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

by shysage

Ch.50, (Portal Beacon) Where's My Stallion?

Flying with Princess Twilight and such amazing friends... It was so nice, and we could almost call the day warm. Even in the air, the Sun felt amazing on our backs.

After were decided we were done flying, we all landed at the Castle, and quickly group-hugged with Filia, Fiona, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack in the grass out front. The warm Sun still felt amazing, but all us girls being together like this felt so good. I think we needed this.

Somepony started saying what we often say, then Princess said her part. Then we all hugged tightly, and cried softly for a few minutes.

I knew I couldn't stay long. I had left my hurting Stallion in the meadow to the East of our home, and I had been gone quite a while already. I just told the girls I needed to get back to my Stallion.

Fluttershy had already told everypony else what had happened yesterday, because Cel and Lu had told her. Everypony understood when I told them I really needed to go check up on him.

I left them talking together there in the grass, in the warm Sun in front of the Castle.

I didn't bother walking, but immediately took to the air, and flew straight to the meadow, to the little hill where I left him.

Well, he wasn't there. I didn't think it was that long since I saw him on that little hill, but he wasn't there now.

I didn't even bother landing, and actually circled the meadow once, just to make sure he hadn't simply moved.

Then I flew straight to our home, landed, and walked inside.

He wasn't there either.

I was quickly back into the air, and did a quick circle over Ponyville, and didn't see him. This was very strange. If he would be walking anywhere, he would have to move very slow. I knew he was in a lot of pain.

...

I began to cry at that point, but then flew straight back to the Castle... To my friends...

I landed in the grass near them, crying, and they quickly gathered around me and hugged me.

All I could get out was "I can't find Shysage..."

Applejack said immediately "Wow, he couldn't have gone far, and Ponyville isn't very big; let's spread out and look for him."

Well I couldn't think anyway...

This was about to become the plan.

Princess Twilight said quietly "Girls, wait a minute..."

For a minute or two, Princess Twilight stared down as if deep in thought. Through the 'Bond of Knowing', she was probably reaching out to Equestria, I don't know... Then she looked up and spoke...

"Pinkie Pie, where is Shysage?"

Pinkie stared off into the distance for a minute maybe, then said quietly "He is in the Past..."

I burst into tears at that point...

"No, that's all wrong... Shysage is really hurting, he needs me..." I said this a few times as I cried...

My amazing friends managed to get me into the Castle, into the Library. I was crying pretty hard... My friends cried with me. I love them all...

We cried together for quite a while.

...

Shysage needed me...

I pulled away from everypony, and turned into a people.

Still wiping tears away, I said quietly "I'm going to go find Shysage... Even if it's the last thing I do... He needs me..."

It was quiet for a minute, then Pinkie said quietly "Summer, wait for the Beacon..."

I thought a minute, then turned back into a Pony. "Well, I'll wait to see if it comes on tonight. Either way, I'm going..."

We just cried together some more.

---

It was dinner time anyway, and Princess insisted that we all eat together. It would have been very nice under other circumstances...

Taking even one step hurt Shysage a lot... He needed me... I couldn't get that thought out of my head...

I cried a lot during dinner, and I think Princess and her girls cried with me. After all this group had been through in the last month... Then this...

Still, on the way back into the Library, I thanked Princess Twilight for dinner, then promptly collapsed into tears on my Princess' shoulder...

We all cried together for a little while more, right there in the hall.

We were soon crowded closely together on our bellies on that thick carpet in front of the Portal.

Maybe an hour later, Cel and Lu (well Princess Celestia and Princess Luna) walked quickly into the Library, clearly very concerned. They joined us on that carpet, and we all cried together some more...

Princess Twilight mentioned that she had let Cel and Lu know before dinner. Princess didn't bother asking me, Cel and Lu needed to know. My brain was mush anyway. I wanted to take care of Shysage...

Well, this clearly was a family matter. I think we just have a big family.

Waiting and hurting... It was hard...

We had to wait until midnight to see if the Portal Beacon would come on. That was a long wait, five or six hours. I just wept softly as Cel and Lu hugged me and nine other amazing friends stayed close and wept with us. Honestly, I needed them all. Maybe we all needed each other...

At one point, Fluttershy quietly reminded me what Cel had said in the Past when we left last. Sis didn't need to say anything else; I remembered Cel in the Past pleading that we bring Fluttershy next time we came. I really didn't have a choice. Fluttershy was family too. It would work out.

But time moved agonizingly slow. And all I could think about was how much Shysage was hurting today. That alone hurt me a lot...

The day we killed Dark Melvain here in the Present, Shysage explained he came and stood next to me because he didn't want to try to go through life without me ever again. I was beginning to feel that way too.

I know that my primary task was to help Equestria. I was the Phantom Alicorn. That was my life. But to try and do that without Shysage...

I just cried...

---

I'm guessing that around midnight, the Portal Beacon sprang to life. Most gasped, especially Cel and Lu. They had never seen it in action, at this end, I don't think.

I got up and walked quickly into the center of the orbs, just to listen to the message. It was the same as always, Princess Celestia saying "Shila, I need you..." The picture on the orbs was the same too, Cel's hoof at the edge of the Portal.

Cel just cried when she finally, actually remembered doing that.

We waited the ten minutes or so until the Beacon was gone.

...

It was time to go...

Well, Princess Twilight and her girls were hugging Fluttershy tightly, along with Filia, Fiona, and especially Shyna. They just cried together. And I remember Princess Twilight telling me that letting Fluttershy go last time was excruciating for her.

At the same time, I cried, hugging our girls, Cel and Lu...

After a little while, Fluttershy and Shyna came over to Cel and Lu, and I took Fluttershy's place hugging and crying with Princess Twilight and her girls...

This was just hard for everypony...

...

Still, I felt some urgency, and said "Fluttershy, we need to go..." I was going to add something about Shysage, but realized I would start crying again.

I changed into a people, then reached down and held one of Fluttershy's front hooves. She changed into a people right away, and I helped her up. We just kept holding hands. I love my sister...

Pinkie Pie walked slowly up to the two of us, and said quietly "Shysage is hurting a lot right now, but everything will work out."

I almost burst into tears again, I really wanted that. And I almost threw my arms around Pinkie's neck to hug her, but she would turn into a people if I did that... I just said quietly "Pinkie, remind me to hug you when we get back."

I led Sis over to the Portal, then I grabbed the rim.

"I don't think we will be gone long..." I said quietly, not really knowing why.

I squeezed the rim of the Portal.

There was a bright flash, and we were gone...

---

---