The Conversion Bureau - The Return of the King
New Guardian, With Peanut Gallery by Dan's Comments
Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the property of Hasbro, Inc.
Godzilla is the property of Toho Company Ltd.
Cadence walked with the frightened colts and fillies who'd made the journey. She offered comfort that she could. She could feel their curiosity, dread and terror. But over it all, she could feel their love. They passed more masterpieces than existed in every museum in Equestria, yet they pressed on. Some stopped for a moment to gaze at a painting or sculpture, before bursting out with happy tears. Then they galloped a short distance to catch up with the herd. Their leader had eyes for nothing but his eventual goal. He cantered on, as if drawn by a path only he could see.
We destroyed all of this, Cadence thought, Why? What is so threatening about this? We've had 'mad artists' of our own. Couldn't Celestia have told that lie, and let us keep this?
Their leader slowed. He shied back. "I - I can't," he admitted.
Cadence looked at all the Newfoals who likewise seemed to have lost all their courage. Time for Cadence the Foalsitter! she thought and grabbed the leader by the scruff of the neck and dragged him, scrabbling hooves and all, into the room.
If the building was a temple to Human art, this was a holy of holies. Discord had made little homages to himself everywhere else. Signs indicating direction had Discord pointing, the bathrooms were labels with Discord, or Discord in a skirt. But here, he had touched nothing, as if realizing he was so outclassed, he didn't want to invite comparison. The very starkness of the room made the art stand out all the more. A few books in display cases, the sculptures were masterpieces each and every one. But the paintings, oh the paintings, Cadence thought, then fixed on one in particular, her jaw dropped, incidently dropping the terrified colt. He scrambled to join the cloud who sheltered in her wake and stared at the painting in religious awe.
Cadence approached, the Newfoals staying close behind her. "You knew?" she asked the oddly smiling woman in the painting, "You knew you'd win? We'd grind Humanity into dust and you'd make us you! You knew! You were what Celestia was so afraid of?"
Cadence fell over and laughed for the first time in months.
------------------------------
Twilight recognized the Baltimare circle of mages. They were scattered among the huge crowd. Odd that Appleling, Fluttercorn, Pinkiecord and Rarity the Dragon are all accepted as part of the ceremony. 'To ensure the best of their friends carries over.' I want to tell them magic doesn't work this way, but I feel the power, she thought as the crowd sang a song together, even Godzilla was humming along.
She glanced at Fleetfoot who stood at her side, and Rainbow who lay quite a distance away. They both smiled. The pair had no misgivings or doubts. Twilight kept wondering if her sacrifice would spare Equestria, would somehow balance the scales between the two worlds. Am I good enough? she wondered, oddly it had been Discord who'd explained, 'None of these deeply flawed beings will demand you be perfect, except the idiots who never do anything themselves. And the humans have a tremendous ability to accept the apologies of the truly contrite. Accept their forgiveness, and their help. They also like a bit of weakness in their heros. Makes them 'more human." But can I really do what needs doing?
Fleetfoot nudged her, and pointed to her own ear.
Right, just listen to the song, feel it, like an Equestrian song, she thought and let the music take her away, and do what needed to be done.
It was the touch of Fleetfoot's mind that told her the spell was working. That awareness and Fleetfoot's boundless enthusiasm gave her confidence. She felt the touch of Rainbow's mind, and felt Rainbow's filly-like terror at messing this up. She felt both herself and Fleetfoot give Rainbow confidence. Rainbow relaxed, and let the magic do its work.
------------------------------
Discord watched the goings on. He'd left the circle when he couldn't contain his giggles any longer. The humans had meshed Harmony and Chaos magic. And done it seamlessly, even made them complementary. He took a moment to consider and enjoy the absolute fit Celestia would have when she found out. But he realized there was someone else who would need to know.
He stood in the grove of the Tree of Harmony. He banished his encroaching Plunder Vines, he'd won, there was no need for trappings and scorecards. "Your champions have embraced Chaos magic, and managed not to reject yours. The plan to 'harmonize' the humans has failed and you, my old enemy, have failed utterly. You had sway for a thousand years. And this is what your champion of champions has wrought. You know what you must now give up."
The Tree agreed, then asked the question he'd hoped for.
"Oh, I am far stronger, and neither of the human avatars will allow their ascension," Discord replied.
The Tree then asked the final question Discord would have prayed for, had he believed in any power greater than his own. "Oh course," he assured the Tree, "Do you think I want to run the risk of becoming you?" He laughed.
He rolled up his arms and began his own spell. Knowing all attention would be drawn to the spell being cast on Newfoal Island. "And Equestrian will be nothing but a bad memory. Hello my Titans."
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The huge caterpillar burst out of the egg, and let out an aggrieved chirp. Even for so huge a creature, it sounded plaintive.
"You have to be a caterpillar first," Twilight told her, and heard Fleetfoot say the same.
"It is a normal process," Fleetfoot said, and Twilight said in chorus.
Godzilla let out a rumble, which Twilight was amazed she understood as 'It'll only be a few days in the cocoon.'
