The Conversion Bureau - The Return of the King
How Great Thou Art by Dan's Comments
Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the property of Hasbro, Inc.
Godzilla is the property of Toho Company Ltd.
Fluttercorn clung to the top of Godzilla's head. While a 'weak' flier, she was a nimble one, and the subtle maneuvers and changes to Godzilla's method of flight came easy to her. Tank and Rainbow were higher up, almost too high to see, and Rainbow had another mission. Tank didn't like it, but he was Godzilla's back up. Fluttercorn glanced at faerie Twilight and Fleetfoot. Normally they would be with Rainbow, but her mission made their inclusion impossible.
As Godzilla slowed on his approach to Los Pegasus, Fluttercorn saw the ships in the harbor, the airships tethered around the city and she cringed at the idea that this army might be thrown against the Newfoal city.
"I hope we can come to an arrangement," she said as they landed very gently in a field that had been cleared for them. The nearest unit was the reviewing stand, and a very large marching band. Fluttercorn wondered what was going on, and was glad she was safe up here.
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The bandmaster began to thank Celestia she'd found some 'Knew Foals' who'd been able to teach her band this piece, but considering that Celestia had caused this disaster, she decided thanking the Princesses would be a better option. The major brass was in the reviewing stand, hoping, praying that the creature who'd just landed could be convinced to see reason, and spare their lives.
She raised her baton, hoped a few hours practice would be enough and began. Offering ruffles and flourishes to welcome a head of state was old hat, but none of the old national songs would apply. Fortunately, this monster came with some truly beautiful theme music.
Notes:
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Godzilla could smell the fear even from here. Discord had described to him what had befallen the fleets, and which fleet commander had prevailed in the political wrangling that followed. He'd also spotted the troops who were creeping up on Los Pegasus, and bearing Celestia's banners. He'd already decided that a show of force would be appropriate. To make it clear that his intention was to be protector of all the peoples of Earth. And if that meant a bit of a scare, then so be it.
As the band played, Godzilla drew himself up straight, and offered the best salute he could.
The stench of terror abated as the echos of the song faded away.
Now it's time, he thought, and per their agreement, Fluttercorn, and the two Shobijin Twilight and Fleetfoot didn't exactly sing, but made music. It was most like throat singing, although it also had a very strong telepathic content.
Note:
Many of the soldiers in the reviewing stand broke down weeping. Others hugged their neighbors. Some seemed almost exalted, as if the weight of their deeds were lifted from them. Of the advancing army, too many simply lost heart, others became even more angry. Some looked like they had gone insane.
As the song faded, the ambushers shouted and nearly half of them charged. From the marching band to the reviewing stand, they all blanched. Godzilla clearly heard 'Godzilla, weapons are free!' from someone in the reviewing stand before they started calling up their own forces.
Godzilla knew Equestrian battle tactics. Most of the lives within him had died of them. There would be the airship command post, and the small assemblies of officers far back behind the front lines.
Once command and control is down, they will more likely listen to you, he told Fluttercorn.
Her saddened silence was his only answer. He turned so they could see his spines lighting. Of those charging, nearly two-thirds dove for the nearest available cover. Most of the rest 'lightened their load' so they could flee faster.
The airship command post ceased to exist. Several of its escorts were on fire from the heat pulse. The brief flare ahead of the ship indicated it had the improved shields, as did most of the ships currently on fire. The three auxiliary command groups were reduced to glass-lined holes.
Fluttercorn lifted off and dropped down, not incidently blocking some of his line of fire to some of the troops, not that he couldn't side step if she came under fire.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" the Royal Canterlot Voice thundered down on the troops. "Time and time again, he has shown all the restraint we could ever hope for. And still you see it as weakness. He came to end a tragic and troubling war. And you wish to continue it, then so be it. Your commanders are gone. Those of you who wish, go home. If you want to continue the battle, then come forward, and on your head it shall be."
