//------------------------------// // The Assault on Summerset Tower, Part 3 // Story: Sunset Rekindled // by EldritchNexus //------------------------------// Radiant Dawn and Lionel Summerset kept fighting each other. Although Radiant was somewhat more muscular, Summerset's agility made it tremendously difficult for Radiant to hit his mark, physically or with magic. Radiant charge forward, but Summerset ascended into the air and dropped down on him. "Now to finish you off." said Summerset, raising the blade over Radiant's head. There was a sound of doors slamming, and several pony-shapes rushed into the room where Radiant and Summerset were fighting. Nose Nip, Frosty, Teddy, Mr. Steel, and several Iron Horses came up from downstairs, and Sunset Shimmer, Golden Sun, and Scarlet Blaze came down the stairwell from upstairs. "You're surrounded, Summerset!" said Mr. Steel. "Step away from my brother, or you're in for a world of hurt!" said Sunset. Summerset lowered his blade. "So you think you have me right where you want me?" said Summerset. "We know it!" said Sunset. "So just give up now, and we can talk this whole mess out, okay? You can start over and go legit! You could make Las Pegasus a better place without turning to crime!" "Poor, naive little Sunset Shimmer." said Lionel Summerset. "You think that I'll just turn myself in? That I've seen the error of my ways and am ready and willing to turn over a new leaf? Well, you can keep dreaming, Sunset. Why? Because I have an ace up my sleeve." He picked up a nearby chair and raised it over his head. Sunset and her family all had their horns glowing. But instead of throwing the chair at them, Summerset threw it through the window, shattering it. The moment the glass was broken, a loud humming sound was heard from outside. "What's that noise?" said Nose Nip. "I don't like the sound of that!" said Scarlet. "That is my ticket out of here." said Summerset, who took off through the window. Sunset and the others ran up to the broken window, looked up, and gasped in complete shock: a massive black-and-gold zeppelin that was forty yards in length and twenty in diameter was descending from the clouds above Summerset Tower, and Summerset was flying straight up to it, a winged bronze speck in the blue sky. "Man, dat thing's humongous!" said Frosty. "Where the buck did he get a blimp?!" said Sunset, alarmed. "Hey, I heard about that." said Mr. Steel. "That's the Summerstar! It's Summerset's private blimp!" Right on cue, a glint of white light appeared on the cab on the underside of the zeppelin. Then there was some kind of combustion, and something large, round, and made of black metal shot through the air. "What the heck--" said Nose Nip. The object struck Summerset Tower, shattering through the glass on the 24th floor. They could hear a shake and a faint rumbling from above. "Was that what I think it was?" said Sunset. Another light gleamed from the zeppelin, and another black object was fired into the building, this time on the 17th floor. "Is he--HE'S TRYING TO BRING DOWN THE BUILDING!" Sunset screamed in shock. "We've gotta get outta here!" Everyone was panicking, all hastily trying to get back down the stairs. Lightning Dust, Trixie, Daring Do, Maximum Velocity, and Thunder Lee felt a low rumbling beneath their hooves. "What the heck's going on?" said Trixie. "The Great and Powerful Trixie does not like this!" "Our cue to get the hoof out of here." said Daring Do. "Quick! Everypony down the stairwell!" The five descended the stairs as quickly as possible. They came to the 23rd floor, when a black object smashed through the window and left a crater in the wall. Lightning Dust and Daring Do ran to the window and looked up. "Dude, that's one big blimp." said Lightning Dust in surprise. Another black shell shot through the 28th floor. "Why would Summerset fire on his own building?" asked Lightning Dust. "He must've blown a gasket or something." said Maximum Velocity. "Lightning Dust, you and I have to go up and stop that blimp before it levels this entire building!" said Daring Do. "Sounds dangerous." said Lightning, seemingly uncertainly. Then her eyes narrowed and she had a determined look on her face. "And just the way I like it!" she continued. "What about me?" asked Trixie. "You can come with us." said Thunder Lee. "I know a few shortcuts that'll take us to ground level." "But..." "Trixie, as a Shadowbolt, I'm ordering you to get to safety!" said Lightning Dust. "Sunset might need your help, wherever she is!" "Okay." said Trixie, reluctantly. "Good luck, Lightning." Then Thunder led Trixie and Maximum away. "Ready?" asked Daring. "Ready!" said Lightning. The two pegasi took off through the broken window, and flew through the air to the zeppelin. Sunset and the others were running down the stairs, passing by Iron Horses and Summerset's guards and staff members as she went. "Get out!" yelled Sunset to everypony she passed by. "Get out of the building before it's too late!" "The whole building's gonna go down any minute!" shouted Radiant. There was pandemonium going on throughout the bottom ten levels of the building, but Sunset's coordination allowed everyone to escape the building before any major damage befell them. They made it out