//------------------------------// // Chapter 21, Pure Devotion // Story: The Chronicles of Summer Rain // by shysage //------------------------------// [It's me Shysage. Please read this heart-rending chapter very slowly, and try to resist the urge to scan ahead as you read. And please know that it was almost unbearably difficult for me to even record these events accurately as they unfolded.] From the fountain in the center of town, Summer Rain and the Equestria Girls made it quickly to the Library. On the way, Summer explained that Princess Twilight lived at the Library, and they needed to try to find her. This all seemed simple enough, Summer just did not know what condition they would find her in, or if she was even there. And it was very dark, and would be even darker inside. They were all soon inside the Library trying to find their Princess. The Equestria Girls had never been here before, and so it was all new to them, so they just wandered around. But even with six of them looking, after fifteen minutes they had found nothing. Summer thought to herself that their Princess really could be anywhere in Equestria. This could take a long time; she just hoped they found her soon. Pinkie Pie was standing at the top of the stairs, and, looking out the back window, said simply "there" and pointed. It was dark, but Summer saw color, and they all ran quickly out back. The Equestria Girls began weeping immediately. They faced a huge slab of solid rock, in the shape of a tombstone. It was 3 stories high, and maybe 2 stories wide. Princess Twilight's hide had been stretched flat across the bulk of the front face of the tombstone. Summer Rain shouted "Discord..." paused briefly, then said quietly and slowly "How could you..." Evidently her song wasn't near angry enough. Summer began to shake, and walked slowly up to what was left of their Princess, and simply touched the part of her hind leg that she could reach. Summer quickly looked away and closed her eyes tightly, but simply froze there, still touching her Princess' leg, as if holding her Princess for one last time. "We are too late..." she said softly, and then she fell to the ground and began to cry. Before long, she was crying loudly, wailing bitterly from the pain she felt. The ground below her was wet with her tears. The Equestria Girls stood there crying as well... It seemed like pain and disappointment rapidly enveloped all of them. There was simply nothing more they could do. Just cry... ... Pinkie stopped crying. Then she said "Summer, back up a little." There was a mild tremor in the gound, and the tombstone tilted slightly forward. Summer got up quickly, and thought it would fall on them, so she looked up. The tombstone then slowly melted into the ground, shrinking smaller and smaller in the process. The pressure relieved, Princess Twilight was slowly returned to her normal size, and lowered to the ground. Before her hind hooves even got near the ground, Princess Twilight finished the scream that Summer had heard the night before in her dream. It was blood curdling. Princess Twilight then simply fell forward, onto Summer Rain, who had already rocked back on her hind legs, and put both her front legs up to try and catch her Princess. "Girls help" Summer said, but she didn't have to, they were already at her side, carefully balancing Twilight's body. They were all holding her up. Princess Twilight filled her lungs fully, and screamed again, much louder and longer than the first time. This hurt Summer's ears a lot, but she didn't care. Smmer thought that this would all be a lot easier if they could assume their Equestria Girls form, and it happened immediately. Summer and the girls simply stood up like people, moved until there were three of them on each side of their Princess, held each other's hands across and underneath her, and held her up as she lay on her side in their arms. Princess Twilight inhaled deeply and screamed again. And then again. Then she started crying loudly. Summer decided this had all hurt her Princess a lot. They just held her as she cried through a sea of pain. With tears trickling down their cheeks, the Equestria Girls said nothing, made no sound, and simply held her. They all adored their Princess, and nothing else mattered. She was alive. ... Five minutes... Ten minutes... Fifteen minutes... Twenty minutes... Princess Twilight was still crying loudly. Summer Rain shook her long blond hair away from Princess Twilight, then lay her head down next to her Princess' head and said softly "Princess, I heard your cry for help, we are all here." Summer began saying it over and over. As long as Princess Twilight kept crying, Summer kept softly saying this to her. "Princess, I heard your cry for help, we are all here... "Princess, I heard your cry for help, we are all here..." Summer would keep this up as long as she needed too... After about ten more minutes, Princess Twilight's crying abruptly stopped. She opened her eyes and looked up, looked at Summer Rain and said "Summer?" Barely able to control herself, Summer said it one more time. "Princess, I heard your cry for help, we are all here," and then Summer burst into tears. The Equestria Girls started crying openly at this point too. Summer lay her head down on her Princess and just wept... Princess Twilight was weeping too... After a few minutes, Summer realized that there was a certain amount of Protocol that the Equestria Girls needed to learn. Summer choked her tears off, and said softly "Princess can you sit up?" "I think so" Princess Twilight said weakly. "Girls, please carefully set her down on the ground so she is sitting, and steady her if she starts to fall." Summer directed. Princess Twilight was soon sitting comfortably. Summer backed away a few steps and told the rest of the girls to come stand next to her. At this point, Summer and the Equestria Girls assumed their Pony form, simply falling forward on their front hooves. All of them except one. The eyes of a guardian of fashion from another world had caught the sight of a thing of indescribable beauty, haplessly cast to the ground like garbage. Rarity picked the object up, quickly tied a knot back in the torn neck strap, walked over to her Princess, and gently slipped the strap of the object over her Princess' head, and straightened it carefully around her neck. She then gave her Princess a small kiss on the forehead, and only then walked back to the rest, throwing herself forward on all four as she too turned back into a pony. Summer tried to speak and it was excruciating, she wanted to just cry, but the girls understood what she said. "Girls, this is your Princess, and when you see your Princess, you need to bow like this." Summer bowed down on her front legs, and the rest followed. All heads were bowed to the ground with respect for their Princess. Summer could no longer hold it in and was crying again. They were all crying. After a minute... "Equestria Girls, please arise. "And welcome to Equestria" Princess Twilight simply said these words, and the Equestria Girls got up and ran quickly to her side and they all just hugged her, continuing to cry. Princess Twilight was crying too. Twilight had missed these girls just as immensely as they had missed her. Summer stayed where she was, bowing before her Princess. In her mind this was the Equestria Girls victory as much as hers, they too were utterly devoted to their Princess, and had yearned more deeply to be at her side with each step closer they took. They had earned this. Summer also noted that the Equestria Girls were actively taking turns hugging Twilight's neck. One would hug briefly, then would move and let another. True friends. Summer just stayed where she was, bowing in respect, weeping softly, just glad her Princess was alive. After about five minutes of hugging and crying, Princess Twilight asked the Equestria Girls to stop briefly, and to sit next to her facing Summer. 'Summer Rain" Princess Twilight began. Summer immediatly sensed her regal tone. "If you had not left to take care of the Equestria Girls at my request, Equestria would be..." Princess paused here for a moment before continuing. "Forever... lost..." "On behalf of the realm of Equestria, thank you." she concluded softly. It was Summer's turn, and she ran over to Twilight and just held her Princess, her true friend, and cried... And cried... And cried... Fluttershy and the rest of the girls were crowded around too, everyone just holding everyone and crying. Summer had safely brought the Equestria Girls to their true friend Princess Twilight. And with little else besides pure devotion, they had succeeded in rescuing their Princess, maybe even bringing her back to life, who knows. For Summer, nothing else mattered right now.