The sun rose above them, and Twilight some how knew Celestia looked down upon them, and was appalled.
She also knew what her mentor would do next. "Celestia will mass the guard, of both Equestrian and the Crystal Empire." Fleetfoot said the same.
Godzilla growled low again, 'What 30000 troops, against what you've seen here? It will take days to coordinate. Or she'll send them over in easily dealt with penny-packets.'
Twilight felt her very humanlike jaw drop.
Godzilla frowned at her and chuffed his response.
"There's no reason for that kind of language," Fleetfoot said, and Twilight repeated.
The answering growl was more eloquent. 'Amateurs study tactics, professionals study strategy, experts study logistics. Celestia is an amateur: 'if the troops win every battle, I win the war."
She looked at Fleetfoot and both 'realized' together he had a point.
"This two linked minds stuff is confusing," they said, and laughed.
Then Fleetfoot looked at one of the group of stallions who'd been hanging around since their transformation into butterfly-winged bipeds. The stallions had grins that made Twilight's knees knock, then Fleetfoot gave a smile of her own and approached the crowd.
"Fleetfoot, you wouldn't!" Twilight exclaimed, and Fleetfoot said it too.
"You know better," she said, as did Twilight, as Fleetfoot scratched under the chins of two of the stallions. "With no Spitfire around, you better believe it."
As Twilight said the words, she felt Fleetfoot's frustration at always being the odd mare out. She still shuddered at the thought even as she blushed.
"Well, come on," Fleetfoot urged, "Honey, you're going to be part of this, whether you're there or not." Twilight could barely manage the words she was stammering so hard.
"I was trying to save myself for somepony special," Twilight said, and heard from Fleetfoot.
"Magic powers linking all the web of life, remember? Why do you think I picked them?" Fleetfoot said, and Twilight repeated.
One of the mouth-watering, absolutely stunning, heart shattering, utterly adorable stallions turned to look at Twilight. Her knees shook, her eyes watered at how gorgeous he was, how soft and intelligent his eyes were, how his lean muscled body cried out to be held and to hold a mare, how his -
"I have a Master's Degree in Library Science, and a Bachelors in History and Ethnology," he said, "I'm working on a doctorate in Equestrian Studies and Magic Theory."
"That's why you're single, bro," the other stallion said.
"Not anymore," Twilight and Fleetfoot said, though with very different inflections.
Rainbow looked at Fluttercorn and Godzilla for help with spinning a cocoon.
Here is my reaction to this chapter and fic....
img.4plebs.org/boards/pol/image/1396/86/1396865676154.jpg
I dont get. What with cocoon and faes?
Can you clarify Cadence´s part? who was in the picture?
4853991 I think they just made Rainbow Dash into Mothra.
4849060 Thanks, the new chapters keep getting me in.
4849194 You're supposed to be curious about the egg.
4849290 4850562 You aren't correct, the Newfoals are going to change Rainbow into Mothra. Discord's going to stay out of it.
4849376 4849902 forgifs.com/gallery/d/133313-5/Trapdoor-spider-vs-cricket.gif
4849441 What could be better than a cute, little butterfly? A cute, little butterfly that's come closer to killing Godzilla and driven him off more successfully than any other opponent.
4849449 And some smaller things as well.
4850256 They are also in deep denial and have been for a while, it's just getting much harder to ignore
4849466 4850187 Well, you don't have to anymore.
4850848 4851408 4853198 One of them's a fake. In chapter 16 you get a big clue as to which.
4850927 Dashipillar.ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.607999539228314566&pid=1.7
4852019 Could somebody buy that guy a comb and a mirror?
4852191 Remember the Dark tag. You're asking the wrong question.
4852266 4852712 If it were Dsicord, it might be appropriate, but the humans are running the show. Patience, it is wrong to tip the vessel of knowledge. Besides, not that I slept on it, I have a better, more Discordian idea.
4853959 4853991 You're here for Godzilla and you don't know Mothra? roberthood.net/daikaiju-antho/contributors/images/peanuts.gif
I cannot do but prey on your unenlightened souls.
4854032 3.bp.blogspot.com/_fQQ1RUaMzrs/TUiCmVNKPVI/AAAAAAAADks/v1nOGNebYH8/s1600/Mona+Lisa.jpg
4854040 Yep.
4854064 Does she at least get to be Mothra Leo? That's the badass one.
So, Twilight and Fleetfoot are almost human now? Oh, how the tables have turned...
I'm guessing there was more than just being teammates in the Wonderbolts...
Hah! I called it! Mothra is so going to kick Celestia's ass.
Newfoal Island? More like Monster Island!
Was it the Mona Lisa?
4854057
More Discordian idea? Okay, now I'm scared. Also:
"Patience. Yeah, yeah, how long is that going to take?"
Celestia... the little empire you built for yourself is about to come crashing down around you, and I'm going to be eating popcorn while it happens.
MONA LISA IS BEST HUMAN! MONA LISA FTW!
