The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 8 -- Dark Melvain

by shysage

Ch.18, (Back Home) Ocean of Pain

Very slowly, it seemed, the Library in Princess Twilight's Castle, in Equestria Present, came into view.

The minute I could see around the room, all the ponies, and where they were... I realized that we... ...that I had probably been 'gone' a few minutes or less. Well, the Portal had brought us back within minutes of the 'Equestria Present' time we had left.

Ponies quickly untangled, and both Shynas ran straight for their correct Fluttershys, and were soon hugging and crying. I decided the Shyna's extensive Soul-Link time had taken care of that.

Of course, both Fluttershys, and everypony else were simply ecstatic that both Shynas were here... and together...

But this was very hard... Sooner or later, I would have to say something... I knew my words would shatter everything, and I knew...

I didn't... I couldn't...

I let them savor a little joy before...

A few minutes later, Cel and Lu (well Princess Celestia and Princess Luna) walked quickly into the Library, looking very concerned... Their first view seemed to confirm their fears...

"Where's mom?" Cel asked pointedly.

It was immediately dead quiet in the Library...

Cel and Lu were already starting to cry... Both Shynas, both Fluttershys and Equestria Girls Summer quickly followed...

I sighed, sat down, looked down and spoke slowly...

"Equestria pony Shyna was the bait for a trap for Summer... Still, she gave her life to rescue Shyna. Even if I would have been successful in stopping her, she would have never been able to live another day with herself if Equestria pony Shyna had died in her place... She was a true friend to the end."

I kept looking down after I said this. I knew I couldn't make it sound any less tragic than it was.

A lot of tears came immediately...

We all cried together the rest of the day...

Equestria Girls Summer was soon wailing with pain... Losing a Twin is probably the worst of all... After an hour, she went through the Portal alone, and was probably in her Stallion's arms, where she belonged right now. I knew nothing else would help her.

I spent a lot of time with Cel and Lu. Our family was broken again...

We all cried together the rest of the day...

At around dinner time, I asked for everyponies' attention, and just mentioned softly that both Shynas had probably suffered enough, and really needed some stability and love at this point. Getting the two Shynas together and here was the whole goal after all, and at least that was able to happen.

We had time to mourn Summer's passing, but the Shynas needs were important too.

I hoped I sounded convincing. I would not have convinced myself...

Princess Twilight said this would be tough for everypony, but that I was probably right. Life needed to go on for all of us. We just needed to 'be there' for each other when we were hurting.

We all ate a quiet dinner together, then the rest of the Equestria Girls headed back to their world.

This took way too long, though. It took maybe a minute after each pony went, before the Portal would allow the next Pony through.

Maybe the Portal was broken like our lives...

---

Princess and her girls spent the night together in the Library. I would be surprised if it wasn't a tough night for them...

Cel, Lu and I again slept in Filia and Fiona's room together.

Well, my girls spent most of the night crying as I hugged them. Again, I cried with them, mostly because they were hurting so deeply. And I think this was hurting Lu the most, and I understood why.

In the morning, Cel, Lu and I walked past still crying ponies in the Library, and out to a waiting Air Coach. Cel and Lu had to go.

Still, we hugged and cried together for a long time, then they left, still crying...

---

After that Air Coach was out of sight...

It was around noon...

I was standing there by myself... staring across the meadow... wondering...

...

So many needs...

I felt like I was drowning in an ocean of pain...

...

I didn't ask for this... A mean bully in the Past had caused all this senseless suffering...

...

And I felt like I had no resources to even begin to address the pain around me now...

...

And I had already shoved all my pain under the rug, just so I could try and help the ponies around me who needed me...

...

But this...

Standing there alone that morning...

I realized all that pain that I had shoved away... denying what my eyes had seen...

It was growing quickly...

...

Overall, I didn't think this would end well...

...

And I didn't think that Summer's death was the 'looming cloud'...

But when that cloud actually came... Equestria's leadership was so seriously hurting right now... The brave ponies that were to 'stand in the gap' for Equestria... The coming days would be harsh for them...

It was probably good that we... ...that I hadn't seen any material for Volume Five of Princess Celestia's comentaries. I was in no shape to even deal with that right now...

But Friendship still needed to be Magic... It was our only hope...

---

I could have gone back into the Library, and cried with amazing friends some more. But I decided I would probably be doing that for a while, anyway...

And I had been up way too long... ...and had seen nightmare after nightmare...

I went home...

I could not bare to look at the new rug in our... in that room, not any more... I changed into a people, and flipped it over. The darkish Blue backing was almost as soft.

I was surrounded by other ponies' searing pain, and only avoided mine by trying to hold back an avalanche...

Everything felt so pointless now...

I had nothing left. Dark Melvain had seen to that...

I was exhausted...

I fell asleep...