The Sunset Trilogy

by ocalhoun

Book 2 - Chapter XI

Book 2: Equestria Lost
Chapter 3

As Twilight's eyes slowly opened, she was confronted with a pair of big light blue eyes. Before she could properly process this, a shout of “She's awake!” awoke her fully. Carefully, she propped herself up on her front hooves, successful this time. Her pain level was already much reduced from earlier. She looked down at the little earth pony filly, still standing with her front hooves propped up on the bed and staring at Twilight. She had seen this filly before, but couldn't quite remember her name. Bright yellow coat and a white mane... with a big shining sun for a cutie mark... what was that filly's name?

“Now Sunny,” Big Macintosh said as he entered the room, “Y'all need to let miss Twilight get her rest. She's been through a lot.” He turned to Twilight, “Please 'scuse little Sunny Daze here. She's been staying here ever since the fire.”

Twilight's face scrunched up in confusion. “Fire?”

Sunny Daze's face lit up with the realization. “She doesn't know!”

“Know what?” Twilight asked.

Big Macintosh looked uncomfortable, but Sunny didn't seem to be encumbered. She elaborated enthusiastically, “Oh, like the whole town burned down! Almost everything! And the firefighter ponies were all sick so it just spread and spread and it was SOOO scary and I ran away and–”

Big Macintosh's hoof covered the filly's mouth. “Now Sunny, miss Twilight here don't need to be bothered with that just now.”

It was too late for that though, as Twilight replied, “My library! Oh my gosh! Are my books okay? Wait... Spike! Is Spike okay? ... Wait, silly question, dragons are fireproof! What about all the other ponies?”

Big Mac hung his head low. “Eeyup... library's gone... haven't seen Spike since the fire, but he probably made it out... and... well...”

Somehow, the little yellow filly was unperturbed at all of this. “The fire got a lot of the ponies who survived the sickness. Only a few left now, and they mostly left for other towns.”

She didn't know if it was just the combined shock of all the news she had gotten recently, or if somehow she was going a little crazy – as had been known to happen on occasion – but Twilight somehow thought it fitting that Ponyville should fall along with the princesses, along with the sun and the moon, and along with Applejack.

“Come on now, little Sunny, miss Twilight needs some time to think about all this,” Big Macintosh said, and ushered the filly out the door.

Twilight laid back in the bed and sulked. Time to think was the last thing she needed. Her thoughts kept going back to a scorched Luna, to a twitching Celestia, and most of all, to the apologetic eyes of her friend Applejack at her end. ... And more than that... her thoughts kept returning to the awful fact... it was HER fault. She could have prevented it all. She felt a strange hatred growing in her... a hatred of herself. She loathed herself, blaming herself for all that went wrong. She could have saved the day... could have fixed everything... except she had been so blatantly stupid. What did she plan to do when she got to Celestia's side without the elements anyway? Why did she cry out that stupid warning? Surely Celestia was already watching that beast...

And suddenly, Twilight's anger found a new target. Pestilence. She would dedicate her life to hunting down and ending that loathsome creature, she thought. Then maybe everything could be better... maybe then she could forgive herself. She entertained herself with thoughts of revenge most foul for a time... before coming to the bitter realization that she couldn't get revenge. Even the princesses together couldn't stop that thing... what made her think she had the slightest chance?

With that, Twilight fell into a deep depression. There was nothing left for her, nothing left for Ponyville, nothing left for the world. Why try? Why do anything?

* * *

Comments

[ultra1437]

Hmm... Interesting little development here. I like it.