About a tenth of the force screamed and charged, beasts too tormented to do anything other than inflict pain on others. Godzilla waited until a generous distance separated those on the attack, from those who merely wanted to see. It was like sweeping leaves away with a garden hose. One shot left to right. Lensing the depth of the beam as he moved to catch most, but not all in the force in its incinerating blast. Some near the rear only caught a touch and ran screaming as their very flesh burned. It was a sight the ponies who had stayed back would never forget. None 'escaped' that way out the front.
The sweep completed, the ground smoldered where it hadn't been completely glassed over. Like a crude finger-painted smear across the land. Godzilla cocked his head and looked at the army that waited behind the line he had drawn. The last of the 'chargers' had fallen screaming, and added to the smoke. The force either threw down their weapons and retreated, or stacked them to await disposition from the command staff who were bringing their own troops forward.
I'll leave the ponies to work out who was what, he thought to the trio who rode atop his head, I have made my statement. I am Godzilla, King of the Monsters.
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Rainbow wasn't sure how she could still be breathing. She'd always passed out long before she reached this altitude on her earlier attempts. Now she might as well have been hugging the ground.
There's Luna's moon, she thought, What in the name of all Equestria is that! she thought as another silvery orb came into view, but this one was huge. No wonder so many Newfoals didn't believe that Luna moved the moon. If they were thinking of that monster, I wouldn't have believed it either, she thought then glanced at Sol. If what they said is accurate, I might be able to fly to that thing, but it would take days.
The tiny assembly attached to Luna's moon looked laughable, until she realized they'd put it there without magic. These guys aren't just creepy, they're scary.
She orbited the odd structure, until she found what Twilight had described. She carefully webbed the supplies to the side of the station, and departed. Twilight and the others had prepared a 'briefing' for both Luna and the astronauts on the current situation, and a request to make contact. The Newfoals were trying to build radios that would let them talk to the humans up here. That was beyond Rainbow's understanding.
She made sure she was well clear of Luna's moon when she fixed her sights on the far more distant object. Okay moon, come ta Dashie! she thought and raced for the object.
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The humans were still wary of the glow of Luna's horn, but the container of supplies was all that they would need for some time. "I could have teleported it inside," she said.
"We still aren't sure where the atmosphere you're displacing goes. We can't afford to lose any," Commander Koenig said.
Luna had never considered that, and mentally added it to her list of things to check. She grinned. "How is it you know nothing of magic, but yet you know so much about it?"
"We know a lot about magic," Collins said, "We just don't have any."
Luna's mind ran over that sentence and thought it was too twisted even for Discord. How do you know a lot about something you know nothing about? She added that to the very long list of things about humans she was going to have to ask about later. I'm beginning to understand what frightened Celestia so much about these creatures.
"So, Nabi, now that you've got the ingredients, a gravity well, and a receptive audience, you can show off all those vegetarian dishes you kept talking about," Piotr said.
The geologist brightened. "That's right. There's so much you can do with good cheeses," Nabi turned to face Luna, saluted, "Take me to your Liederkranz!"
Luna wondered why they all thought that was so funny. "Discord is going to love you people," she muttered.
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Fluttercorn laid out the Newfoals' demands. As practically a Newfoal herself in attitude, she was very polite and deferential.
I only have to sit and watch to remind them that negotiating in good faith is acceptable, Godzilla thought as he watched. Again the difference between Newfoals and native Equestrians became apparent as the Newfoals close within a few dozen yards. An outright refusal will have consequences. Complete replacement of the negotiating team being the first.
The terms were simple, cease attacks on Newfoal Island and continental Newfoal territories. Surrender all data and materials on the potion to the scholars at Newfoal Island. In return teachers would be sent to prepare the Equestrians for life on Earth.
Discord had suggested the 'snake-eaters' of the various Special Forces be detailed. They had the MOS of teaching as well as survival. Plus, while it would horrify and gross out the ponies, they were the best able to convey what a hellhole the ponies were in now. This detail hadn't been shared with Fluttercorn, only that the teachers were specially trained in wilderness survival, teaching and would dedicate themselves to keeping the ponies alive.
