//------------------------------// // Escape from the Summset Casino // Story: Sunset Rekindled // by EldritchNexus //------------------------------// "I can't believe it!" said Sunset Shimmer. "Neither can I, little sis." said Radiant Dawn. "Hey, I'd hate ta interrupt your family dilemmas..." said Frosty. "But we betta scram from dis place, and fast!" Sunset looked around, and saw that roughly half the casino was wrecked by the battle. Tables were destroyed or knocked over, slot machines were broken down, and cards, chips, and pool balls were scattered all over the floor. Then there was loud clamoring and long shadows against the walls as what seemed like thirty ponies in black suits and sunglasses swarmed the casino. "Great, the security guards are here!" said Daring Do, who was helping the freshly-revived Teddy stand back up. "And they don't look like they came for an explanation!" said Lightning Dust. "None of you are going anywhere!" said one of the security guards. "Boys, let's get 'em!" Then the guards rushed them from all sides. Frosty and Nose Nip leapt onto a nearby pool table. Nose Nip swatted at the thugs left and right with a pool cue, while Frosty telekinetically flung pool balls at everyone in sight. Trixie telekinetically threw tables around, scattering the thugs. "We've got to find a way out of this place!" shouted Scarlet Blaze. "Ha! I've got it!" yelled Sunset, pointing at a long table in the middle of the gaming area. "Everypony, follow me! Get on top of that table over there" "With pleasure!" shouted Nose Nip over the sounds of battle. He and Frosty jumped over the heads of the army of thugs and made it to the long table. Lightning Dust and Daring Do flew over, carrying Teddy as they went. The four unicorns unleashed a wave of bluish-green, purple, red, and orange magic against the thugs, and sprinted for the table. Once they were all on top of it, Sunset used her magic to levitate everyone--along with the table--into the air. "Hang on!" yelled Sunset, as she launched the table through the window that was blasted open earlier. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!" screeched Frosty as the table plummeted to the ground below. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact, and screamed on. "Frosty, you can stop now!" said Nose Nip, patting him on the shoulder. "What--why?" said Frosty. Then he opened his eyes, and realized the table stopped falling a couple inches from the pavement, and that everyone had already gotten off. "Ugh." he said, sheepishly. "Whatevuh." When he got off the table and trotted around with his eyes closed and head turned up. "I wasn't scared!" he said defiantly. "Hey, Daring." said Lightning Dust. "Does anything even half that crazy happen in your books?" "Yes, actually--" Daring Do began, before covering her mouth with her hoof. "Wait a minute, Ms. Yearling." said Sunset. "You meant to tell me you're really Daring Do?" "Look, I don't care if she's the Queen of Prance!" said Nose Nip. "I say we get the hoof outta here!" A crowd was gathering around the front doors of the casino, and city guards were seen trying to get in to investigate the massive disturbance. "Right!" said Sunset. "Let's get going!" Sunset and her friends all fled the scene before anyone could notice them, and didn't stop until they came to a back-alley five blocks away. As they sat in the back-alley, recuperating from the battle and the subsequent escape, they all shared their disappointment over the night's events. "You know, just once." said Sunset. "Just once, I'd like to go on vacation somewhere without something going horribly wrong. I mean it! I'm getting flashbacks to the Fall Formal right now!" "To think I was so close to finding out what Summerset was up to!" said Daring Do. "Who knows if I'll ever find out now!" "And I almost got to impress my father with my magic skills!" said Trixie. "So close! So close." "What could've made Golden Sun, my own husband, do such a thing?" Scarlet wondered aloud. "Ow! My head!" Teddy put a hoof on his sore face. "Where's Dr. Pressure Point when you need him?" "Man, I knew we shoulda stayed in Vanhoover!" said Frosty. "At least the only thing we'd have ta deal with there is Gilda!" Radiant Dawn and Lightning Dust, on the other hand, were delighted to see each other and cuddled while everyone else was depressed. "C'mon!" said Lightning Dust to the others. "At least we've all got each other, right?" "Yeah, Lightning's right!" agreed Radiant Dawn. "I'm sure we can put our heads together, and then we can all figure out something!" "Like what?" asked Sunset. "We don't even know what happened!" "Actually, I do." said Daring Do. She explained to everyone who Lionel Summerset was, where he came from, and what she believed that he might be planning. "So this guy's trying to take over this city, huh?" asked Sunset. "Well, we sure can't let that happen, now can we?" "I knew he was a greedy supervillain!" exclaimed Nose Nip. "But what perplexes me is why Professor Sun would be working for Summerset and helping him steal all these artifacts!" said Daring Do. "Miss