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

by shysage

Ch.33, Dark Melvain

After the three of us had hugged tightly and cried for a few minutes, Summer sighed, then pulled herself away, from Fluttershy especially, which was hard.

We all knew Cel (Princess Celestia) was in grave danger... We hoped, at least, that she would still be alive when we arrived...

"Sis, I love you deeply, and I know you are hurting alot... But we've gotta' go rescue Cel" Summer said quietly.

"I know..." Fluttershy answered. She calmed down pretty quickly. Fluttershy loved Cel a lot now, too...

I didn't say anything, but we needed to decide what to 'do' with Fluttershy.

Summer sighed.

"Sis, it's a six hour flight to the Bastion..." Summer said quietly.

"Summer, please, don't leav..." Fluttershy got this much out, and couldn't continue, and was clearly on the verge of tears...

"Summer, she's family too. We will make it work" I said quietly.

Summer took a deep breath. "I love my family..."

...

Well, this was a 'family matter' now, and we all knew it. Dark Melvain had repeatedly attacked our family. As a family we would respond.

...

Summer and I both changed back into 'people'.

"Do you remember the way?" I asked.

"Yes" she said quietly.

"Well, let's go then. I think we should arrive at dusk unless we get lost." I said quietly.

I thought a minute, then added "I suggest you wind up your Cutie Mark, though, to keep the guards away."

Still, this part was just scary, and we really needed to verify this now... If a Blue coat and no Cutie Mark meant she was no longer the Phantom Alicorn, we were done... Cel would die, and Equestria...

As we walked into the Audience Hall, Summer spun up her Cutie Mark easily... It was probably visible now, but her jogging shorts covered most of it up. I tried not to look. Well, maybe...

Everypony else in the Audience Hall just froze where they were, and stared...

Once through the big doors, Summer flared her wings immediately.

I was pretty sure we looked strange, though... Especially my Mare as a 'people' in jogging clothes. But I realized that the wings and horn would make a bigger impression...

As I guessed, we encountered a few guards as we went outside the Audience Hall, but when they heard the rumble, and saw the wings and Alicorn horn, they backed quickly away, and they stared with everypony else.

We were quickly off, and we led Fluttershy down to the river near our 'house in a tree'.

---

Summer and I both agreed we would probably freeze if we stayed 'people' for the whole trip, especially Summer in her shorts. Besides, this would make it more difficult for Fluttershy to keep up with us. So, we both changed back into ponies.

As soon as Summer changed back into a pony, I started crying some. Her coat was light Tan, and her mane and tail were faded Gold again...

Summer mentioned softly "Stallion, I can change back into either one now..."

We were soon flying along, quite high, as ponies, following the river, watching for the 'dark ridge' off to the left.

At one point, I thanked Summer for kicking me into the wall.

Summer replied softly "Well, I am Shysage's Mare..."

A little later, I asked Summer if she remembered Cel 'pronouncing' us Stallion and Mare.

Summer smiled wide, and said softly "Yes... I will never forget that..."

"Summer, I love you..." I said softly.

"Shysage, I love you too..." she said back.

It was quiet for a minute...

"Sis, I'm glad you came too, I love you a lot" Summer said softly.

This was hard for Fluttershy... After a brief delay, Fluttershy said quietly "I needed my sis..." It was clear she couldn't finish.

---

Less than an hour later, we could easily see the 'dark ridge' off in the distance.

After that, we flew the next hour or two saying very little.

And Fluttershy seemed to be doing ok with our pace.

Of course, we were all totally elated to have each other 'back', but rescuing Cel was the pressing and overwhelming concern. This came ahead of everything else. And we still didn't know what we would find...

But I could tell my Mare was thinking some things through.

At maybe the half way point, we landed for a short breather, and Summer actually explained.

"Stallion, from what Cel said, Dark Melvain has killed a lot of ponies.

"Equestria has rules, laws and procedures in place to address things like that for it's citizens. Even if Dark Melvain has killed many ponies, the same rules and procedures need to be followed.

"But Dark Melvain kidnapped Shyna, shattered her already broken life, and didn't hesitate to use her as 'bait' to kill me, even though she could easily have died with me.

"The minute that Dark Melvain pulled an innocent victim into his vicious plot, he forfeited completely any rights he may have enjoyed as a citizen of Equestria.

"He marked himself out as a cancer that needs to be eradicated.

"I guess I'm warning you. If I get the chance, I will kill him, and anypony else who helps him."

I thought for a minute, then said quietly "I love my Mare..."

Summer understood I was agreeing with her. I think she expected that, and I really didn't need to explain any further.

We were soon back in the air, and on our way.

---

The Moon was pretty bright, and this helped when it got dark.

And Fluttershy really was doing amazingly well. Summer's efforts to help deepen Fluttershy's flying stamina were paying off.

After what seemed like way too long, we were finally heading towards the entrance to Dark Melvain's Bastion.

