//------------------------------// // Chapter Ten: Fear and Loathing in Las Haygas // Story: Coming Attractions // by Rouis //------------------------------// Coming Attractions A MLP:FIM Fic By Rouis & GaintGamer Chapter Ten : Fear and Loathing in Las Haygas “How far could Las Haygas be?” Silver Screen mocked as his hooves scraped through the sand, his body covered in sweat from the heat. He was hitched up to the caravan with Long Haul to help ease the load of pulling their home and business. < The Neighvada Desert - One week after the Hoofington performance > “Shut up, and keep pulling.” Long Haul replied, too exhausted to bicker with Silver Screen at the moment. “But it feels like we have been lost in the desert for almost 8 months now.” Silver Screen whined back as his hooves slipped in the desert sands for a moment which caused the unicorn to fall onto the heated ground. “Long Haul! I see it, the lost sand city of Sarlanta!” The crimson pony grumbled for a moment then picked his friend up onto his hooves. “Silver you’re obviously hallucinating, and that has got to be the worst named hallucination I have ever heard of.” He looked on at what seemed to be miles of desert all around them, and lowered his head with a sigh. “We survived jail, and we will survive a desert.” He then reared back on his hind legs and shouted unto the heavens. “Do you hear me Celestia? Do your worst, because there is nothing that will stop me from making to Las Haygas!” < The Neighvada Desert - Three days after the wrath of Celestia was invoked > “I surrender!” Long Haul screamed from the inside of the caravan over the roar of a sandstorm which had battered the caravan for the past three days. He was curled up in the middle of the room rocking back and forth. Silver Screen, and Lemon Drop sat a few feet away from their defeated comrade with no clue as to what would be appropriate to say in the current situation. Lemon Drop looked to the safe which sat in it’s usual position, and posed a question. “Why don’t we eat that muffin you two keep in the safe?” She asked innocently. Long Haul snapped out of his misery and shot a glare in her direction. “No one is eating that muffin. It is a very special muffin, and I would rather eat each and every one of you before so much as a hoof touches that muffin!” Suddenly the occupants of the caravan were jerked forward, an act which rolled Silver Screen forward and left him on his back. Silver’s eyes widened. and he began to panic. “It’s the Sarlantan warriors! Their going to eat us, and we’ll never get to Las Haygas, and then they’ll raise Lemon Drop to be their princess, and she’ll be all evil and--” “We’re here!” Lemon Drop interrupted after poking her head outside of the now stopped caravan. The ponies spilled out of their mobile domicile, and first looked at what their caravan had run into. The front of the caravan had knocked into a large gaudy sign bearing the words Welcome to Las Haygas home of the thirteenth annual Cloudsdale Weather Convention. The city itself rose out of the harsh desert landscape like a jewel among the wastes. Tall buildings, and brightly lit advertisements seared their visage in the minds the traveling group. Above the whole city sat a sprawling cloud layer comprising what seemed to be a city on it’s own. Pools of liquid rainbow cascaded down from the cloud layer into the city below falling into fountains which created a fantastic lighting effect that had never seen before. Lemon Drop looked at her befuddled companions and smirked. “What’s wrong? Never heard of the twin cities before?” She asked. “Twin cities?” Silver Screen replied as his confusion multiplied.”Isn’t this all Las Haygas?” “Hardly, but because I’m such a good friend I will explain it all to you.” She gestured towards the lower city, and continued. “When they first build Las Haygas as an entertainment paradise there was an oversight in their location: It’s kind of a desert out here. So the pegasi of Cloudsdale came up with a solution, they built a cloud city above Las Haygas which doubles as a weather facility for the area, so it’s a win-win for everypony!. They call the upper city Los Pegasus, and the lower city of course is Las Haygas.” “Thank you Professor Drop, now where is the Celestia’s Palace casino? We still need to check in, and let them know that we are here.” Long Haul furrowed his brow and looked around the buildings that comprised what he could see of the main strip. Out of them all stood a castle looking one that seemed to take after Canterlot architecture with a glaring sign that read Celestia’s Palace “Well I guess that answers itself.” The group made their way towards the casino with caravan in tow, and parked the their mobile base in the adjoining alley. The lobby of the casino itself was no less grand if not grander than the exterior of the building. Marble pillars, and gold woven cushions adorned the large circular room, while a fountain of Celestia sat in the middle with a stream of liquid rainbow spouting from her horn into the pool below. Royal looking tapestries were hung from pillar to pillar giving the whole lobby the illusion of actually being in a royal court. The group was once again snapped out of their wonder though, when a beige suited stallion hollered from near the main desk. “Yeehaw!” He cried. “I was wondering when you three would show up, you didn’t get lost did you?” He asked as he sauntered over to greet the hired performers. Long Haul met the owner halfway in a hug. “Aces High, it’s truly been too long.” He greeted while completely dodging the previous question. “So when do we get started?” Long Haul quizzed while he switched his mindset over to a business mentality. Aces High dragged a tan hoof across the marble flooring, and chuckled to himself. “That’s actually the thing I was just about to let you know.” Long Haul’s heart dropped for a moment as he feared the words that could be uttered next. Oh no, this is terrible what if he says “We don’t want you performing