Do, I think I have a theory." said Sunset. "Maybe my dad got on the wrong side of a magical object and was brainwashed or corrupted somehow. Kinda similar to what happened to...um, me...a couple months ago." "Must run in their family." Trixie whispered into Lightning's ear, and both mares chuckled. "Anyway, where does this Summerset guy run everything?" asked Sunset. "I bet he's got some kind of building--" "He does." said Daring Do. "It's called Summerset Tower, and it's on Corona Avenue." "Then I say we charge in and shake this guy down!" said Frosty. "He'll probably expect us to do that." said Scarlet. "We could tell the royal guards what's going on!" said Radiant Dawn. "Summerset's influence with this city's garrison will be too strong." said Daring Do. "They'll just be another obstacle." "Then what are we supposed to do, walk up to them, say we're sorry for wrecking his joint, and just hope they'll give us back Sunset's dad?" asked Lightning Dust. "Well...no." said Daring Do. "Daring Do, do you have any ideas at all?" asked Sunset. "I mean you're the one that's always getting stuff--and yourself--out of dangerous places." "Yes, but that's usually when I'm in the jungle or a desert." said Daring Do. "I'm afraid I'm totally rusty when it comes to dealing with an urban environment." "But you snuck around Manehatten in the first act of 'Daring Do and the Storm Tower'!" said Sunset. "That was different!" said Daring. "I wasn't dealing with a powerful figurehead like Lionel Summerset!" "But you face big bad villains all the time in your books!" said Sunset. "And you didn't even need help, either! Even if you did need help, you're Daring Do! One of the bravest ponies that ever lived! If you weren't as resourceful as you made yourself to be, you wouldn't have gotten so much as the Sapphire Statue!" Daring Do took a moment to pull herself together. "You're right." she said. "You're wise beyond your years, Sunset Shimmer. But I'm afraid I still can't think of how we will be able to get to Summerset. His building was probably have thugs on every floor by the time we get there. And I've never actually been in that building before, so I don't know the layout for sneaking around!" "I think we'll need back-up." said Scarlet. "Follow me. I know some ponies that could help us." "Does this mean what I think it means?" asked Frosty. Scarlet led everyone to a warehouse on the far side of Las Pegasus, which was guarded by two earth pony thugs. "Hang on!" said one of the guards. "Who the heck are you, and what business do ya got with Mr. Steel--" "Shh!" said the other guard. "Nobody's supposed to know Mr. Steel's here and---oh, shoot!" "It's okay, boys." said Scarlet. "He and I have already met. I just want to ask your boss for a favor." "You ain't with the city guards, are ya?" asked the first guard. "No." said Scarlet. "And you ain't with Summerset?" asked the second guard. "Definitely not." said Scarlet, rolling her eyes. "Well...what's their story?" the second guard asked Scarlet, pointing at the ponies behind her. "It doesn't matter." said Scarlet. "Now let me in." "Fine." said the first guard. "You can all come inside...but only the lady can see Mr. Steel." They all went inside, where several other Iron Horses were talking with each other, either about how their visits to the casinos went, or about crimes they either committed or planned on committing. Most of them stopped to look at the newcomers, but none made an attempt to stop them. Scarlet went up the stairs, followed by Sunset, Radiant, and the others. They came to a door at the end of the hall, where one of the guards told them to wait as he went inside. "I've got a bad feeling about this." said Daring Do. "You wouldn't be the only one." said Trixie. The guard came outside. "Okay...um, Scarlet?" he said. "The boss will see ya now!" "Thank you." said Scarlet Blaze. She went through the door, and entered a darkly-lit office, where Mr. Steel was waiting for her. "Ah! If it ain't my favorite redheaded mare!" he said, excitedly. "Please, take a seat, and tell me what I can do for ya." Scarlet sat down and told him what she wanted of him. "So, lemme get this straight: Ya mean ta wage war against Mr. Summerset?" asked Mr. Steel. "That's right." said Scarlet Blaze. "He's holding my husband against his will, and I simply won't take this sitting down!" "And you want my boys to help you?" asked Mr. Steel. "Toots, we're gangsters, not mercenaries. You want us to help, you gotta do something for us in return!" "Fine." said Scarlet. "What do you have in mind?" "Oh, you'll see." said Mr. Steel. "Once that Summerset weasel's outta the picture, I'll let you know what you and your buddies can do for us Iron Horses." "Thank you, Steel." said Scarlet. "I appreciate this very much!" "And I appreciate this too, ma'am." said Mr. Steel. "It's an honor to do business with a fiery redhead like you." Scarlet left the office, and met her children and the others. "So?" asked Frosty. "He'll help us deal with Summerset." Scarlet told them all. "Way to go, mom!" cheered Sunset, over the applause of her friends.