Come Friday, the five girls were becoming concerned as to why Sunset had skipped the rest of the week of school. They weren’t stupid, they knew it had something to do with Rainbow Dash growing wings and a tail. Sunset had message the entirety of the group, assuring them she was alright and just needed time to clear her head.
They knew Sunset would have told Principal Celestia what was actually going on but when they asked, like any good counselor, she was sworn to secrecy but assured them that Sunset would be returning on Monday.
Celestia however, was growing concerned as well. Other than the phone call she’d had with her on Wednesday, a text on Thursday and the absence notices that passed through the office, she hadn’t heard from her. Principal Celestia was now unsure that she’d done a good job at consoling Sunset about her fears about magic. To make matters worse, she couldn’t just go to where she lived to talk to her, not yet. Nor could she give her friends any information without breaching Sunset’s trust.
Right before Lunch, however, the ground shook for a moment. Not enough to cause any real damage but just enough to make people stumble in order to regain their footing. Just as sudden as it had come, it dissipated.
“Freaky deaky.” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced up to her friends and sat in her usual seat, “We haven’t had an earthquake here since we were all in diapers. Though I guess that was more of a minor tremor.”
“I was so scared.” Fluttershy shrunk in seat. “I’m glad it was just a small one.”
“I dunno about that.” Applejack said, “Granny Smith says that last time there was an earthquake, there was a few small ones and one huge one.”
Fluttershy shrunk farther in her chair, fear in her eyes.
“It’s true!” Pinkie said, “My mom and dad said that the last one split the ground, damaged and knocked down buildings, even started fires!”
Rainbow frowned, looking at Fluttershy cower next to her. She was about to say something before the intercom came on.
“Will all staff and students please report to the cafeteria immediately for next class.” Celestia’s voice sounded, “I repeat, this is a school emergency. All staff and students report to the cafeteria.”
“Well.” Rainbow said, “We got here pretty fast.”
Rainbow and Pinkie snickered but Applejack and Rarity groaned. Fluttershy, however, continued to cower, only now she was significantly closer to Rainbow Dash.
More students shuffled into the cafeteria and took any seat available while the staff lined the walls. Soon, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna walked in, the latter carrying a bull horn.
“Attention students and faculty.” Luna spoke through the bull horn, “I am sure you all experienced a small tremor earlier and for safety reasons, we are all going to remain here until we are sure they passed. However,” Her voice turned grim for a moment. “There is a chance of a bigger quake. So, in the event that the situation escalated, everyone is to get underneath the table they are at immediately.”
At the sound of that, Fluttershy clung desperately to Rainbow Dash who looked at the equally concerned faces of her friends.
Rarity was the first to say what they were all thinking, “Does Sunset know what to do in the event of an earthquake.” After seeing more nervous looks, she furrowed her brows. “I do hope she’s alright.”
When Vice-Principal Luna was walking past their table, Fluttershy quickly grabbed her arm, startling the older woman. Though she didn’t let it show.
“Vice-Principal Luna,” Fluttershy said, “We are really worried about Sunset. We don’t even know if she knows what to do in an earthquake. Can’t someone go check on her?”
Luna furrowed her borrows and glanced over to her sister who kept looking from the students in the cafeteria, to the exit. Clearly contemplating doing that very thing. The Vice-Principal looked back at the five girls, Fluttershy having sat back down, gripping Rainbow’s arm.
She leaned down to the table and spoke just loud enough for the five girls to hear, “When this is over or it gets worse; Principal Celestia will be going to check on her.” She looked back to Celestia who was now pacing nervously at the exit. She pointed to her with her thumb, “If she even lasts that long.”
At that point, Luna had forgone her usual, disciplinary façade, but only for the other five girls. She was just as worried about Sunset as they were, but Celestia was definitely going to have a panic attack soon if she kept this up.
Just then, the ground shook.
***
The first tremor woke her but she didn’t really think anything of it. However, she knew better than to just brush it off.
When the second hit, it was extremely violent.