into the street, where a large crowd of onlookers was gathering. They were all watching the Summerstar firing its on-board cannons at Summerset Tower. "Man, this is just crazy!" said Teddy. "Is everypony we know outside?" said Sunset. "I think so." said Scarlet. "I know I'm out here!" said Frosty. "Wait a minute, where's Lightning Dust?" said Radiant, alarmed. Sunset gasped. "And where's Trixie? And Daring Do?" said Sunset. "I got separated from them! They could still be--" "Look up in the sky!" said one of the pedestrians on the street. Two dark specks shot out from one of the higher levels of the tower, and flew off towards the gigantic airship firing at the building. Lightning Dust and Daring Do flew towards the airship. As they flew, they dodged every shell fired at them, and made it to the cab at the bottom. They forced open the trapdoor on the cab's underside, and flew inside. They came into a dark, spacious room that was furnished to look like a lounge area. "Nice place." commented Lightning. "Summerset's got to be around here somewhere." said Daring. They snuck out of the room, only to find themselves in front of at least a dozen of Summerset's thugs. "Let's rock!" shouted Lightning. She and Daring Do began fighting their way through the thugs, going through room after room on the airship, until they made it to the bridge, where Summerset was waiting for them. "Daring Do, we meet once more." he said. "Lionel, why are you doing this?" said Daring. "Because I will rule this city, and I won't allow anyone to get in my way!" "You'll never get away with this, Summerset!" said Lightning Dust. "I won't allow it!" The crew members of the airship rushed to Summerset's aid, but Lightning Dust and Daring Do quickly knocked them all out. Summerset revealed his blade again, but before he could swing it again, Daring rushed him and pinned him down with all her might. Lightning Dust was quick to join her. "Lionel Summerset, you're under arrest!" she said in an authoritative tone. "You're gonna be serving a long time in prison, buddy." "Oh, joy." snarked Summerset. "Hey! You there!" Daring shouted to one of the crew members, who had just gotten back up. "Get this thing on the ground immediately!" "But we're in the middle of a city!" said the crew member, still aching over. "Where am I supposed to land?" "Then land us somewhere outside of the city!" said Daring Do. "Get us to the city limits now!" Sunset Shimmer and the others watched as significant portions of Summerset Tower began to fall to the streets below. Sunset was on edge, worrying that Trixie might not make it. The only thing to keep her mind off of this was Radiant Dawn talking with Golden Sun nearby. "Dad, I've missed you so much!" Radiant said. "I know, son." said Golden Sun. "I missed you, too. In fact, I missed all of you." "There's so much stuff that you missed, dad." said Radiant. "All kinds of stuff. Stuff mom missed, too, but still." "Yes, but I'm sure we should save that for another time." said Golden Sun. "Right now, we're in a bit of a predicament." "How long do you think that building was last, sweetie?" asked Scarlet. "Well, as long as the airship doesn't fire any more at the building, it should be able to stand a little while longer before it needs repairs." said Golden Sun, studying the damage dealt by the shells. "Although a few floors might end up collapsing in a matter of hours, even minutes. I sure hope nopony's still in there." "But there is somepony still in there, dad!" said Sunset. "Who, Sunset?" said Golden Sun, urgently. "Trixie." said Sunset, worried. "She's my best friend!" "Hey, I'm sure your friend will be okay." said Golden Sun, putting a hoof on Sunset's shoulder. "Just don't stop believing." "Thanks, dad." said Sunset, with a smile. Meanwhile, Nose Nip and Frosty were talking with each other. "So, how long do ya think that building's gonna stay up?" asked Frosty. "I'd give it until--" Suddenly, the 14th floor began to collapse into the 13th floor, triggering a string of explosions that caused a fire that spread to both floors. Rubble began to fall to the ground from the higher levels, and thick black smoke trailed into the sky. "Now." said Nose Nip. Sunset gasped in horror and put a hoof over her mouth. "Oh, boy. Oh, boy." she whispered frantically. "Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay!" She cringed in fear, and started shaking nervously. She couldn't stand to lose Trixie. Not now. She was the very first friend that Sunset had made since she went back to Equestria, and if she were to lose her...she couldn't bear to think about it. Suddenly, three figures stampeded out of the main entrance of the building. At the front was-- "Trixie!" yelled Sunset. She ran up to her best friend and hugged her. "Sunset!" said Trixie. "I'm okay! I'm okay!" "Thanks to us." said Maximum Velocity. "Wait a minute!" said Nose Nip, looking at Thunder and Maximum. "Those are Summerset's goons!" "Not anymore." said Thunder Lee. "Summerset brainwashed us, and Professor Sun over there." "It's true!" said Golden Sun in agreement. "Look up there!" said Mr. Steel. "Summerset's airship's flying away! We can't let 'em escape!" "We'll have to follow him!" said Sunset. "Right behind you, sis." said Radiant Dawn.