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The Conversion Bureau - The Return of the King

by Dan_s Comments

Chapter 18: 18) In the Ghetto

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The Conversion Bureau - The Return of the King
In the Ghetto by Dan's Comments
Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the property of Hasbro, Inc.
Godzilla is the property of Toho Company Ltd.


While the monster occupied the armada at Los Pegasus, additional fleets had been assembled at Van Hoover, with smaller squadrons in little ports up and down the coast. The Guard would storm across the sea in numbers rarely seen, and put an end to the uprising.

Such was the plan. But several of the squadrons had seen the writing on the wall in the capital, and while they would proceed to 'Newfoal Island' at their best speed to make landing. Whether they would fight or not, and on which side was an open question.

Airships were also massing, those with upgraded shields. But the one of the first with the upgrades had been at Los Pegasus, and was now twisted wreckage a short distance out of town. The aircrews were also considering their options.

It was simply a point of faith that Celestia would destroy these arrogant Newfoal creations. But how well the guard and their levies would fare was the unasked question occupying every mind. In the Earth War, they would potion bomb a group, and let the resulting Newfoals handle the brunt of the fighting. That the newly-created Newfoals would often suffer 70% casualties was immaterial. Newfoals weren't real ponies. Now facing the massed Newfoals in Equestria, the guard was suddenly considering just how badly outnumbered they were. They whispered among themselves that in the Badlands, a three-to-one superiority of guards to Newfoals had the guards stripped of their armor and weapons, and set outside the Newfoal compound. Nopony knew how many of the Newfoals there were on the island, or moving up behind as a 'fifth column'. Treason was not a new concept for Equestria, but rarely did it affect the commoners.

With the many units who'd never seen one another, there was a substantial number of guards who were not what they seemed. A third to half of their numbers were escaping Celestia for reasons similar to the Newfoals', and they would fight, alongside the Newfoals, if that was what was required.

So when the seagoing roadblock to Los Pegasus suddenly lifted off on two columns of incandescence, and raced towards Newfoal Island, thus removing the only block to launching the attack from all points, no one was sure whether to cheer, or cringe in terror.
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Tank didn't know how he'd felt it, but he felt it. Rainbow needed him. A good pet, and a good friend at a time of crisis and uncertainty. He was through spinning, at least for a while. He could do it if necessary, but this way was quicker. He'd spin the last few minutes to slow down without crashing.

That was secondary, Rainbow needed him, and he was eager to see her. He also wanted to understand this new connection they shared. He liked it, but wanted to understand it.

He transitioned to spinning, which let him go directly to vertical flight as he appeared over the island. The cocoon was his destination, and he landed on the high ice walls above it, so he could look down, watch, and be ready when Rainbow needed him.
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Rainbow was actually wishing for a book. The last few days had been ones of vague pain, disorientation, and utter, intense, concentrated boredom. She'd tried to sleep through the whole thing, but some itch or ache would drag her back to the waking world. That and all the strange feelings. Knowing where the people, the sea and the forests were without going to look. Feeling where her friends were, without moving. It frightened her a bit. She honestly wished there was someone she could share it with. She had an irrational notion that Tank might understand. She felt a pang of worry, and hoped the once-Crusaders were looking after the pets, as well as Fluttershy's animals.

One thing she'd been getting loud and clear was Twlight and Fleetfoot's activities. She understood Fleetfoot's frustration at always being overshadowed, passed over and ignored. Dash quietly wondered if she had done the same to her friends. They've never come close to her awesomeness, and some would never come close to what she could do.

Do I make them feel the way Fleetfoot felt? she idly wondered. She considered that thought, and realized she felt something new. That she'd be leaving the cocoon soon. Not hours or days, but minutes. She was ready. But she had to stay in until the very last moment. That was going to tax her patience, never her strongest quality.
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Discord looked around at all the changes to Equestria and Earth, and squealed happily, doing a little dance. Perfect, perfect, he thought, Even if I do say so myself. He was outside the normal time-space he generally occupied and was preparing the last bit of his plan. Everything is in place, I just need one last thing. Where is she anyway?

"Whacha doin'?" Pinkiecord asked as she appeared.

"I'm not even going to ask how you did that," Discord said, "I have the Equestria Royal Guard ready to invade. I have the Tree of Harmony slowly fading away. I have the Titans of Chaos, blissed out of their mind on the chaos that is Earth's Harmony, and now there's only one thing left to do."

"PARTY!" was the all too predictable response.

"Origami," Discord answered.

"The spice you use on pizza?" Pinkie asked.

"That's oregano," Discord replied, "That's oligarch, that's ogive, that's oblivion, that's obstetrician, that's obsequious, that's origami."

"Oh," Pinkiecord said.

"Watch and learn." Discord snapped his fingers and smiled.

"Ah, I'd better tell everypony there's nothing to worry about, bye!" Pinkiecord said after she'd vanished.