You have to let him have his fun. Especially when he's right, Godzilla thought, For the first day, the negotiations went well. Whether the Grand Admiral can maintain control and maintain the peace was another matter.
Then came the question. Will he be wise enough to call on his new allies to deal with any revolt? Godzilla wondered and glanced up. Luna's power might not reach the surface, but she and the sensors of the station give them an unassailable 'eye in the sky'. Nothing on the hemisphere is not under their direct observation and with the supplies they'll soon add the remaining spy satellites.
He looked up at the sky and saw the long trail of a comet or meteorite. He briefly wondered what it forecast for the future.
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Mothra Dash climbed out of the now larger and more smoldering Wolf Crater and looked around. There wasn't a soul within sight, sound or smell. "Perfect landing." She flopped down on the desert floor and went to sleep.
At this point, there isn´t much left. Celestia is trapped forever and her allies destroyed or deserted. Game over.
Well, unless Celestia pulls one last trick out of her invisible sleeve, this is the end game. Either the Ponies are going to adapt, or they'll die out. Hopefully they'll pick the first option.
Adapt and only some of you will die or refuse and all of you will die.
Either way someone is winning a Darwin award at the end of this.
4891679
That is all.
Why do I still feel Shining Armor hasn't roared at his sister, nor has the true history of the ponies from their ancient homelands hit the main pony populace and provide the seeds for an energetic discussion of philosophy like the Protestant reformation was?
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Aside from that, fun chapter! Well written, interesting - the Moonbase Alpha shoutouts made me laugh - and entertaining.
So wait, a human outpost is on....Luna's Moon? As in, the one she controls?
Which, according to this chapter, is much smaller than Luna, our moon? And both are in the system?
Gravity, y u so wonky? They should have collided with each other by now, no?
Also, King Ghidora. Cuz why not.
Of course Rainbow. When blessed with the phenomenal cosmic power of Mothra, going where no mare (save Luna) has gone before, accomplishing deeds of epic awesomeness, there is only one thing remaining; one thing of absolute and utter importance, one thing that can never ever be forgotten...
Nap time!
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4891679 4891937 They've won the war, they seem to be winning the peace, so yes the story is almost over.
But don't forget Discord. He wants to be entertained, so he may have a few more tricks up his sleeve.
4891679 The irony is, once the humans are back in strength, they won't allow the ponies to die off. We're funny that way.
4891785 Celestia. They thought they beat me, by I scavenged cells from Godzilla, and cross them with the plants Discord left in my prison. Especially the roses, I shall call you all Audrey!
4892119 Wait until she gets back from the negotiations. He's still a mouse. Most ponies venerate the destruction of their homeland in Hearths Warming Eve, and for a thousand years the ponies haven't cared. On Earth, we have people who are much more curious about anomalies in our histories.
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Yes, thank. Rarity can you and a comb do something with this guy? Terrific. Very helpful.
4892469 Now you know what Discord is going to give Luna for Christmas.
4892473 Yes.
The average distance from Earth to the Moon is 384,400 km (238,900 mi)
The average distance from Earth to the Sun is 149,597,870.7 km (92,955,807 miles)
The mean radius of the sun is 432,450 miles (696,000 kilometers)
Volumetric mean radius of the moon 1737.1 km
Remembering your trig, Tangent is opposite / adjacent, or in this case mean radius/average distance, arctan calculates the angle from the tangent
Sun arc: arctan(696,000/149,597,870.7) = 0.266565123105029 degrees
Moon arc: arctan(1737.1/384,400) = 0.258917328566124 degrees
That's the angle from the center to the outer edge in your field of view. Their similarity is want allows for eclipses, they appear to be the same size. But anything taking up that arc length would appear as large as the sun and the moon do to us.
You can calculate how large the 'sun-sized' object would actually be once you know it's orbit: Adjacent * tangent(arc) = opposite, or Orbital distance * tan (0.266565123105029) = mean radius
If Equestria's sun and moon orbit at 60,000 feet (18288 meters) they would have a radius of 271.1 - 279.1 feet or 82.6 - 85.1 meters.
