The Canterlot Train Station wasn't far, but Shysage's Mare couldn't walk very fast. But with Shysage on one side, and Equestria Girls Summer Rain on the other, they were able to get there anyway.
There was a train waiting, with pulling stallions ready, and Shysage wasn't even going to ask Shining Armor how he had worked that out. It just didn't matter.
Both mares were quickly sitting down in the closest train car. And it looked like they were the only passengers.
Shysage really appreciated his Mare's Twin being here to help with all this, and especially to keep track of his Mare with the Twin Link, and he thanked her for that.
Shysage was about to relax himself, when he noticed Cel (well, Princess Celestia) wandering by the Train Station.
Shysage ran out quickly, and walked up to her and said "Cel, can you come with me, please?"
Cel remembered nothing, and had nothing to do, and simply said "Ok." Cel was soon sitting in the same train car with both Summers and Shysage.
Shining Armor ran past, yelled good luck, and was quickly gone. Shysage guessed he was probably headed back to his 'new post' for the time being anyway. The trip here had probably taken far longer than anypony planned.
The train took off with a lurch, and they were on their way. They weren't going especially fast, but on this treacherous stretch of track, winding slowly down the side of the stepped mountain that Canterlot was built on, slow was good. Still, Shysage thought maybe two hours to the Crystal Empire station.
Shysage said to Cel "Thanks for coming, I want you to come with me, if that's ok." This was true. He really wanted to try to get her through the Portal, if possible.
Shysage didn't know how 'deep' the memory spell went, and he didn't know if using the name 'Cel' would help or not, but he did it anyway. That's what he called her normally.
Cel replied slowly "This is fine, I am not sure I had anything else to do anyway."
She basically sat there and enjoyed the ride.
Shysage was quickly sitting next to his Mare, hugging her with one of his legs. She was still pretty lethargic.
Every ten minutes or so, Shysage would say "Summer, I love you."
Summer usually replied, slowly and quietly "I love you too, Shysage" or something similar. But at least she replied.
Well, once Shysage said softly "Summer, I know you are hurting, but I don't love you any less. I want you to know that."
Summer began to weep softly, and said back "Oh Shysage..."
He just hugged her tight.
After maybe an hour, the train was mostly down the mountain, and on the long, flat stretch leading to the Crystal Empire Train Station.
Shysage said softly to his Mare "Summer, we are headed to the Portal, but you will probably need to fly up to the balcony. Do you think you can do that?"
She just answered quietly "I don't know, Shysage..."
Well one way or another, they needed to get to the Portal. It was a long walk if they didn't fly up to the balcony.
Shysage also asked Cel at this point "Cel, I'm pretty sure you can fly, and we will need to fly a little to get where we are going. I hope that is ok."
Cel replied, again slowly, "Well, I guess. I hope it isn't far, though."
After thinking a minute, Cel asked "Do you have a surprise for me?"
Shysage had no idea where this came from, but he quickly and enthusiastically answered "Well, yes, as a matter of fact."
Shysage knew that Cel getting her memory back would be an amazing surprise.
After maybe an hour and a half, Shysage saw the spire for the Crystal Palace off in the distance. They were close, and this was good.
The trip so far had been almost relaxing, and Shysage knew he and his Mare needed that right now.
Ten minutes later, Equestria Girls Summer said "Oh no..."
Shysage quickly asked "What is it, Twin?"
"Shysage, do you remember how I pretty much threw myself at you... My Twin is going to do that..." She said quickly.
She was right, she had seen it coming... Shysage's Mare immediately moved to sit in front of him, facing him, and began rubbing his nose with hers.
This was his own Mare, and he had a hard time ignoring how this made him feel...
Shysage also knew that, as battered as Summer was, pushing her away would be catastrophic for her... He couldn't... He wouldn't do that.
"Twin, I will try to slow this down, but it will destroy my Mare if I push her away... I just don't know what to do... I think I am warning you..." Shysage said to Equestria Girls Summer.
Equestria Girls Summer just replied quietly "Shysage, this is war... Do what you need to do. I love my Twin too, and don't want to see her hurt any more..."