"She's pinking this up . . . oh joy, now she's got me doing it." At the culmination of his perfect victory, Discord facepawed.
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Rainbow felt the shaking even inside the cocoon. There was no danger, but there was change. She rolled her eyes that the 'timer' ended, just as the shaking subsided and she began tearing herself out of the cocoon. She was overjoyed to see a friendly face the moment she broke through. "Tank! Woah! Looking good big guy," she said and felt the turtle's deep affection, "So want to go racing?" she asked. "It'll be the only time you'll stand a chance of beating me," she said and checked out her wings.

Tank nuzzled her, then walked back and took off in a gout of fire. Rainbow grinned and took off after him, feeling her wings again after too long.
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Celestia raced around the nearly empty palace. Servants, guard, even the bureaucrats were all gone. She and the other princesses suddenly found each other in the Long Hall that led to the throne room.

"Sister!" a nimbus of lightning traveled over Luna. "The moon, it's gone! I can no longer feel it."

"Because it isn't there," Discord said as he appeared and entered the throne room. Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor charged in after him. There was a buffet set up, and the set up for musical chairs for four, but nopony else.

"What have you done with our ponies!?" Celestia demanded.

"Is that the Royal or Collective plural?" Discord asked. His voice was leaden, but his gaze threatened each of them in turn. "Royal, you wouldn't share with anything, let alone them."

Cadence let out a screech. "What have you done?" Cadence shouted, before her disguise faded and she stood revealed as Chrysalis. That didn't stop the spasms.

"I cut you off. The swarm is rid of you, and good riddance," Discord said.

"Then you have condemned them to death," Chrysalis spat as she collapsed to the floor. "They cannot survive without - without a queen." She twitched and convulsed in pain as her magic consumed her. "As I cannot."

"They have a queen. One who understands the care of the harvest far better than you," Discord said. His gaze and tone were colder than the harshest winter. He showed no sympathy for the bug writhing and dying in agony.

"Applejack," Celestia breathed.

Discord kicked one of the chairs away. "And the game goes on." He looked at Luna who was going through what appeared to be the symptoms of withdrawal. "And another to follow."

"Be strong," Celestia told Luna, then watched in horror as she dissolved into the miasma of Nightmare Moon.

"Without the moon, there is no way for her to be strong," Discord said without pity for the convulsing cloud who seemed to be racing Chrysalis to discorporate first.

Shining Armor shied as Discord's gaze fell upon him.

"No words for your sister-in-law, or your bride, Sombra? I would have thought you might have learned enough to feign caring about them," Discord asked.

"I will not beg from the likes of you," Sombra disguised as Shining Armor said.

"You'll have no need. Your hatred sustained you," Discord said and threw a potion vial at Sombra. Celestia's purple gift crashed into his armor, destroying his disguise, and leaving his physical form. His expression became one of peace, then dawning horror. He beat the other two writhing entities as he winked out the moment his anger did.

"So you've finally killed," Celestia said in triumph.

"I will submit myself to the court in the Hague, when they get it reestablished," Discord said, "I suspect they will consider it self-defense."

"What of me?" Celestia said and grinned, "The potion won't work on me. If it did, my real sister and niece would be at my side."

"I am going to give you your fondest wish," Discord said, "You may now strive for perfection, with no hindrances."

Celestia narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You are alone here," Discord said and disintegrated the other chairs. "There is no one to hold you back. No distractions. No petty squabbling or politics. No great enemies to face. Even Tartarus is removed. You can do anything and everything without worrying what your ponies think. Even create your true master race, without incremental steps to avoid panicking those who believed they should be independent of you, if only in the smallest ways. You have your books, art, literature and music to entertain you. You have the castle's larders to store whatever food you grow. And you have yourself. Detached. Peerless. Isolated. Alone. Forever."

Celestia trembled at the prospect. "You will return, to torment me." She wished she hadn't sounded almost hopeful.

He shook his head. "No," he said softly, "When I walk out that door, that ends it. You've won. Even the Tree of Harmony begged to be replanted on foreign soil. As we speak, in the Canadian Shield, arguably the oldest rock on the planet, your former student and group of friends are seeing to it that it is safely planted. We may have had our differences, but we never would have conceived of this." He gestured around Canterlot, now empty of ponies.

"You'll be back," Celestia said, "I know you."

"You knew me," Discord said, "It seems neither of us ever knew you." He stepped through the door and closed it.

She ran to the door and wrenched it open. Nothing but empty corridors greeted her eyes. "You'll be back!" she shouted as she galloped through the castle, listening for his taunt. "You cannot help yourself."

She raced for the highest battlement and looked over her kingdom. And realized how quiet it sounded. How empty it was. "No."

She raced for Luna's observatory, trained the most powerful telescopes on city after city, town after town. "No."

She raced to the labs where the potion had been developed. The animal cages were empty. She grabbed a slide out of the rack and slid it under a microscope. "Ha! I'm not alone Discord, you failed! I'm not alone." She danced a little jig and peered through the eyepiece again. "I'm not alone! I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!" She laughed and laughed and laughed.

Next Chapter: 19) Don't Be Cruel Estimated time remaining: 45 Minutes
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