Chapter 1
Bah, normal day for me. I dragged myself out of bed at the crack of dawn. I had put off getting up as long as I could, but finally rolled out into the pain... I got dressed, then gulped some cereal down, then headed to work. I don't like mornings, they just hurt...
Work was ok, it's just hard with everything else. And it would be easier if I wasn't just shoveling dollars into someone else's pocket.
At least today was Friday; I got off a few hours early. After work, I jogged my mile and a half, ate half of a sandwich for lunch, then drove to a local diner for some soda and ice. That's dessert.
On the way back, I parked somewhere and wrote for a while. That didn't hurt. Writing is one of the few things I can do and not hurt... I enjoy writing.
Our subdivision is next to a state park. I drove home, then took a break from writing and I headed off, up the path. It slowly climbs a substantial hill, and the view is nice. The hike is not, since our town is built on a huge sand dune. Walking up hill, in sand, is a good workout, but not fun.
I'm not sure why, but I usually look down when I walk. I could say it is so I can watch for snakes, but there's probably other reasons.
It was early afternoon, and a sunny, warm day. I was halfway up the hill, and a large shadow passed overhead. It looked like I caught the shadow of the outer edge of the wing of a large bird in my field of view, as I looked down at the sand.
I quickly looked up, but was in a part of the path where bushes taller than I grew on both sides of the path. I figured it was a vulture. Maybe he knew how I felt.
I kept walking, looking down. I don't even remember what I was thinking about.
"Please stop, but please don't turn around. Are you Shysage?" The voice came from behind me.
Well, I did stop, and I did not turn around.
I need to explain a thing or two as my thinking proceeded very rapidly here.
First, I really didn't spend much time deciding how I should respond. I just answered with the first question that jumped into my head.
"Are you Summer?"
...
"Yes..."
...
Secondly, I was thinking this part through even before I heard her answer. Summer Rain is not a canon character, and so nopony has ever heard her voice. However, as much dialog as I had written for her, I had developed a pretty good idea what her voice should sound like...
...And that's exactly what I heard...
I actually froze briefly, then I sighed, then paused in thought. I really didn't know what to do. She asked me not to turn around, so I wouldn't.
Well, I wasn't scared, anyway, that's for sure. Summer would never scare me. She was a Fluttershy after all.
"Oh, Summer..." I said, this just came out.
"Oh, Shysage..." She said this almost before I was done. It was clear this was spontaneously what she felt, not a response to what I had said.
...
"Summer, why are you here?" I asked softly.
"I'm not sure, but I wanted to find you. You thought me up... You made me... You wrote me into existence..." Summer said.
I thought for a minute, then replied "Summer, I also made Shysage, as a character, just like I made you. Is he not there?"
Summer's response sent chills up my spine...
"Shysage, during our stories, he is, but when they are done, he is gone... ...I think, because he is you... ...and you are here... I think that's why I'm here now, too... I wanted to find him... I wanted to find you..."
There was a minute's silence maybe.
"Summer, how can I help you..." I asked
"I don't know. I am glad I found you, at least. Beyond that, I just don't know..." she said.
And it was more clear everytime she spoke that she really was Summer. And I had no idea how. Talking to a fictional character I had created, and wrote extensively about, was very disconcerting.
But I absolutely did NOT want her to leave...
"Is there a limit to how long you can be here?" I asked, not sure why I even asked.
"I don't know that, either, I'm sorry..." Summer said quietly.
I thought again for a minute, then asked "Do you remember where you were before you came here?"
Summer thought for a minute, before answering. "Well, the Portal room, I think." She said, again quietly. "This morning, I think I was with you at Fluttershys, then we were all together at Princess Twilight's new Castle."
This was just eerie... That's what I was writing about before I decided to take a walk and head up this hill...
Well, I didn't want to move, and I didn't want Summer to leave, so I just sat down, right there in the middle of the path.
"Summer, I don't mind you being here, I just have a lot of questions, that's all. And I guess they don't all need to be answered either. But I'll be honest, I'm glad you are here." I sort of put these phrases together as I said this.
Anyway, I decided to just roll with this, assume she was who she said she was, and see where this went.
