All at once, the ground shook. The cannon unleashed a massive blast of both natural and magical energy, an explosion of light and power that pulsed through Equestria. The train car, the tiny capsule containing Dan, Twilight and the gang shot out of the cannon faster than the eye could see. They blasted through the atmosphere, cutting through the clouds very much like a bullet, exploding with so much force that they broke free of Equestria's gravity and emerged in space.
The capsule streaked a trail from what was left of the atmosphere. The Director, Cleo, looked up one last time and smiled.
"Yes... go," she muttered. Like Equestria, her body was once again deteriorating. Her withered form was already crumbling into the energy that sustained it, converting back into a natural state. Still, she looked up, determined to watch until her eyesight failed, determined to smile until she no longer had muzzle.
"I did it... can you hear me, Lauren? They're leaving now. There's no disguising it. Heh... heheh," she chuckled, holding her side, until the feeling was gone and she was holding nothing and had nothing to hold with. "At last... this place is cradle and grave no longer."
Cracks formed in Equestria's surface, fracturing to the core. The continents, the tectonic plates shifted and shattered, breaking like glass. Parts of them around the southern hemisphere began drifting into space, like petals of a once gorgeous and blooming flower falling off to drift in the weightlessness of the ether. The train car emerged in orbit.
Cleo felt her eyes fade. Storms and darkness once more closed in around her, yet she was happy. Panting, she took one last breath and held it. It was the sweetest air she had ever tasted. She fell backward, but her body never hit the ground. It evaporated into magic before it could, and the magic of Equestria faded at last. The planet was truly dead, and so was the Director.
And yet, the Director was happy. She was happy that she finally lived in the first place. That final breath was hers and hers alone.
Inside their train car, Dan and company were now in space. And Dan had just one thing to say:
"HOLY CRAP!" He looked around. "I thought that would be louder."
"Was loud enough for me," Phoenix said, with his back sunk into the chair.
Weightlessness took over. The train car had been designed for space and so none of the Gun Club's lavish furniture floated freely. It became clear, however, that quite a few foodimals stowed away, as they began floating and prrring about the cabin.
The cheeseburger foodimal spun slowly, rising to the ceiling as Dan watched it in front of him. Several of the ball-shaped foodimals, mostly the fruit ones like the apple, orange, grapefruit and melon bounced off the walls. The hot dog and sandwich foodimals held their tiny paws together and made a ring, like they were skydiving in the zero-gravity.
"Oh, how adorable," Rarity remarked. She booped the ham sandwich foodimal as it floated by. "Don't they all look cute, Phoenix?"
"Yes. Cute." He noticed a smore and a marshmallow foodimal clinging to her mane. "Uh, you have a couple in your mane."
She nodded. "Those have been there, dear."
"Ah, right. Wait, what?"
Dan unbuckled himself, brushing a few foodimals out of the way as he did so. He took something out of his pocket, but none of the others noticed it. Rarity and Phoenix followed suit, and the three joined the foodimals in zero-gravity. Judge Judgey remained in his seat while a pear and a coffee roll foodimal clung to the ends of his beard.
Phoenix floated towards the port-side window. He braced his hands against the edges rather than window, something of a precaution. Outside was a spectacular view Equestria's upper hemisphere and equator. Although they'd launched from the southern hemisphere, their trajectory had taken them quickly into an orbit around the planet itself.
"Wow... Dan, Rarity- guys, take a look at this!"
"Yeah hold on," Dan said, fiddling with a device, but as he did a double-take he found himself drawn to the same view. Twilight and Rarity floated over to join them.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Rarity remarked.
Twilight felt her breath escape her, then caught it again. "I... I've never seen Equestria like this before."
"It... it really is beautiful," Dan said. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around him, Rarity did the same on the other side and Phoenix put his arm around his shoulders. They shared a hug and Dan didn't stop them. The planet in all of its majesty was before them. They were able to see just the outlines of the tallest mountain tops, the valleys and plains
"What's wrong with the clouds?" Rarity asked. "They're... oh. Oh my."
"There's no pegasi to keep them stable," Twilight said, remorse in her voice. "There's no place for them to go, nothing for them to do so they're just... floating away."
The clouds were very much like cattle in Equestria. Some of them meandered around, getting into dangerous situations for clouds. Quite a few just flew higher and higher, eventually drifting out into space. Others banded together to create massive storms that ravaged what was left of the land, expending what little was left of their own energy and friction.
Dan leaned forward, squinting. "Those aren't just clouds, either."
"No. Those are landmasses."
Twilight nodded. "The... the planet is d-dying. I, um..."
Phoenix patted her. "Go. Go find us a new home."
"Th-thank you. I- I'll go now."
