dark, it grew, and it changed. The celestial giant had a purpose, not one driven by conscious thought or primal urge, but fundamental and inevitable all the same. Where before it existed had merely been a cloud of simple gas and dust, after its ignition it had shaped the raw matter over the long course of time into the multitude of elements that now rested within.

The surface of the great sphere shuddered, its fuel was nearly spent. Soon there wouldn't be enough energy to keep gravity at bay. It shuddered again, seemingly trying to keep going despite itself. The contractions were starting to become rhythmic, pulsing with a beat as steady as any heart.

The star was dying.

* * *

Maxwell poured himself another cup of the rich earthy blend. The coffee was one of his favorite flavors, and he had the whole pot to himself. Aromas of chocolate and hazelnut escaped from the mug as he took a sip, wincing slightly. Carrying it gingerly in one hand, he stretched his other arm up and out, twisting his neck around as he did. Satisfying pops and maybe a crack or two issued from his joints, audible thanks for being able to move again. He had been working on the next revision of his dissertation for the better part of 4 hours, though perhaps 'working' was too strong a word as he had barely added more than a few lines during that whole time. Nothing was easy to change at this point, as everything depended on so many variables.

“Maybe I need some fresh air.” He sighed to himself as nobody else was around, but that was by design. Maxwell stepped out into the night, pulling his sweater closed in the brisk November air. The cabin was a good distance away from any city, giving him plenty of both peace and quiet. He glanced at his watch. The starlight alone was enough for him to easily read the display.

10:43

Starlight. That was the other reason he liked spending time at his family's small, but cozy cabin, the stars. In the city there was so much light pollution it made stargazing nearly impossible, but here, on a night with hardly any cloud cover, the sky was beautiful. His footsteps made pleasantly crisp noises on the scattered grass and leaves, quieting the chirp of insects nearby. A small, but prominent hill was coming into view. Maxwell took another sip of his still steaming beverage, enjoying the relaxing heat as it warmed him from the inside. Crouching down at the top of the hill, he gently positioned his mug amidst the grass, making sure it wouldn't tip before laying down completely.

The dome of the sky stretched overhead as a great resplendent tapestry, unbroken across his entire field of view. He liked this spot. It was just far enough from the trees, and just high enough off the ground, that he could see nothing else. So many stars, so many worlds, so much space. He took a deep breath and held it, doing his best to finally tear his mind away from his work.

“Why does it all have to be so complicated?” he mused, “I mean, I like complicated, it's what I do...” Maxwell squinted through his glasses, carefully removing them before wiping a smudge from the lenses with the hem of his shirt. “But that doesn't stop it from becoming tedious after a while. I wish,” he began, returning his optics to the bridge of his nose, “...I wish I could make more of a difference.”

The stars glittered in silence.

* * *

The star was dying.

The ruby giant was in its last moments. With not enough left to burn, gravity was winning. The star was falling in on itself, further compressing the iron at its core. Small stars would stop here, the forces of gravity compacting them into a tight dwarf. This celestial, however, was immense. The strength of its gravitational collapse was poised to exceed the electron degeneracy pressure. When it does, the sudden release of incalculable volumes of stored potential energy will cause one of the most violent of explosions on a stellar scale.

A supernova.

The surface continued to fall. Its once red light began to creep in intensity, becoming blindingly white as the limit approached. Gravity strained, pulling the matter inwards, deeper and tighter. In the instant the force exceeded the strength of the core, time seemed to stand still, as if something were giving it pause. The light vanished.

There was no explosion.

The star was gone.

* * *

There was a flash, brighter and more penetrating than staring into the sun itself, and it was coming from everywhere. Then it was gone. The woods were silent save the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the droning chirp of crickets.

A still hot cup of hazelnut mocha sat alone amidst the grass.

* * *

Augh! It hurt. EVERYTHING hurt. What in the hell was that? I didn't want to open my eyes, they still throbbed and I could see the telltale colors of excessive exposure. One minute I was having a pleasant, albeit one sided conversation with the night sky, and the next felt like my retina were being scorched! But more than that, my whole body felt as if it had just taken third degree burns.

Thanks SPACE! Just what I wanted, to be blind and to get skin cancer. I can cross those off my bucket list.

I tried to move my arms, but they behaved as if encased in lead and even just shifting them sent jolts of pain. Okay, arms out of commission. Ground control to legs, do you copy? I pulled one leg up, which thankfully didn't scream out in unbridled agony, but it still felt wrong. It was either mostly numb or I didn't have toes anymore.

