Tomorrow · 3:55pm Nov 1st, 2013
She stood upon a lonesome hill.
Gusts of hot air rippled through her mane and stung at her eyes – but she never closed them. She couldn’t. There was too much to see. Not that the spectacle could ever hope to remain unseen. To miss it would have meant blindness.
But she was very clever. She saw things nopony else saw.
Thirteen miles away, behind the murky skyline of the city, one hundred sunsets burst into to life, one after the other. They burned brilliantly crimson, scorched the sky, and then faded away just as quickly as they came. Each one branded some new scar onto her eyes. Long, rectangular shadows frequently blinked across the landscape, but they were getting shorter all the time, crumbling away before the radiance. She could not keep up with them if she wanted to.
In fact, she could not do anything. Events were in motion; this was no longer her game, if ever she had been a player. Only the gods and the soldiers could help now.
Like thunder after lightning, stifling waves of heat and force rolled in a few moments after each new burst. She could watch them as they approached her, seconds apart, the tall grass before her bending and withering under its power. She kept all four hooves steadily in place, squinting into the distance, but she too seemed to wither in the heat.
The airships could bomb, the mages could cast, the knights could fight and fight and fight; it did not matter. She did not know the details, but she did not need to. Even if they gained victory, no matter how decisive or costly, at least one pony had already lost. At least one pony had already failed – and she had failed right along with her. They all had. Nopony knew it yet, but somehow, for Cotton, the crumbling cityscape was proof enough.
She knew, because she was very clever. And for all her intelligence, she was scared.
Perhaps it was silly to think that simple hope would ever have been enough.
Uwhaa? Did you get some time to actually write?
we demand an answer!
are you writing again?
No kidding, this is driving me mad. Did you come back early or are you writing while away?
I love reading the comments of people who don't know what's going on.
You guys are gonna love tomorrow~
It is as foretold by the ancients...
...He has returned.
Either if the fabled Moose has returned or not, I guess we are getting a sweet update of some kind. However it happened, thanks.
I'm guessing he's been writing this out by hand and sending it back and forth between editors when time allows...or at least something along that line.
He should still have one year left...though if he's back a year early I'm not complaining!