The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 2 -- Homecoming

by shysage

Chapter 3, First Blush

When Summer walked through the Portal, she was thinking.

Fluttershy wanted her to spend the night again, but Summer thought she would stay at Shysage's house. She wanted to ask her sister about switching off maybe. Summer loved her sister a lot. But time with Shysage helped calm the fires the monsters had started.

Once clear of the Portal, Summer threw herself forward, and landed on her hooves. She started talking before even looking around "Sis, would it be ok..."

Summer quickly looked around... ...her sister was not there....

Summer looked down and saw she was standing in mud...

Summer felt the warmth of the sunlight on her coat, but it was still very cold...

Summer quickly looked up and saw sky... ...and heard birds chirping...

"What has happened..." Summer said out loud... "Fluttershy?"

Summer turned slowly around. The Portal was still there, but the wood trim looked very weather-worn.

Summer walked over to the balcony, and saw that the entire top spire of the Crystal Palace had been sheared off, and lay shattered on the ground across the wide avenue running West...

Those shattered pieces still in the shade of the base of the Crystal Palace glistened white with a thick coating of frost.

"Am I coming back to Equestria again for a rescue?" Summer thought to herself.

Fluttershy wasn't here... Shysage wasn't here... Tears were soon streaming down her face.

Summer felt very cold. She couldn't stay here.

Summer walked out where the door used to be and walked quickly down the hall to the first flight of stairs.

Feeling stupid, she then spread her wings, and took off, and was soon high above the Crystal Empire. She did not see any ponies there. It looked deserted. It looked... ...abandoned...

---

It took maybe 20 minutes to fly to Ponyville. Summer knew the way, she could do this in the dark.

But it was very cold, and the effort of flying just barely compensated for the very cold air rushing past her coat.

When she was almost to Ponyville she thought to herself

"It shouldn't be this cold. This could only happen if..."

Summer gently landed in Town Square at this point, but continued the thought

"...the Weather-works in Cloudsdale wasn't work--"

Summer looked quickly around... Ponyville looked abandoned too... Cakes... Town Hall... Mayor's office... Rarity's Boutique... All the shops and buildings in town... ...some were boarded up, all were weather-worn... ...roof work collapsed on some... ...and looked like they had been this way for years...

"Where am I?" Summer actually said out loud.

---

Summer noticed a lone foal eating grass in front of the Cake's shop. This foal had a coat on, and Summer wished she had one too. Her teeth were chattering.

The foal looked vaguely familiar, but it didn't matter. It was clear all her old friends were gone.

At this, Summer began to cry... Her home... her world... gone...

A voice very near called out "Camille, come here please", and a mare walked up to Summer.

"You must be very cold. Please come with me and let's get you warmed up" the mare said kindly.

Summer was very cold, she followed the mare.

"My name is Summer Dawn, and we don't get many visitors, especially when it's cold." The mare stopped here, then sighed. "We don't get many visitors at all any more actually..."

"Where is everypony?" Summer asked without thinking. She meant her friends. Then she realized they were probably long gone. Summer was crying again.

"Eschate Zumulus eats a lot of us... Even so, Ponyville... Equestria... we are in pretty bad shape..."

They were quickly to Dawn's Shop. The wording out front had been changed to "Dawn's Helping Hands", probably years ago, it was very faded...

She briefly looked at Shysage's house. It had collapsed in on itself... Summer was crying again...

Still, she followed the mare and her colt. They led Summer through where the showroom had been, into the back room. The room 'Corn' stayed in had been replaced with a large fireplace, and a nice fire warmed the back room significantly.

Summer Dawn said quickly "Let me get you a coat, you must be freezing. I have an old one that was my grandmother's, but you need it now.

She brought it to Summer, and helped her get it on. It was very warm.

A small piece of paper fell out of the coat, and landed on the floor. The writing on the paper said

Dawn Flower
Floral Arrangements
Ponyville

Summer looked at the paper, then fell to the floor crying...

Summer Dawn looked at the paper, then looked at Summer.

"You... You knew my Grandmother?" she asked.

Through her tears Summer said "She was my friend..."

For the first time, Summer Dawn carefully looked at Summer, then thought for a minute.

"No, it can't be..." Summer Dawn said... "Wh... Who are you?" she asked slowly.

Still crying, and without even looking up, Summer said her name softly "Summer Rain..."

Summer Dawn fell to the ground crying herself...

"You... You are an angel... If you only knew the impact you had on our entire family... for generations... True friendship was simply our way... ..and as Equestria wasted away before our eyes, that is how we lived... ...we helped anyone we could... ...I was even named after you..."

They both cried together for a few minutes, then Summer Dawn stopped crying abruptly, and put her head up, and said slowly

"Summer, my Grandmother said you were a 'Phantom Alicorn', and that your magical power was immense. Was that true?

Summer Rain stopped crying for a minute then said softly, but defiantly.

"If Eschate Zumulus is the one who has done this to my country... He will feel my wrath."

They both stood up together. Then Summer Dawn backed up a little, bowed deeply, then said simply "Princess Summer Rain, Phantom Alicorn from the past, how can I help you..."

Summer drew her up and gave her a big hug.

"Summer Dawn, can I just call you Dawn? You do remind me a lot of my friend. She would be so proud of you. True friendship meant a lot to her." Summer Rain said.

"Of course Princess" Dawn replied with a slight bow.

"And Dawn, as far as I know, I have not been made a Princess yet, but thank you." Summer said calmly.

"Well my grandmother said that happened soon after you left. I think Princess Celestia felt bad--

"Wait do you know where any of the rest of Equestria's leaders are? Summer asked quickly.

"Well Princess Twilight was banished. I don't know anything about the rest though. Eschate Zumulus took over anyway, so he is the leader I guess." Dawn said. Summer could sense her disappointment.

"A leader who eats his subjects. I hope I meet him...." Summer said with disgust.

"Wait Dawn, do you know anything about Princess Twilight's five friends? Summer asked again.

"I'm afraid I cant help you there..." Dawn said simply.

Summer called Camille over, then gave her a big hug. "You were probably named after your grandmother, and she was amazing. You are amazing too."

Summer next hugged Dawn, and cried on her shoulder a minute. "Dawn would be so proud of her Grand-daughter..."

Then Summer said softly "Well I need to find more out about what is going on here. Thank you Dawn for everything. I may be back later."

"Princess" Dawn said softly "You are welcome here any time you want."

There was a brief pause.

"And Princess" Dawn said slowly "Please rescue Equestria before it's too late..."

Summer thought for a minute, then said "I plan on that Dawn."