here anymore.” or even worse: late fees! “Actually I was just going to say I won’t be needing your services until tomorrow night, when I have some important clients coming in that I’m sure your brand of entertainment would leave a lasting impression on. As a token of my humble apologies I would like to offer you room, and board in one of our fine entertainer’s penthouse suites that are going unused due to my last act getting wooed over to the Neighlagio over across the strip.” With that said Aces looked through the windows, and gave a thousand yard stare of hatred towards the brightly lit rival casino across the street. “You hear me Fancy Pants? You may have gotten my last act, but this one will show who the true king of Haygas hospitality is!” He then gestured over to a glowing blue platform. “That over there is the teleportation rune we use to get our guests to their rooms. Simply stand on it, say your name, and it will take you to the room we designated for you. Now if you excuse me, I have preparations to make, and at least an hour of angry stares to give the neighbors.” Once the three ponies had loaded their belongings up on one of the bellhops carts they made their way over to the daunting teleportation rune. Silver Screen looked down at the visible magic energies swirling over the surface of the rune and gulped. “Are you sure this is safe? I’m saying this coming from the Stallion who zapped a cauldron full of corn hoping for the best.” Lemon Drop also stood shakily on her legs as she braced for them to activate the magic device. “Yeah shouldn’t we wait a little or something? I ate twenty minutes ago, and dad always said to wait an hour after eating to teleport or you may get a cramp and drown.” Long Haul sighed and gave his rebuttal. “Come on that’s swimming, and not using magical teleportation runes to take you up several stories into the air.” He then turned to the older of the two quivering unicorns. “Furthermore Silver Scre---” He was cut off as their surroundings blurred into a flurry of colors that swirled all around them before suddenly they were on a smaller rune in the corner of an expansive suite no less lavish than the lobby. “--en you shouldn't worry so much.” He finished as the realisation of what had just transpired hit him. Silver Screen jumped off the platform and looked at the suite itself. the corner they were in opened up into larger room complete with cushions to lay on, a kitchen complete with miniature bar, and.three doors which lead into three spectacular bedrooms each one adorned with linens matching their coats. “Sweet Celestia he wasn’t kidding when he said an entertainer’s suite. This is amazing!.” He excitedly shouted. “Guys, you need to come see this.” Lemon Drop hollered from the other side of a sliding glass door that lead to the balcony. Long Haul trotted outside only for his jaw to once again go slack in amazement. The building of the casino itself extended up above the cloud layer giving them a view of the streets of Los Pegasus like no other. Pegasi of all colors, and sizes flew about on their business while the setting sun gave the sky an orange glow which added a serene feeling to the whole view. A huge well lit cloud building sat on the edge of their vision which crowds of ponies seemed to stream towards. “That must be the Los Pegasus Convention Center, I saw a banner earlier saying there was some big weather convention going on there.” He mused while noticing a lavish hot tub on the other side of the balcony. “Some convention? the Cloudsdale Weather Convention is only the biggest gathering of pegasi weather enthusiasts in all of Equestria! It’s so much more though in recent years it’s also become a meeting of minds on all things with wings from planning for the pegasi events for the Equestria Games, to the latest stunts by the Wonderbolts themselves!” Lemon Drop gushed as she practically melted out of admiration. “Easy there kiddo.” Long Haul said as he attempted to calm the younger mare down. “I didn’t know a unicorn like you would be such a fan of all this pegasus stuff.” He joked “Long Haul!” Silver Screen gasped. “I didn’t expect you of all ponies to be” He gulped. “a racist” The crimson stallion seemed taken aback “Hey that isn’t what I meant at all. Some of my best friends are unicorns afterall.” Long Haul stammered out as he attempted to defend himself. “Anyway I want to set some ground rules before we do anything else.” He cleared his throat and began to elaborate. “Lemon Drop, I don’t want you to go out alone into the city, and I mean both of them.” He corrected. “That’s the only rule now that I think about it. The casino is going to take care of all the promoting so all we need to do is be ready for the event tomorrow night. Now if you excuse me I’m going to go relax over in my room.” With that he turned to go to his room for the evening. “Good night everypony, I expect to see you all bright, and early tomorrow.” “Good Night” Silver Screen replied in unison with Lemon Drop, as they too went for their own rooms. As Silver Screen laid himself down ready for possibly one of the best nights of sleep of his pony life, he levitated over a small wrapped parcel and laid it down on the bed rest next to him. “You stay nice and safe while I get some rest tonight okay?” He asked the small inanimate box before slowly drifting off into the arms of unconsciousness. Meanwhile in one of the adjacent rooms Lemon Drop huffed to herself as she reflected on Long Haul’s warnings. “I can’t believe the gall of that stallion, who does he think he is. I’ll show him, because tomorrow is going to be the best day ever!” She mused to herself as her eyes fluttered shut. Over in Long Haul’s room the stallion himself had already fallen asleep, while muttering loudly in his slumber. “It’s all uphill from here, nothing but easy living.” Unbeknownst to the three now slumbering ponies a pair of vespid wings buzzed outside of their suite. A pair of ice cold blue eyes looking on in malice. "Soon."