As soon as we saw it from high above, while flying, Summer changed to a 'people', and spun up her Cutie Mark. She was ready.

I said calmly "Summer, Justice, not Revenge..."

"Ok..." she answered.

"And Summer, remember your chest tendons are damaged, so try not to drop too fast" I cautioned.

"I owe you a kiss for that, Stallion, thanks." she replied quietly.

Even from a distance, we could still see, brightly blazing through the night, the competing magical beams... The bright White one was surely from Princess Celestia, and the darkest Purple one was from Dark Melvain.

Even before we got close...

"COME ON PRINCESS, YOU'RE NOT EVEN TRYING!!!"

Hideous laughter...

"ONE OF MY APPRENTICE UNICORNS CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!!!"

More hideous laughter...

"LEADER OF EQUESTRIA? HA! YOUR MAGIC IS USELESS PRINCESS!!!"

More hideous laughter...

We were flying high, so we could ignore the main gate...

"SURELY THE LEADER OF EQUESTRIA CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS..."

More hideous laughter...

...

Dark Melvain was taunting Princess Celestia...

He was playing 'Cat and Mouse' with a fight he was confident he could win... Again...

It probably had been hours... At least Cel was still alive...

...

I pointed out eight more Unicorn stallions, four on each side of Dark Melvain, but standing back some. They were doing nothing, well for now. Still, they were not even half the size of Dark Melvain...

...

"MAYBE YOUR SISTER COULD EVEN DO BETTER THAN THIS!!!"

More hideous laughter...

...

Summer had heard enough. I was pretty sure this last comment struck a 'family nerve'...

Summer came down from directly overhead, and, maybe 50 feet above the floor of the courtyard, she waved her right hand and slapped all nine Unicorns brutally into the Obsidian floor, then motioned with her left hand to just as quickly cover them all with electricity, which stunned them. Well, it probably hurt a lot too.

Dark Melvain's beam disappeared, and Cel fell to the ground right away, exhausted. Fluttershy and I landed next to Cel, and we both hugged her.

Summer quickly landed too, half way between Cel and Dark Melvain. Flipping her right hand quickly up, Summer slapped Dark Melvain again, very hard...

Dark Melvain tumbled backwards madly, hit his head hard on the 200 ton cube of Obsidian that was to be Summer's grave, and the force of the impact knocked Dark Melvain out cold.

Summer formed her right hand into a fist, and motioned it down hard on the four Unicorns on the left, crushing them to the floor of the courtyard. She coated them all with fire with her left hand, and they didn't move. Their bodies were burning brightly. She did the same thing to the four Unicorns on the right.

Summer raised her fist to kill Dark Melvain next.

...

"Mom, wait..." Cel said weakly.

Without even turning around, Summer said "Yes, Cel..."

Cel said "Mom, wait. I want to ask him why he's doing this..."

"The use of force as a last resort" I thought, then I just sighed...

Summer just stood there as the Princess of Equestria had asked.

Still, her right fist was ready, as was her left arm.

Five minutes later, Dark Melvain moved, and did a poor job of trying to stand up...

"Dark Melvain, why are you doing this?" Cel (Princess Celestia) asked sternly.

"I... I'M STILL ALIVE? FOOLS! YOU ARE ALL WEAK!!!"

Dark Melvain bellowed this much, then disappeared.

Summer immediately brough her fist down hard, punching the courtyard a foot into the ground.

Then she coated the entire surroundings with fire...

...

...

...

Dark Melvain was gone...

---

It was quiet for a minute maybe, as we all listened for... anything...

Then Summer and I sighed at the same time...

Well, we all knew we would need to face him again some day...

...

"Please stand back, I'm razing this place..." Summer said quietly.

"Summer, Obsidian shards will rip your eyes up, so be careful" I warned.

Summer thought a minute, then decided to do this from up in the air, and that worked better anyway.

I helped Cel up, and Cel, Fluttershy and I backed away towards the gate, and watched. Cel and Fluttershy were quickly hugging tightly and weeping softly together.

Summer first knocked the center of the three side and back walls inward, into the courtyard, up against the huge cube of Obsidian.

Then she broke apart the four towers until they too fell inward.

Maybe two hours later, all that was left was a mountain of Obsidian fragments piled against the huge cube of Obsidian in the center.

We all walked together to the main gate, and we stood back as Summer knocked the wall flat for it's entire 250 foot length. That included the huge gate complex in the center.

Summer's arm was sore, but she was high enough that none of the Obsidian dust got close to her.

Cel was feeling a lot better. The four of us flew slowly off, and headed back to Canterlot.

We had not been in the air long when Summer said quietly "Cel, I hope he never comes back. But if he does, please let me know."

Cel just sighed. "I will, mom, believe me..."

---

Again... Equestria didn't know how close they had come...

And Again... Equestria would live to see another day...

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