4854075 Mothra Leo is a boy. The female mothras are no slouches in the ass-kicking department.
4854219 Actually, Spitfire collected all teh stallion attention, leaving none for Fleetfoot. The stallions in question are still draw to the humanoid female form, and the only competition is Twilight, so Fleetfoot grabbed the two best candidates.
4854273 Not with the Titans of Chaos around. Or at least, not alone.
4854435 Good, at least if the reason for giving yourself a concussion is her pigheaded idiocy, not for misuse of commas.
4854460 Have you not learned The Lesson of Ed Grubermann?
4854057
Then enlighten me, oh great author
4854558 Walks up behind with a flamethrower. Enlightenment you say?
4854584
YES!!! BATHE ME WITH FLAME OF ENLIGHTENMENT!!!!
So in other word, Mothra is a nice giant bug which Rainbow is going to be, I still don't understand how Twilight and Fleetfoot involvement unless they both are going to be the Twin.
4849290 More or less called it! Though did NOT see Twilight and Fleetfoot being turned into the twins!!!!! SO DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! I'm now needing to re-read all that about Discord and the tree because I am so missing something there, though it appears that the tree no longer has its roots imbeded in the keystone of the world and is for all practical perposes dead
4854673
I think Discord and the Tree are two forces in opposition since eons past. They apparently had a wager about Celestia and her rule. As the Tree has lost, Discord is bringing out his own champions. He made reference to the human avatars (Godzilla and likely Mothra) not allowing them to get too powerful. It's probably his turn to try ruling the world. He seems to want a moderate path where Chaos and Harmony alternatively struggle and co-exist together, rather than one rule with no change.
All this might be wrong, but this is how I see it right now.
4854882 from what little of this story we have, sounds very legit to me
An interesting chapter. Expected Dash becoming Mothra, though Twilight and Fleetfoot as the twin fairy things surprised me. Doubly so with them being so... promiscuous, to use a polite word. I don't recall that from the movies, lol.
Discord has titans? Great, is he going to become a villain now too?
Also, I read your comment that a clue is dropped in this chapter on which Cadance is the real Cadance. In this chapter it mentions that Cadance can feel the love the fillies and colts feel... is that the clue? Because that could fall under either Princess of Love or Changeling. Or wait, that reference to "mad artists of our own". Is that the clue? Is this Cadance Queen Chrysalis after all? Turned good after seeing the evil of Celestia?
Whelp, it's Mothra. At least its big and has 'make things go bye bye' abilities.
4854515 Not exactly.
4854673 Think about the questions the tree asked Discord.
4854882 Too many spoilers to correct, the main thing is it's impossible to rule Earth, it's too chaotic and moved to rhythms to deep for either Discord or the Tree to control. More important, the humans figured out how to use both Chaos and Harmony together. Discord wants to kick back and watch the fireworks.
4855337 They were the wrong scale to do anything in the movies.
Discord was always operating to his own agenda.
You're over thinking it. Do you think Chrysalis cares about beauty, or craftmanship?
4856227 Don't get ahead of yourself, Dash won't be out of the cocoon for several days.
4856365 be kinda weird if a pterosaur or king gidorah just hopped out of the cocoon. At least Mothra butterfly fits, so I betting my biology classes that indeed butterfly, or moth, comes from cocoon. If not, magic is always the answer.
4854534
Yes Master. First that anger is a weapon only to one's opponent. And secondly, get in the first shot.
So Spitfire was the Captain Kirk of the Wonderbolts?
And while the when of the Cadence/Chrysalis switch appears to be around the canon, there is one question. How many ponies, if any, know it happened? Shining? Celestia? Anyone?
4856365 Good point. Chrysalis probably wouldn't care for any of that.
Also yeah, I probably don't need to worry about Discord being an out-and-out villain like Celestia. He at least has a friend like Fluttershy to... maybe a little... keep him nice. Ish.
Twilight and Fleetfoot as the Shobijin was a twist I wasn't expecting. I was half expecting Twilight to get turned into Gamera, due to his ability to use mana, which is often associated with a form of magic used in fiction. Twilight being the Element of Magic would fit that.
I'm curious to see what will happen if the Newfoals can find a way to alter the magic of the world around them so that Discord can undo the potion and give them back their humanity, honestly. Partly just to see Celestia completely flip her shit.
4857984
Discord had already said he won't do that. He implied to Godzilla that because humans can't use magic they would die. He later stated that the reason humans can't survive in Equestria is due to it having low magic compared to Earth. If humans existed there, they would quickly "starve".
Any or all of these could be lies or half-truths, only time will tell.
4858069
Again, this is why I'm waiting to see if it would ever happen. Don't forget, if they find a way to make it safe for them to be returned to normal, I see Discord fulfilling Godzilla's request to give them back their true forms. And given that they not only managed to create Godzilla and then turn Rainbow Dash into Rainbow Mothra (and yes there is indeed such a variation, who is one of the more powerful versions of the character) as well as turning Twilight and Fleetfoot into the Shobijin....
Well do the math. They can do some crazy shit. Them finding a way to make it possible for them to be returned to human form isn't impossible.
I'm so fucking confused. What is going on!?