Alright, Max, you have all your limbs at least. What about you, inner ear? I was still on the ground, and I could feel the grass. However, it seemed like I had managed to roll onto my left side sometime during the event. I was relieved that my head confirmed it thought it was on its side too, though my ear itself was giving me signals it was higher on my head than it had any right to be. Turning my face skyward, I carefully tried to open my eyes.

Nothing. I couldn't see anything. Oh god, please don't be blind, please don't be blind, please, please PLEASE! My eyes stayed open, looking for something, anything. My head was starting to loose the battle it was fighting against the migraine from hell, but I kept staring. There, amidst the dark, I could start to make out faint pinpricks of light. Stars! Thank you lord!

My elation was strong, but it couldn't keep away the pain and fatigue that was creeping back. I dropped my head once more onto the soft grass. I was tired and my mind wanted a break from all the pain. Sleep was sounding better and better, and I wasn't about to fight it. I let it take me.

* * *

Ponyville was quiet, much as it always is in the early hours of the morning before the sun is raised. A very brightly colored pink pony with a gravity defying poof for a mane bounced out of her bed, and not in a figurative sense. It was as if she was made out of a superball, and it didn't stop there.

Bounce

Bounce

Bounce

She had made it to the door of her room and was about to open it when...

“Uh oh, back shiver, hoof twitch, hair tingle, hoof twitch, *achoo* sneeze!” She gasped. “Somepony is all alone and in trouble and is going to need help just walking, which is funny, who needs help walking? I mean I walk just fine but I prefer to hop hop hop OH! Maybe he likes to hop too! Or she, I wonder-” she stopped, “tail poof, eye roll, itchy ear!” Her eyes widened and possibly the biggest smile in the universe spread across her face.

“And they're new to Ponyville!”

As if on cue, a bright flash lit up the night across the town.

Author's Note:

Well, there you have it. The intro to what has begun rattling around in my head like a squirrel on a dirtbike. Let me know what you think of the science and or tone. As always, feedback is appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Comments

[SeventhBrony]

the possibilities makes this worth the following for now

[martyrex]

interested

[Hyper Atomic]

3088840
3088843
Wasn't expecting comments so soon! I hope further chapters keep you entertained. Thanks for reading!

[Aki_Iokua]

Interesting start, and fairly well written. You just have to watch your tenses, you switch from past to present a bit after you introduce the MC.

I really enjoyed the description of the dying star.

[Hyper Atomic]

3089254
Ahh yes, Tenses, my old enemy...

Thanks! That means it's been far too long since I've written anything, and I'm glad you liked the star.

[Dementia20]

Scientific guy in the land of the magical talking ponies....

[Silent Strike]

I've never gotten a mild case of feels from a dying star before.

[ferret]

Don't you hate it when a dying star breaks the laws of thermodynamics, hurling you straight towards Ponyville?So annoying.

[Chrome Masquerade]

Un...BRIDLED agony! (Snickers, trying not to LOL) ....Oh, i can't help it!!!!!

[Hyper Atomic]

3768920
I'm glad someone found it.

[Frazzled Pony]

Huh, very promising start.

One thing though: I think you should stick to one form of narration when Maxwell is the viewpoint. That is, I suggest either using first person or third for Maxwell's scenes. Not both. In this part you introduce him in third person and have him narrate for himself when he arrives in Equestria and that bugs me. I don't mind having both third and first persons in a story, but you should stick to one for each character viewpoint.

[Hyper Atomic]

4354239
Thank you, I appreciate the feedback! Rest assured, for the rest of the story whenever Maxwell is involved*, it's being told only from the first person. I admit I could have done the opening slightly better. It was a rather novice attempt to emphasize the difference before and after the event and the inherent awkwardness of that transition.

I hope you'll tell me if I've improved since then.

*with a little overlap

[iloveportalz0r]

I wudda ignored this, but I'm a sucker for physics. Don't have him turn into a red & black alicorn who marries Luna

[Hyper Atomic]

4430637
Red and black? Naw, green and black is where it's at.

Joking aside, I hope you enjoy it.

[Darkwhip]

Interesting, we will read on.

[Amos Anon]

Maxwell poured himself another cup of the rich earthy blend. The coffee was one of his favorite flavors, and he had the whole pot to himself. Aromas of chocolate and hazelnut escaped from the mug as he took a sip, wincing slightly.

Better be Maxwell House brand. Because then we can say that Maxwell drank Maxwell House inside Maxwell's House.

[Amos Anon]

Ponyville was quiet, much as it always is in the early hours of the morning before the sun is raised. A very brightly colored pink pony with a gravity defying poof for a mane bounced out of her bed, and not in a figurative sense. It was as if she was made out of a superball, and it didn't stop there.

Oh, f*ck no. Pink menace strikes again.