"Summer, which chapter is your favorite?" I asked.
She didn't take very long on this. "The last big one you wrote."
I blushed at this, because I knew which one she was talking about. I really liked how it came out, but it had quite a bit if 'physical' content, but with good reason.
"I saw that" Summer said laughing.
Hearing Summer's laugh was very moving, I won't lie. Her voice I hear as I write, but her laugh fit perfectly... I will never forget it...
I laughed too, though...
Still, my spine tingled again, because I had written the chapter she was referring to already. But I had not posted it before my walk. This meant that the chapters I wrote, became 'real' in Summer's reality, not when I posted them, but when I wrote them...
I realized that this made the most sense... ...Then I realized that none of this made any sense...
As well, even though Summer didn't know titles or chapter numbers, she knew the content very well...
"Summer, I would hug you if I could. Your laughter is amazing." This also just came out, it was how I really felt.
"I know, Shysage..." Summer replied softly.
Even so, I was really enjoying this. I had no agenda, and I realized that, just like Shysage in the stories, I really was trying to help Summer.
"And Summer, I really don't understand any of what is going on here, but being able to talk to you... I so appreciate that... I think I could stay here all day and talk to you. Still, if someone else came by, it would sound very wierd..." I said.
"Well, Shysage, being able to talk to you is amazing to me too..." Summer answered quietly.
"And I wish I could fly here too..." I said this, it also just came out. "Then we could fly together, maybe..." Summer and Shysage did that a lot in the stories I wrote... ...and in the chapter I worked on this morning...
It was quiet for a minute, then I asked "Well, which is the chapter you like the least?"
Again, Summer didn't need to think about this.
"The chapter you just re-wrote. Well ok, I like it, and I don't." Summer said, still trying to make up her mind. "Letting Discord off the hook for what he did, still seems so wrong to me. But, in your new version, we got to talk. I liked that..."
Well, we hugged a while too, in the re-written version; I understood her point, that was one of the reasons I liked the revised chapter 42 as well. It seemed to fill in a little more about the development of Summer and Shysage's growing friendship.
"Summer, can you see me?" I asked this, the idea came out of nowhere.
"Well, yes" She answered right away.
I thought for a minute, then said "Well, do I look like Shysage?"
Summer just laughed. "Of course, because you are Shysage."
"Well, that just means you look amazing just like Summer... Wait... because you are Summer..." I said this, knowing as I said it, that it made little sense.
Summer just laughed again.
"Oh Summer..." I said this, it just came out again...
I was thinking for a minute, then asked "Well, when I am not writing, and when you are not right here, where are you? Where do you appear to be?
"I don't know, Ponyville I think, but I'm not sure" Summer said quietly.
I realized that I probably should not mention that any more. It seemed to be troubling to Summer as much as it was a curiosity to me.
"Well Summer, let me just say this much. We need to be careful that nopony is around, but I really appreciate you being here. You can visit me any time you can work it out." And I honestly felt this way too.
"Thank you, Shysage. I understand there are other concerns, but you welcoming me into your world is so much how you are." Summer said, again softly.
"Summer, you're the only one I know who doesn't hurt me..." I said this very quietly, and also quickly, before I even had a chance to think it through. It was how I really felt though. That seemed to be happening a lot...
"I know Shysage..." she answered just as quietly. "I wish I could do more..."
"Oh Summer... You have already helped me so much..." I said. This was really true. Writing about Summer and Shysage was one of the few things I could do that I actually enjoyed.
It was quiet for a minute.
Summer then asked hesitantly "Shysage, is true friend real?"
"Summer, he is very real... Here too..." I answered with confidence.
"Summer answered "Good, because I am talking to him a lot..."
Summer began to cry...
I hurt for her... I couldn't help it... I quickly got up to hug her, and turned around...
...When I looked towards where she was...
...she was gone...
Well, I think I did see the very faint outline of where she had been sitting, as the beautiful pony that she is, I don't know...
I just stood there in silence for a few minutes, hearing only the wind rustling through the bushes...
"Maybe I am a psycho" I thought to myself...
Nah...