Car alarms started to go off all around her and she could hear the ground trying to tear itself apart. She fell to the ground trying to get out of the building. It didn’t end there though. No, it got worse. Much worse.
The more time that passed the more intense the quake became. Sunset tried to get up, hoping to get to the stairs but it was too intense, she struggled to rise to her feet.
Damn it! Sunset thought, I don’t think I can get out. By this time, she was in the hallway, only a few feet from the stairs. I have to try.
Just as she was about to make for the stairs, she heard a sickening crack, like old metal and brick giving way. She instinctively leaped backwards, avoiding half of the building falling sideways, destroying her only escape.
She was trapped now and knew it. Sunset was taken over with an overwhelming sense of fear, and there was nothing she could do. The earthquake was too intense, she couldn’t move now, even if she wanted to. Sunset gritted her teeth.
Another crack and loud bang. The rest of the first floor caved in, then the second, and finally, Sunset’s floor, followed by the roof.
***
Finally, the quake ended, but it was followed by the aftershock, not nearly as intense or long as the main quake.
Fluttershy ended up cowering in Rainbow’s arms and she was more than happy to comfort her friend. The students and faculty remained silent, on the ground, for another ten minutes before picking themselves up.
“Is everyone OK?” Principal Celestia asked.
There were various murmurs from around the cafeteria but no one called out any injuries, so that was a positive. The cafeteria, however, was a mess. Food was strewn everywhere, having been jostled violently throughout the earthquake. Some of the lights had fallen from the ceiling and glass shards were scattered by the few missing windows but the majority of the glass was outside.
Students made their way to the windows, carefully avoiding the glass. Vice-Principal Luna and the five girls could see it form where they were, being some one of the tables closest to the windows.
“You girls alright?” Luna asked.
They all silently nodded.
“I have to go find Principal Celestia.” She said then yelled so she could be heard, “Please find your home room teacher and proceed to the soccer field. Your parent’s will be contacted to come pick you up. Please sign out with your teacher before you leave.”
Everyone started to file out, guided by the other staff members.
Luna saw Celestia staring in awe out one of the intact windows. The damage seemed horrific. From what they could see, trees had fallen over onto roads and parked cars, as was telephone poles that seemed to have already had the power cut to. From in town, they could see smoke and fires billowing from various buildings. They were sure some of the older ones had collapsed as well.
“Go,” Luna said to her sister, “Now!”
She didn’t need to told twice. She ran from the building to the staff parking lot and hopped in her car. Thankfully, that side of the school was generally undamaged.
Celestia didn’t have a choice but to drive slowly and carefully as the roads had new dangers around every corner. There was everything from car accidents to fallen trees and, as she neared the older part of town, small to moderately sized fissures.
Finally, she reached the block where Sunset’s building was. Or what was left of it.
On one side of the block, the pizza place was burning along with a couple buildings. The laundromat was relatively alright but the apartment buildings were almost leveled.
The building that Sunset stayed in…it was just a pile of rubble.
Tears fell from her eyes as she rushed over to the paramedics.
Ok, after reading the AN at the end, I felt better, that you didn't just whip out an earthquake out of nowhere (I feel these are deus ex machinas unless the story is about them specifically).
I do hope Sunset makes it out, but as long as you keep the quality of writing up, I'll keep reading it. It does still feel a bit like whiplash, since there has been no foreshadowing. I would have preferred if you had mentioned it somewhere, like that there have been earthquakes in the area before, or something? Maybe if you had made a comment early on when they first see Sunset's current home, that earthquake damage is why the building had been condemned originally or something, that would have been enough for me, maybe a couple other comments around like about the architecture, or that the area was known to have minor quakes, though none in the last 3+ years?
(written on phone sorry)
8884908
Not a problem. I specifically didn't mention it because there are areas in the world where they could have one huge quake every 20 years or so. I actually had a statement like that originally but ultimately decided against mentioning it.