The planet broke apart in pieces. Equestria had always been made of parts and forces that were either unnatural or stabilized through magic. Without magic, it all broke down, breaking apart piece by piece as its rotation and revolution tore it apart. The cannon firing had sped up the process and now, Equestria's final moment was at hand.
From a distance greater than Dan and the others could see, it was almost like the planet was unfurling and melting away as it moved forward. Equestria twirled in a dance of death as its normal movements through space were more than its parts could take. Water vapor and bits of rock spun around it slowly in a mist that expanded outward. The world of magic and ponies had become its own comet, its own final shooting start that engaged in one last performance before that final curtain.
The vapor cloud disappeared and the final rocks broke apart. There was no massive explosion, no eruption, no last blast to signify the passage of a titan. Equestria died a graceful death, a final bow as glimmering silver beads shined one last time in the sun's light before it was all gone. When the vapor disappeared and the twinkles faded, there was nothing left.
Rarity found herself crying. "Magnificent. Truly..."
"We were lucky we lived there," Phoenix said, his own eyes less than dry.
Dan nodded. "We were lucky we got to see it."
"Had a good run, didn't it?" Barro's voice crackled through the old radio-style intercom speakers. "And that's all we can really hope for in the end, isn't it. A good run. A worthwhile time here before we have to make that final exit. Or in your case... a final parting shot."
Dan pulled out the device he'd been messing with. It was a communicator. "Now. We need you NOW. Get here, get here to us now! RIGHT NOW!"
"Where is he?" Rarity asked, looking around.
Phoenix checked the windows. "I can't see him. Twilight! Colress! Can you see anything up there?"
"Oh don't worry, Phoenix. I can certainly see you."
*BANNG* *GNNANNG*
"What the hell was that?!" Dan asked. "Is he shooting at us?"
Phoenix looked around. "That wasn't a laser blast- something hit us!"
"Dan! Get up here!"
"No, of course I haven't shot you. Yet. You're still around to ask that question."
"I'd give real money if he'd shut up," Dan said, pulling himself to the front cabin. "What hit us?"
"We've got debris. And lots of it," Colress said. In front of the front window was tons of scrap metal. Bits, pieces, parts of ships by the thousands, by the millions. Most of them were easily pushed through but the larger ones thumped against the hull.
The train car wasn't meant for long-term space travel, and only had rudimentary thrusters for use in orbit. Colress was able to use them to propel the train, but it was not ideal. Debris continued pelting the vessel, threatening to throw it off course.
"What is all of this?" Phoenix asked.
"What's left of the ships that tried invading Equestria," Barro answered them. "Lost count how many but they keep coming. As Rice intended."
Dan looked at his communicator. "What exactly does he 'intend' to do with all this junk?"
"Whatever he wants. Technology and knowledge from every universe ever conceived is being brought here. He's building armies, more Magic Gears on the moon and new weapons. All of it just comes here and he's forcing me to shoot it down. Eventually, he won't even need my help," Barro said.
"Sure but WHY? WHY are all these ships showing up here?" As the train car was sucked into the debris field, they found themselves flowing along with it. The junk, the metal, all of it was floating towards the moon. And hovering just off the moon's orbit were massive signs made of junk, lit up with crude lights for all to see. They read:
NO SOLICITORS
GO AWAY
NOT WELCOME
NO TRESPASSING
GETTA DA FUCK OUTTA HER
They were still gathering junk to construct the last "E."
Dan frowned. "Of course. The one surefire way to get people to show up to bother you is to tell them to get lost."
"Right on target, Dan. And hey, speaking of being right on target... you didn't forget our deal, did you?"
"Oh shit."
"I think you've gotten enough of a headstart. But look at the bright side, Dan- you were here until the very end. That's more than a lot of people can say. You had a good run, Dan. Time to end it."
"NOW!" Dan yelled into the communicator. He looked out the window. "Where the hell are you?! We need you now, please! Come on!"
"Shield!" Twilight yelled, and grabbed Rarity and the others. The two mares produced a shield around the train car, and then another shield.
"That is an inadequate defensive measure," Knight said, as she and the other Gears twirled among the foodimals.
"Barro wouldn't kill all of the foodimals, would he?" Volcy asked.
"I don't want to calculate those odds," Ace said. "Put your heads between your legs and kiss your shiny metal ass goodbye."
"Dan?"
"Yes, Twilight?"
"Tell me you have a plan," Twilight said, holding onto him, Phoenix, Rarity and Colress tightly.
"Um..." Dan swallowed. "I tried to call a friend."
"Isn't that what you did when you fell out of the plane?"
"S-shut up, Nicky."
"It's been a fun time, gang but all good times have to come to an end eventually. Oh, hey Dan! You can kinda think of this as permanent hiatus."
"YOU MOTHERFUCKING SONOFA-"
Barro fired. The train car exploded.