//------------------------------// // Book 1 - Chapter VI // Story: The Sunset Trilogy // by ocalhoun //------------------------------// Book 1: Equestria Burning Chapter 6 Spending a vacation in Canterlot would normally have been pleasant – an opportunity to show her friends around town... except that Twilight had been stuck here for five weeks already, with no end in sight, and the great city was no exception to the depredations of the mysterious disease plaguing all of Equestria. As they sat around the outdoor table at Twilight's favorite bistro, her friends' moods continued to worsen. Rainbow Dash and Applejack argued quietly, but heatedly about the merits of disobeying the princess and returning home. Twilight could only catch a few words of the whispered fight, 'harvest', 'traitor', 'sick filly', 'duty'... She continued to pointedly ignore it, turning to the rest of her friends. Pinkie was strangely morose, mane and tail still hanging straight down, all because of that strange premonition she had. Rarity seemed to be doggedly attempting to enjoy her stay in Canterlot, despite her worsening health and growing fatigue, chatting amicably with an unresponsive Fluttershy... and Fluttershy herself seemed to be just as bad off... she didn't show many obvious symptoms... even her coughs and sneezes were almost too quiet to catch... but Twilight could see the tiredness in her eyes. Twilight Sparkle sighed. She wanted to assist the princess more than anypony... but they were wasting their time doing absolutely nothing here... and truth be told, she found herself getting very homesick for Ponyville. Twilight sipped her tea – not her usual blend she liked from this bistro. That had become unavailable, the waiter had apologized, due to quarantine. As she sipped, she thought, I wish the princess could finally get on with whatever she needed us to help with or at least tell us what it was! I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this little group together... Twilight came out of her thoughtful mood as she noticed everypony else staring at the sky... Looking up as well, she was amazed and shocked. The sun turned a sullen reddish color, staining the sky. Impossibly, a full moon rose with startling speed and began tightly circling the sun. Despite both sun and moon in the sky, the stars somehow were also beginning to shine through. Apprehension gripped Twilight. She turned to her friends. “Come on girls, I think we'd better go check on the princess.” Nods of nervous agreement met her statement, but as she turned to go, leaving a few bits on the table, a pegasus royal guard landed in front of her, looking very winded. After a moment to catch his breath, the guard spoke. “Twilight Sparkle, the princess has requested the aid of you and your friends immediately at the quarantined graveyard south of town. She insisted it was very urgent.” “At the graveyard​​​​​?” Twilight asked in shock, turning back to look at her friends, who displayed looks of appalled confusion, except for Pinkie, who seemed to just wince, before turning back to her look of remorse. Noticing the guard still standing there staring directly at her, she replied, “Of course, we'll be there as soon as we can.” With this, the guard seemed satisfied. He gave a curt nod, and zoomed away, presumably on some other errand. Twilight turned back to her friends. “Let's go!” Together, under the strange, sick sky, they rushed towards the other side of town, hurrying to the princess's aid. In their haste, none of them noticed a plume of smoke beginning to rise from the valley below. * * * Princess Luna looked to her sister as they flew together. Her sister had donned her battle armor – it hadn't seen use since the day she was banished, and it still unnerved her slightly to see that gleaming white and gold plate armor, glistening with both sharp edges and countless magical enchantments and enhancements. At her sister's insistence, she had brought out her old armor she had worn as nightmare moon... less covering, but just as enchanted, and still just as intimidating. Still, she wished her sister would have waited for the elements of harmony to show up before rushing off to fight this threat. Luna remembered the last time the two sisters had fought a draconequus... They weren't to be taken lightly. The princess of the sun, however, had insisted on meeting the threat immediately after the report came in with a location. She thinks she has to defeat this monster as soon as she can, to save every life she can... but she's not thinking, 'what if we lose'? Still, messengers had been sent out to find and send the elements of harmony. All Celestia and Luna would have to do is delay the creature and keep it – her – in place. The thought of meeting this new draconequus filled Luna with foreboding. Celestia had told her of the conversation with Discord, and Luna did not like the sound of this niece of Discord's 'corpse games'. She worried that this draconequus would make Discord seem friendly and likable by comparison. Too late to turn back now, she thought, as she saw the graveyard drawing near. I just hope we won't regret this later. * * * The sky burned an ugly grey-orange, as the two gleaming alicorn sisters glided down into the huge graveyard. By royal decree, contact with infected corpses was kept to an absolute minimum, which unfortunately meant that little respect could be given to the dead. Most of the 'graveyard' was just one big open pit, filled with a disturbingly large number of recently deceased ponies... the disease had been taking its toll. The two alicorns looked around suspiciously. The royal pegasus guards had reported spotting a draconequus in this area, but none was in evidence at the moment. The tension in the air was palpable as the two sisters slowly stalked around the edge of the pit. Many of the corpses seemed to have been badly abused. Was this the nature of the creature's 'corpse games'? At a noise from behind, both sisters whipped quickly around facing – nothing. Weary of this game, Celestia called out, resorting to her rarely used royal Canterlot voice, “SHOW YOURSELF, FEIND.” Slowly, a few bodies in the pit began to move, rising up... and then flopping sickly down again as a she-draconequus rose from beneath them and stretched luxuriantly. Despite their random nature, one draconequus was much like another – this one also sported a lion paw and snake tail... all the same parts as her uncle, Discord. This one, though, was more curvaceous, and distinctly feminine. Her fur seemed to be slicked down with some kind of oil, giving her a darker, glistening appearance. “Oh come now, did you really have to disturb my nap?” The beast asked. “You've been sickening and killing my little ponies long enough,” Celestia replied, her urgency showing in her voice, “It stops NOW.” “Stop? Whatever do you mean my dear?” The draconequus asked, with a slight hiss, “I've only just started... and look how wonderfully it's going!” She bent down and picked up one of the corpses, which was once a blue and white unicorn mare. She hugged the corpse tightly, giving it a decidedly unchaste kiss. “I do just love these little ponies like this; how could you ask me to stop?” Reeling with revulsion, Princess Celestia sent a blast of magic towards the draconequus, which upon striking lit the entire graveyard with a piercingly bright burning glow. As the glow dimmed, it again became possible to see the draconequus, utterly unharmed, but looking wistfully at her arms where the corpse she had been caressing had been incinerated. “How could you?” She cried out, in seemingly genuine distress, “How could you!” Rage lighting up her face, she rushed towards the two alicorns. * * *