//------------------------------// // Chapter 10, Coming Clean // Story: The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 2 -- Homecoming // by shysage //------------------------------// After maybe an hour, it seemed like all the Twins had come out of their Soul-Link at about the same time. Shysage walked up to the group and sat down. "Ladies please form up in a circle, sitting next to your Twins" Shysage asked quietly. This was soon done. They were in pony form, but were sitting in a tight circle. Shysage turned around facing away from them and walked a few steps further away then sat down. "Summer please come sit next to me" he said simply. Summer was quickly at his side, she just wasn't sure what he was doing yet. "Ladies, I think there may be some old, very serious wounds in this circle. If they are not dealt with, I fear we may have to do this all again in the future." Shysage said this quietly. He said nothing more. Summer knew now. Before long Rainbow Dash was weeping on Pinkie Pie's shoulder saying over and over again "I'm so sorry Pinkie..." Pinkie was weeping quietly too. "Wait..." Summer thought to herself. "Both Rainbows were crying... ..and both Pinkies were weeping... ...that could only mean... ..the same thing happened in both worlds..." Summer was stunned... After about 15 minutes, both Pinkies, at the same time, gently eased the Rainbows away a little, looked into their eyes, and said simply "I forgive you Rainbow, and I love you very much." It was quiet for a minute. Then both Rarity's were crying on Applejack's neck, wailing loudly "I'm so sorry Applejack..." The Applejack Twins were crying now too. They cried for a while. Then, as before, both Applejacks looked into both Rarity's eyes, and said simply and quietly "Rarity, I forgive you... and I love you very much." After a brief pause, Rarity quickly said again "Fluttershy, of all ponies... I'm so sorry... Both Rarity's wailed on both Fluttershy's shoulders... Both Fluttershys were crying too... Summer simply could not handle this, and fell to the gound weeping herself. Shysage just lay down on his belly next to her, and she buried her head between his front legs and wept... Both Rarity's cried for a while... A lot of damage had been done... "I forgive you Rarity, and I love you very much." both Fluttershy's said after a while. It was quiet for a few minutes. Shysage just waited. Princess Twilight, well both Twilights burst into tears... "Fluttershy, I'm so sorry..." The Fluttershys were weeping again too, maybe louder... Summer was weeping uncontrollably... Her Princess... Summer came back after maybe four days, to find that her Princess and another dear friend had wounded her sister. Maybe it was what Shysage thought, maybe it was something else. It didn't matter. Something happened... Summer was beside herself... Summer knew she was no saint. She had done her share of messing around with stallions. And she probably would have done more with Shysage if he wasn't so careful. That wasn't the issue. Her sister had been deeply hurt, by two ponies Summer trusted. That hurt... ...deeply... After a while, and as best as they could, the Fluttershy Twins said, still crying, to the Twilights, together, "I forgive you, and I love you a lot." Summer was almost hysterical... Everypony was weeping now too... Summer's sister and her Twin lay down next to Summer and cried with her. Applejacks and Pinkies quickly joined them, and the rest after. They cried with Summer for a while. Summer's crying was unchanged... Princess Twilight got up and returned where the circle was, and Twilight Sparkle joined her. "Girls please come back, and stand next to your Twin" Princess said simply. "Please leave a gap in the circle for Summer" she said next. Princess Twilight then said simply this. "Summer even though this was over thirty years ago, it doesn't matter. I think these wounds and the actions that caused them have been haunting us all for years." Princess Twilight started to cry... "Summer have failed you... "We have failed each other... "We have failed Equestria... "Such a steep price... We are so sorry... ... Princess just cried for a little while here. ... Talking was difficult for Princess Twilight at this point, but she tried to continue. "Summer, please... ...give us a second chance... "Please forgive us... "Please join us here in this circle..." ... Shysage helped Summer up and she was soon sitting in the circle, between both Fluttershys, still crying... Summer's sister quickly put her foreleg around Summer's neck, and hugged her tight. Summer knew she needed to put her leg around Equestria Girls Fluttershy's neck, to complete the circle... She just couldn't bring herself to do it... Princess Twilight was crying... "Summer, please..." Princess said this a few times while crying... After maybe a minute, her sister said softly to Summer "Please, Sis..." And at this, she did. The rest of the Twins were trying to initiate the Soul-Link with this entire group, and Summer resisted at first. Summer finally relaxed, and they all fell together into each other's loving presence... And Summer found... ...devotion... Everypony else in the circle reached rapidly into Summer's shattered soul and brought healing as best they could. Then they did the same for Fluttershys, Applejacks and Pinkies... From the outside, Summer doubted she could ever trust any of these ponies, ever again... From the inside, Summer quickly saw that there was just no possibility left... ...for harm, anger, back-stabbing, hurting... That was all gone... ...they were different now... Just devotion was left... Devotion to each other, and devotion to their Princess, just like Summer had... Summer just cried... For over an hour, twelve loving souls just held Summer as she cried. In the calm peace of the Soul-Link, they all held each other really, and cried together... Summer deeply loved them all, and they loved her back... Summer then broke the link, and, still sobbing said "Girls, I love you all so much..." They all just gathered around Summer and cried with her, with each other for a while. Summer then pulled herself away, and said softly "Princess Twilight..." and walked up to face her. Not even waiting for an answer; Princess Twilight didn't know what to say; Summer bowed to her knees before her Princess. Without moving, and still crying, Summer said quietly and softly "I forgive you Princess, and I will still love you and serve you until I die..." Before long, all the other ponies, and Shysage had joined her, bowing and softly weeping before Princess... Their precious Princess... Princess Twilight just cried... Summer jumped up and hugged her tightly, still crying... They all wept together for a while more... Then Princess Twilight said softly "Precious girls, I never thought I would even see any of you again... ...Can we please start over?" And they all cried together some more...