//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2, Amazing Journey 
// Story: The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 3 -- Follow the Equestrium 
// by shysage 
//------------------------------//

Early the next day, they all woke up at about the same time.   The Sun was just beginning to peek up over the mountains off to the East.

There was a level area next to where they had slept.  Even before they climbed down from their 'nest', Summer Rain got up and asked Shysage to come sit facing her.

Summer quickly put one of her legs around Shysage's neck, and he did the same.  Starting to cry, she said softly "Shysage, I joyfully accept your 'not proposed' proposal from last night.  I love you so very much..."

Shysage was quickly crying himself, and he said softly through his tears "Summer Rain, I never thought I would ever love a mare as much as I love you..."

They just hugged and cried together for a few minutes.

Then, almost at the same time, they each reached out and pulled one of 'their girls' close, and included them in their hug.

"Girls, we love you both very much" Summer said, then had to stop there.  It was surely true.

Both girls were soon crying too...  Nopony thought they were sad either.





After hugging a few minutes together, they climbed down from their nest, and then ate and drank some, before heading off to the East.

Walking was a lot slower with two foals...

...until everypony realized the foals could ride on Shysage's and Summer's backs.

The foals were soon contentedly sitting still on someponies' back while Shysage and Summer carried them.

Summer's and Shysage's backs were sore at the end of the first day, but they quickly adjusted to the load.  Besides, traveling was a lot faster carrying them.

The rocks soon gave way to a gently rolling meadow, that seemed to stretch on forever.  They just kept walking East.

It was getting dryer too, and they had to search a little for water now, but still managed to find some.

Summer thought it looked like the area west of Dodge City, but didn't know for sure.  Then she asked "Shysage, do you have any idea where we are?

Shysage thought a minute then said "I think we are in Equestria, but I also think we are substantially backwards in time.  I really don't know much more.  We will probably know more once we get to the 'Equestrium', whatever that is.

Summer thought for a minute, then said "Why did they call me 'Shila', that's not my name..."

Shysage just sighed.  "I don't know Summer.  I only know that 'Shila the Beautiful' was the name of the last Phantom Alicorn known to exist in Equestria...  ...and you are a Phantom Alicorn...  ..and you are very, very beautiful..."

Summer was not going to let this go un-rewarded.  "Aw, Shysage...  Can you come here a minute?"

He did.

They just rubbed noses a minute or two.  Nothing else was said, and they resumed their journey.

Summer and Shysage just talked together, as they walked together.  All they had to do was walking, and they really enjoyed every minute together.

Still, it must have looked strange.  Two ponies who looked very similar, walking side by side, each with a foal resting calmly on their back.

It would still be days before they saw any other ponies though.

When it got dark, they stopped again for the night next to a big tree.  It wasn't especially protected, but they didn't have many other options.

Summer and Shysage slept on the outside with 'their girls' in between them.  Aside from being away from each other, they all slept fine.





The next day, they ate some, and found some water.

Getting ready to walk, Sue asked "Can I sit on daddy's back?  I like him."

Lee was already leaning up against Summer's leg.

While both of these girls got along well with both Summer and Shysage, this preference would last a while.

They were soon walking along heading to the landmark to the East that Shysage had picked out using the Equestrium last night.

This day turned amazing, very fast.

At about mid-morning, Sue asked timidly "Whats that?"

Shysage looked, then said "You mean that small furry thing sitting on that log?"

Sue said "Ya..."

"Thats a ground-squirrel. they live here.  They generally collect seeds and nuts and things to help them get through the winter" Shysage said.  He suspected that this was more than Sue wanted.

A little while later, Sue asked again "What's that?"  She actually pointed down this time with her leg.

"Oh wait, that's a Snake -- Summer careful." Shysage said a little alarmed.

They stopped and waited for the Snake to finish crossing in front of them.  Shysage kicked a rock at it to hurry it along, and they heard it rattle.  Giving it plenty of distance, they went around it.

All of this amazed Sue.  She actually moved around on Shysage's back so she could put her head next to Shysage's head, so she could see ahead of them.

Sue asked some more questions.  Then she asked Shysage "Is it ok if I ask questions?"

