• Published 11th Dec 2012
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The Sunset Trilogy - ocalhoun



Twilight Sparkle faces the end of the world as she knows it. An epic three book series depicting the fall of Equestria and the rise of a new nation from the ashes.

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Book 3 - Chapter XXXV

Book 3: Equestria Abides
Chapter 1

Sunny Daze could hardly wait to see it again. Las Pegasus was a place of wonders, a vast waiting playground. For the thousandth time, she ran up ahead with Hair Trigger. It just had to be over this last hill... if it weren't for the fog rolling in, she could probably see it! She heard somepony calling for her, but she went on; she knew she would be fine.

* * *

“Sunny!” Twilight shouted for the thousandth time, “Come back here and stay with us, it's not safe!” She sighed. Once again the little filly had gone wandering off into the fog. At least the sun was rising now, making visibility a bit better and making the fog bank glow yellow and orange throughout.

The fog itself was a good sign. Las Pegasus was known for it, so they were probably getting close. She stepped to the top of the hill alongside Apollo Dawn, and looked out as they waited for the wagon to catch up.

“Think you could clear the fog a little?” he asked, “I think we should be able to see it now.”

Clearing an entire coastal plain of fog would be no small feat, but it warmed Twilight to see him thinking so highly of her abilities. She planted her feet firmly, braced herself, and her horn began to glow. The glow swelled, becoming blindingly bright for a moment before vanishing again.

As the glow died, a breeze came from behind them, quickly growing to a powerful gust, and as the two watched, the fog bank parted, the golden glowing clouds receding away and revealing the path ahead... and more than that. Buildings began to loom out of the fog, the famous skyscrapers of Las Pegasus, half made of stone and wood like earth pony buildings, half made of clouds fashioned by pegasus ponies. They stood impossibly tall, with bases on the ground and top floors hidden – or perhaps part of – the clouds above. In even the topmost layers though, metal catwalks could be seen jutting through the clouds.

The break in the fog traveled on further, revealing the seaside cliffs and their magnificent cloud-made piers jutting out unsupported, far above the crashing waves below. Several huge airships were still moored to the piers. Nowhere else in Equestria had earth pony and pegasus architecture been blended together like this, and it was a wonder to behold. It had been founded by a pegasus and earth pony married couple, and had become a haven for all pegasi who were too attached to the ground to leave it, yet couldn't give up a life in the skies either.

A channel had been opened through the fog now, completely revealing the road ahead, gently sloping down directly into the heart of Las Pegasus.

“Almost there, and a nice clear open road,” Apollo said with satisfaction as the wagon finally made it to the top of the hill. “All downhill from here, straight through Las Pegasus, and Griffon's Gate should be on the other side of the bay.” He grinned, “We'll be there in time for dinner!”

Twilight grinned right along with him. She was definitely ready to put all this travel behind her and rest for a while. She looked down on the open road before her, took the first step down it... but then hesitated and her grin began to fade a little. Something was wrong... but what?

Twilight gasped as it hit her. The clear, open, empty road! “Sunny!” She shouted, “Sunny, where are you?”

Her worried look was mirrored by Apollo as only silence came in reply.

* * *

“Trigger!” Apollo shouted, hearing his voice echo away through the towering forest of skyscrapers around him, “Come back! Where did you go?” The ghost town of Las Pegasus gave back only his own voice back in return. The fog was back, despite the sun now being at its highest point, which to be fair, wasn't very high. The buildings all around cut huge gaping shadows through the glowing fog, with occasional thinner lines cutting through as a gantry or catwalk hidden in the fog far above cast a shadow down onto the eerily empty streets.

He turned to Twilight. “Keep laying down the trail, I'm going to fly up and see if I can cover more ground.”

“You can't see!” Twilight protested as she continued laying down little pulsing dots of magic down on the road they were following, “And there's walkways connecting buildings all over the place up there! You can't fly up there!”

Apollo didn't feel the fear he probably should have, only the twisting, empty feeling in his heart, guilt and desperation overriding his good sense. “I have to go, I have to do anything to find them!”

“I'm not losing you, too!” Twilight pleaded, but Apollo launched himself into the air without a reply, quickly disappearing into the fog.

With the fog hiding everything above, and most of the buildings at ground level made of conventional materials, Apollo could almost believe he was in an ordinary city, but as he rose, more and more of the buildings were made mostly of cloud. They were a bit softer, yes, but also more dangerous, as they blended in perfectly with the fog... and they still hid metal and wood frames and floors inside, made for the earth ponies of the city. He knew his flight into the upper levels was foolhardy, but he couldn't stand it anymore to do nothing.

Trigger should have heard him calling, from any distance. Him not coming back must mean that something happened to him. Apollo could only hope that they were okay. His worry propelled him faster and faster through the maze of half-cloud buildings. He dodged an arching walkway between two buildings, only to see the silhouette of a wrecked airship looming in front of him, snagged on some part of a building. He dove beneath it quickly, dodging it while increasing his speed... only to come to a sudden spinning halt as something hit his leg, wrapping around. He spun and tumbled, not falling, but just continuing from the momentum of his flight. Another cord wrapped around him, and another. The more he struggled, the more tangled he became.

He writhed with desperation; he couldn't be caught! He had to keep going, had to find the missing children! He struggled blindly even more, becoming hopelessly tangled before he finally gave up and let himself hang limp, panting from the effort. He felt tears come to his eyes, desperation and a feeling of futility welling up inside... but then a voice came out of the fog. “Are you finished now?”

* * *

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