//------------------------------// // Book 2 - Chapter XXVIII // Story: The Sunset Trilogy // by ocalhoun //------------------------------// Book 2: Equestria Lost Chapter 20 “So, I guess you two have met?” Apollo said to Twilight. “Oh, you could say that,” Twilight responded, “She came to Ponyville once, with her traveling show, and she made a complete flank of herself before she finally got exposed as a fake and ran out of town.” “A traveling wha–” Apollo's question was cut off by the sudden presence of a big white pegasus in between them and the cowering unicorn. “You leave my Shimmer alone!” Albatross shouted. “If anypony's making a flank of herself, it's you!” “But Trixie's just a big faker!” Sunny butted in. “She puts on a big show, but really she can't do anything.” “That's not true!” Albatross shouted defensively. “You should have seen how she took out that bear when—” “Oh, she told you that story, too?” Twilight asked, laughing. “She made the whole thing up, you know. She even admitted it the last time I saw her. Trixie just makes up stories like that to make herself look better.” “My fiancé's name is Shimmer Spell!” Albatross yelled, scowling. “And she did not make it up! I saw it myself, we all did!” Twilight looked confused for a moment. She looked over at Apollo, who just nodded, affirming that he, too had seen it. She looked back at Trixie. Was this really the same pony? Same blue coat, same eyes, same flowing pale blue mane, same unmistakable magic wand cutie mark... even still wearing a cape! ... It had to be her! “But... but... Trixie's just–” “SHIMMER SPELL,” Apollo corrected forcefully. Twilight just sat back quietly, now doubting herself... Everything she knew about the unicorn in front of her was being called into question. Apollo looked up at the sky, “Anyway... Come on, let's get to town. I'd like to get there before it gets dark again.” Hair Trigger shot off down the railroad, with Sunny following close behind. Apollo continued to walk with Twilight, but silently now, and Twilight could feel his disapproval. Albatross and Trixie – or was it Shimmer? – followed along well behind the rest of the group, with Albatross scowling and keeping himself between Twilight and his fiancé the whole time. * * * Despite Apollo Dawn's intentions, the sun was below the horizon again before they arrived at the outskirts of Stalliongrad. He began to consider where his group should stay... The Grand? The Mountain Lodge? The Gold Rush? “Why hello there!” a voice called from the dimly lit street. “Nice of ya to come back Twilight! And look! Ya brought friends! I sure am glad to see that – it was getting pretty lonely around here!” As Apollo strained to see where the voice was coming from, Splints spoke up incredulously, “Lonely? In 'The Star of the North'? Well, that's gotta be your own fault! What are you, ugly or something? Come on out and let me see!” Apollo gave her a reproving look. He did wish she would be less rude to strangers. You never knew when you might need their help or something, after all. This time though, his reproving look might have been legitimately not noticed... it was getting awfully dark after all. “High Stakes!” Apollo heard Twilight call out. “Good to see you again too. Think we could stay at the casino again?” “Of course!” The voice said. Now detaching itself from the vague shadows, a pony came walking out from under an awning of a nearby building. “All the rooms are empty, these days, you know... Heh, I guess ponies don't see much point in gambling anymore.” “Wait,” Apollo interjected. They had progressed to the famous Stalliongrad strip... there should have been bright lights and excited ponies all over the place – no matter what the time of day or night! “Why is there nopony around? Why is everything empty? Why are all the lights off?” Twilight and High Stakes both stopped walking, turning to look at Apollo... then to look at each other, and back to Apollo again. “You mean you don't know?” They both said in unison. “Know what?” Apollo asked, a little alarmed. “What happened here?” “The same thing that happened in all of Equestria,” Twilight answered, “A disease came through, and it killed most of the ponies... and left a lot of the others weak and helpless.” “All of Equestria?” he asked, dumbstruck. “All of Equestria... all of it like Fairflanks...” He stared blankly for a moment, absorbing this terrible news. “Wait, then the Sun and the Moon, what about that?” Twilight's face suddenly looked guilt-strained, but she choked it down. “The disease was caused by a draconequus named Pestilence... and I... I...” The little yellow filly next to her drew closer, comforting her. “And I was there when... Pestilence killed them.” “Killed them... who?” Apollo asked, confused. “...Oh...” he began to understand on his own, just as Twilight began to speak. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna... When they fell, the sun and moon went down with them... And my friends...” She was silent for a moment... she seemed to be fighting with something, her voice was strained, “The friends I had left anyway, all scattered to get away when that happened. I've been looking for them ever since.” Apollo's mind was fighting for some purchase, some fact he could leverage to convince himself it was all untrue. It couldn't be... everything he had known would be in shambles now if that was true. Aha! “But you said you had searched all of Equestria for your friends! There's no way you could do that in such a short time... not just in the time since the sun and moon fell.” Twilight looked abashed for a moment, “Well, being able to teleport helps.” “No,” Apollo insisted, “Nopony could teleport that far, that much... and did you take that filly with you the whole time? That's doubly impossible!” “Well,” Twilight demurred, “I kind of had some practice at it... and it did wear me out for a while... but once I recovered, I could teleport better than ever... so I've been using it as much as I can in order to find my friends faster.” Slowly, Apollo began to believe the purple unicorn's tale... and he was conflictingly filled with both fright and awe in the pony's abilities... and with aching loss at the idea of losing everything he had ever known or worked towards. “Ah, here we are!” High Stakes called out, standing below a dead and dark neon sign that was apparently supposed to be a cowpony waving a lasso, though it was hard to tell in the dark. “For you new ponies, this is The Mountain Lodge, finest casino in all of Stalliongrad! ... Or at least it was before everypony left and the power went out.” He pushed open the door, ushering them inside. “Now you new fellas look a bit worn out, so let's just get a quick bite and then hit the hay, hmm? We can get acquainted in the morning.” * * *