Shysage said quietly "As long as you aren't interrupting anypony else talking, you can talk whenever you want.  We don't mind."

Sue said "I like you, daddy."

Shysage moved his head over against Sue's head, and rubbed his head up and down a little.  "That was a hug Sue" Shysage said.

Sue just hugged him back the same way.

Lee said little that day, but kept her front legs around Summer's neck, and her head up against Summer's neck the whole time.  She said once, carefully, "I love you mommy", and, choking back tears, Summer said "I love you too, Lee."

The whole day was just special like that.  Everypony was bonding.

When they finally stopped for the night, they found a nice but small cave.  They ate and drank, and were quickly snug inside.

Shysage and Summer lay on their bellies next to each other.  Sue was next to Shysage and Lee was next to Summer.  They usually slept like that now when they could.

Summer and Shyage rubbed noses a few minutes, then sighed together, and put their heads side-by-side.

After they thought the girls were asleep, Summer started crying softly.  "Shysage I miss my sister and everypony else, but I don't ever want to leave these girls.  They need us, but I really want them...  ...and they are not even ours..."  Summer just stopped here and cried.

Shysage was crying too.  "I agree with you Summer..." was all he could say.  A little while later, Shysage added "If we find a Portal, they're comin' with us..."

Both of these girls were 'supposed' to be asleep, but said at the same time "Thank you mommy and daddy..."





They set out the next day for the landmark Shysage had noted the night before using the 'Equestrium'.  

Shysage fielded a lot more of Sue's questions, and enjoyed every minute.

Lee didn't say much, but she didn't need to.  Summer just knew.

Around the middle of the day, they began to see more trees, and it began to look like the area around Ponyville.  They thought they might have walked through the site the town would occupy, but nothing was there.  But they just didn't know for sure.

Off in the distance, they also thought they saw what might just be the large stepped mountain where Canterlot was built, but they were still not close enough to tell.

At dusk, they found another nice cave, and then ate some Oats and drank from a nearby brook.

There were a lot more Oats here, and Shysage felt they were close to where they were supposed to go.

As the Sun set, and the bright canopy of stars twinkled over them, they both realized that the 'Equestrium', that perfect triangle of bright stars, was gone.  They never saw it again.





The next morning, they ate some more Oats and drank from the brook, then were soon on their way, heading for the stepped mountain off in the distance.

As the day progressed, they began to see and pass more ponies.  Shysage and Summer would say either "hi" or "hello", but would always draw mostly blank stares.

Shysage thought a minute.  Shysage remembered that the early pony form of "Hi" worked out to "Hoy" like 'toy'.  They tried that once, and got a broad smile and 'Hoy' back.

After walking further for a minute or two, Shysage said "Wow..." then explained to Summer that this would place them very early in Equestrian history.

From his research in the Canterlot library, he found that at some specific point, the language of Equestria changed from this early, barely understandable form, to the form spoken today -- well today for Summer and Shysage.  Shysage never found out what caused this, or exactly when it took place.

Summer sincerely thanked her Stallion for all his careful research into Equestria's history.  It was paying off.

They were soon close enough to see that the 'stepped mountain' where Canterlot would be built, was empty.  There was no city there yet.

Near the end of the day, they found a large, walled 'city' of sorts, down below the stepped mountain.  Many ponies went in and many ponies went out, through a large gate.

Shysage decided they were close enough.

Right where they stopped, there was a very large pine tree maybe 300 feet down a slight hill from the main road they were on.  Well Shysage knew it was a Sequoia, but that would mean nothing to his Mare.

Shysage led Summer over to the base of the tree.  The inside of the tree had been burned out, and was empty.  This was not uncommon for Sequoias.

A small gap, easily large enough for a pony, formed a nice doorway.  It actually faced North, towards a small river not more than another 400 feet further away from the road.  It looked like there was plenty of grass to eat too.

Shysage looked inside the tree, and it looked like nopony had even been in there.  Shysage quickly shuffled some old pine needles inside, and spread them along the floor to cover the dirt.  It was very comfortable.

This was their new home.  They would live here a while.