Shysage tried tightly hugging his Mare, and this delayed things a little, but then she tried to continue. After a few minutes, she was slowly licking his nose every so often too. He really felt this...
Shysage just tried to keep this cycle going. He would hug her tightly for a little while, then let her rub, and sometimes lick his nose. He was trying to slow things down as best as he could.
Still, he knew holding her off at all was very scary. There was probably some sort of threshold he couldn't cross, or she would feel rejected... He didn't know what that threshold was though...
Maybe five minutes from the Crystal Empire Train Station, evidently the same thing happened to Cel. She watched what Summer was doing, and started doing the same thing, rubbing his nose.
Every time Cel did that, Shysage just wanted to throw up... It was terrible...
Shysage tried moving to avoid it when Cel tried, but this rapidly turned into a nightmare, because he could simply no longer tell who was rubbing his nose, and he knew he couldn't resist his Mare at all.
Shysage was soon crying anyway... He felt completely overwhelmed...
He thought of one last thing... He had no idea if it would even work...
"Cel, I want you, but can you wait a little while, so I can take care of mom?" Shysage asked through his tears...
It was a very long shot, based on Cel connecting with who 'mom' was... Or maybe he hoped Cel would just be ok with waiting...
"Ok, but I'm next, then." Cel replied.
Well, she left him alone, for now anyway.
His Mare didn't though.
Shysage actually licked her back a few times, without even thinking, then realized that this would just accelerate what his Mare was feeling...
With just Summer to focus on, Shysage again tried hugging her tightly again, then letting her rub his nose. He was trying to buy them more time...
But Shysage knew they were running out of time... He could only put his Mare off so long, before she would begin to feel rejected.
The last few minutes of the trip, Equestria Girls Summer helped Shysage better guage how his Mare was doing, and he was able to slow things down a little more. But it was very scary.
Still, Shysage knew that if his Mare ended up on her back...
The train lurched to a stop at the platform, and Shysage pretty much bolted out the door, and was soon walking quickly down the main avenue towards the Crystal Palace.
Both his Mare and Cel followed quickly. Still, he knew that he had to stop every so often and hug his Mare, and let her rub his nose, then ask her to wait, and keep following him, and he did this. Shysage usually asked Cel to keep waiting when he did that too.
Equestria Girls Summer came with them of course, and tried to let Shysage know when he needed to stop and hug his Mare. She couldn't help much with Cel though.
It was just a terrible nightmare... And it seemed like it took forever to get to the Palace... And Shysage was quickly a wreck...
After far too long, they were all standing under the balcony of the Portal room, and Shysage first asked Cel to fly up there with Equestria Girls Summer.
Cel replied quickly "You are coming, right?"
Shysage said honestly "Yes, Cel, but I need to get mom up there too, if that's ok."
Equestria Girls Summer was standing on the balcony by now, and she called Cel up. Cel remembered how to fly, and unsteadily made it up and over. Equestria Girls Summer walked her over to her 'surprise', and pushed her into the Portal, and they were gone.
Shysage heard his Mare say his name softly at this point.
Shysage turned around, and his mare was already laying on her back...
Shysage was quickly in tears, and pleaded "Summer, honey, we can't do this here. Please, come with me, and I will take care of you soon...
Shysage was out of options... If this didn't work, he absolutely had to give her what she wanted, right here, and right now... And he would too...
Shysage looked into her amazing eyes, made eye contact, and tried saying the same words one more time...
Summer thought briefly, then replied slowly "Well, ok, but don't keep me waiting long, Stallion." Then she got slowly up.
Shysage knew he couldn't... he wouldn't... And by now, he didn't even want to make her wait...
Still, he flew up to the balcony, then called Summer up. She likewise flew very unsteadily, but was up on the balcony before too long.
Shysage quickly walked over to the Portal, and called Summer over.
When she was at the Portal, Shysage changed to a people, and as gently as he could, he hugged his Mare tightly, then all but carried his Mare into the Portal, and they went through together, and were soon in the Equestria Girls world...