Also, glad you read the A/N, not a lot of people do. Just so you know as well, I don't put my characters through hell without having some sort of endgame in place. I don't like torturing characters needlessly
alright... great story so far. Quickly becoming one of my favs but...
Where is the next chapter button
8885046
That was the reaction I was searching for!
...get rekt fellow readers
I can feel Celestia's pain. Can't wait for more!
New one already? Sweet.
8885151
its post week! on chapter every day until mobday then we go back to weekly
Been years since I’ve thought about the safety measures schools take for emergencies. At this point the only one that makes any sense is leaving the building during a fire. I’ve hidden under desks in supposed preparation for both an earthquake and a nuclear blast, and huddled in a long hallway with huge glass windows on either end in the event of a tornado, after learning more of physics, geology, climatology, and radiology I can only conclude that schools adhere to the “better than nothing” view of disaster preparation.
8885233
I wish I had material enough built up for a good post week. I used to post a couple times a week when I had more time. Pacing, pacing, pacing. I work off outlines for my stories. Middle and endgames are all done, they're just in outline form. I like working that way but I know it's not ideal.
I was waiting for the part where something happens to Sunset's building, but I wasn't expecting an earthquake to be involved.
8885306
to be fair, i finished writing the entire thing last week.
8885311
yep this is what i did instead on Anon-a-miss as well
Ruh roh. Sunset is in trouble. Luckily mothe- I mean...principal Celestia is here to save the day!
8885311
Yeah given earlier descriptions of how she was getting power I would have guessed electrical fire.
Earthquake is an odd choice considering Canterlot is in the center of the country and earth quakes are either near volcano's or the west coast.
8886502
they ARE close entough to the ocean to take a day trip and i kinda dreamed the scene so i stuck with it
8886502
I live in Mexico City, kinda in the middle of my country and we get earthquakes. Not as strong as those Chile experiments as they are closer to the edge of the tectonic plate, bit enough to bring down old buildings. On September 19, 1985 we had a big one, and another big the same day but this year.
My point: you can be in the middle of the cpuntry and still get an earthquake, therefore Canterlot can get one.
i.pinimg.com/originals/91/ea/8e/91ea8e239ab8f44fe851b69ae4c0c58a.jpg
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haha, thats EXACTLY what i was picturing when i wrote that! I was going to say Dust instead but that was a little overkill. LOL sorry, puns.
8888573
You must be an investment banker, turning pennies into quarters. Just like Achilles!
and i'm dead thanks wolf thanks alot
8887701
Given that it depends entirely of the tectonic plates being placed on the right place, plus the fact that Mexico City was built over a now extinct lake givingthe city a support made out of dirt jelly, yeah indeed dangerous earthquakes can happen in any place wherever is a center valley or near the coast.
I was in a earthquake once if you could call it that I was just about asleep when it hit I thought it was just a couple of big rigs going by turns out no such luck as it happens it was so slite that you only felt it if you where not moving that's only the second one I know of to hit Michigan in my life.
And boom
8886502
2 year necro, but new madrid fault is a thing; big seismic area in central of the usa, technically more destructive on principle than west coast, but are spread over 200 per year average small events, with larger 7.0 - 8.0 scale events every half century~ish
8886502
I live in Oklahoma and we gave a small fault the quakes on occasion.
8886502
And even in Michigan that has been an earthquake even though Michigan is like miles away from the nearest fault line. a few years ago Michigan got struck by an earthquake but it was barely even registering on the rector scale it was enough to shake the ground that's about it then a few weeks later they found a new fault line had formed in Michigan don't ask me where I have no idea plus I was only a kid when that happened
Oh man oh jeez
Way to turn of the stakes to 11!
Hope she keeps her promise.
Must of been a small earthquake.
Your scaring fluttershy applejack. 😠
I think she's refering to/describing the San Francisco earthquake from April 1906.
Let's hope so rarity. 🤞
Sunset!!!!!!!
Please be alright Sunset.
Rainbow is so sweet.
I HATE Sweet. Or I want to anyway and I'm sick of living in the rainbooms shadow