That puts them in the realm of large aircraft, a higher orbital distance say 120 miles is a simple scale up due to similar triangles. 120 miles:60000 feet is 10.56 the radius of an object at that distance is about 2905.5 feet, or 885.5 meters. A large object, but controllable by a group of unicorns or one powerful alicorn.
Luna's moon is much smaller and at a much lower altitude than Earth's moon. King Ghidorah, maybe that's who Celestia is whipping up in her workshop. But he's uncontrollable, she wouldn't be crazy enough to . . . she wouldn't be stupid enough to . . . Yes, I do have some grey poupon, oh you want four jars, how about I divide this up into four equal portions? Didn't I see you running for Congress? From California, that explains it, thank you Ms. Polosi.
4892821 Rainbow went further than Princess Luna, she went all the way to Earth's moon. She just has to work on reentry.
4893872
Does Luna miss her sister, even after her betrayal, or wonder what drived Celestia to become a mad despot?
4891719 Celestia releases Tirek to get her revenge on the traitorous Elements, targeting Twilight first. (Image not mine).
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4894526 True, but Celestia wouldn't be able to control him, and while he might be able to absorb magic (IE, the super saturated magic that is Earth!), Godzilla would just kill him with the help of Discord ( I say that because Discord wouldn't want Tirek destroying the world he's setting up.).
Can't wait for more.
What the actual fuck is going on?
5150921
Okay, remain an ignorant tard taught only by the failing American education system. You know who is responsible for the Taliban? America, specifically the CIA. Bet your teachers didn't tell you about THAT embarassing fact, did they?
I care, because I'm tired of beautiful countries being treated like they're not as good as AMURRIKA because they didn't want to be part of the world's biggest pissing contest.
5160818 None taken. You might want to read a few of the other stories in the 'The Conversion Bureau' genre. The terms are pretty standard for the genre, and I assumed knowledge of the genre and its standard terminology when I wrote the story.
Its been 200000000000000000000000000 million years since you put a chapter, just sayin
5173859 I can't help with temporal distortions, sorry.
Fine then
Needed more destruction, diplomacy is so
Its is awesome but are you going to kill off sun-butt
5463318 Didn't work on Nightmare Moon.
5558127 Diplomacy is fun, when you hold all the cards.
5591629 All the Godzilla's spines glowed when they fired, all the way back to 1954.
5610812 Maybe.
5627387 That's generally a sign of insanity. The author's or the character's.
Is everything okay?
personally, i like to think that any fan fiction that incorporates LoHAV, Godzilla, AND the conversion bureau all at the same time, DESERVES at least a T-rating.
This seemed like it was pretty close to wrapping up, a year ago.
Stuck on the ending?
6292484 Yes. 'They lived happily ever after and died in a pot of grease' doesn't really work. I've actually got several endings, but weaving them together is proving difficult.
Read and re-read all the story, and I like it very very much.
6292792 We can all wait. Has anyone pointed to the more stubborn officers than the Neofoals had go easy on them by summoning/conjuring a Humanity-fueled Godzilla?
An angrier group of Neofoals, and they will have to go against things WORSE than the King of Monsters, like the Xenomorphs (Aliens. Good luck fighting an alpha predator that can make Hydras look like tender puppies), or calling forth the funny ones that travel in a blue police box that is bigger on the inside...
6299963 Or seven castaways led by a skinny guy in a red-shirt (no typical redshirt he).
Or Larry Niven's Kzin.
Or, armor-plated tribbles.
This was a pretty fun read.
6890884 There are some people who might be immune, or like the Duchess in Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters, she might enjoy it.
About 2h 10min in.
Are you going to finish this?
7069814 Working on it.
7097258 Neat
7097258 yay it is so close I seams to me but yes I would love to see this finished
You know, Godzilla could ask if Discord could at least give the humans back their minds. Strip out the things that keep them so nice and pleasant.
That pun was just cheesy.