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

by shysage

Chapter 5, Twilight in the Rough

When Shysage woke up the next morning, Summer was right next to him, awake, just thinking.

"Good morning Stallion" she said softly when he opened his eyes.

Shysage's eyes teared up at this. "Having you as my Mare next to me in the morning... That means more to me that you will ever know..." he said softly.

"I am beginning to understand" she said softly back.

Shysage looked around quickly "Where is Fluttershy?"

"It's ok Shysage, she headed to her hut to get a coat. She told me how to get there, and we will join her soon. It will be on our way anyway." Summer said calmly.

"On our way?" Shysage asked.

"Eschate Zumulus banished Princess Twilight to Zecora's hut. That's our next stop." Summer said quietly, then began to cry. "Princess Twilight is to have no visitors on pain of death, Fluttershy said. She doesn't think my Princess will even talk to me..."

Shysage just pulled her close and hugged her for a few minutes. "I love you Summer..."

"I know Shysage, that's the only reason I'm alive right now. I love you too..."

They rubbed noses briefly, then they both got up.

"The entrance to the Everfree is past where we met yesterday. Let's head there, eat a bit, then we will be on our way." Summer said.

Summer carefully put Vol. 1 of Princess Celestia's commentaries back in one of the deep pockets of her coat, and they were soon headed through the gate and down the path.

It was impossible to walk the path side-by-side as they wanted, so they just walked together next to the path.

---

"Shysage, yesterday when I first saw you, what were you doing?" Summer asked quietly.

Shysage teared up, then said softly "Waiting for you to come back Summer."

"I meant before I came up to you" Summer said. "You were bowing on the ground."

Shysage paused, then said quietly "I was talking to my true friend in the heavens."

Summer was drawing a blank at this, and Shysage could tell.

Shysage tried to explain this.

"Well, I might be wrong, but in my mind, the existance of this amazing gem that we call 'true friendship' presupposes a true friend outside all of this. I was talking to him.

"It has been my experience that, in order for just about anything to last, it needs to be anchored to something outside of this world. So, in order for 'true friendship' to last, I think it has to be anchored by my continued friendship with this true friend on the outside, who never changes with time. I think that may be one of the reasons I am still committed to true friendship, I don't know."

"The day after you were abducted, after the monsters left, I kept saying softly "Summer please come back...", and then would talk to him in between. I felt pretty helpless. If I ran to get you, you would run too. All I could do was wait.

"I was pretty much doing the same thing yesterday... And I have been for years..."

After a few minutes of silence, Summer asked quietly "How do I get this true friend... I want him... I need him..."

Shysage was quiet for a minute then began very slowly, and paused in thought between each comment.

"Well I think you need to understand 'true friendship' to begin with, but I think you already do.

"I think you need to talk to him and tell him that you need him as your true friend more than even life itself. But this is what true friends do anyway.

"And I think you also need to tell him that all of your life is his. Since he is the 'True Friend' of all true friends, this also is simply a result of what 'true friendship' really is. You are just telling him you want to be his true friend too.

"Then just talk to him as your 'true friend' whenever you can, want, or need. I talk to him alot, but maybe that's because he's the only true friend I had... ...until yesterday.

"I don't always bow like that, you can talk to him anywhere, anytime. But I have had to rely on his friendship so much for so many years now, bowing seems the only way sometimes for me to communicate my deep gratitude to him."

Right where she was, Summer quickly fall to her knees, and Shysage followed.

Summer started crying, and said through her tears "True friend in the sky I need you... I want you... I freely give you everything as true friends do... I don't want to lose true friendship, ever... Please help me..."

Shysage was crying too, and finished simply with this "I have my Mare back now... Thank you for staying with me through thirty seven excruciating years..."

This done, they just lay down next to each other and cried together for a little while with their true friend in the sky.

Shysage adopted Summer's terminology on the spot. Summer asked Shysage if this mattered. He explained he was pretty sure that this true friend both knew when he was being addressed, as well as who his true friends actually were.

---

Summer and Shysage were soon to the Oats, and began to eat. The Sun was up past the tree-line, and the day seemed a little warmer than yesterday. It was still pretty breezy though. They kept their coats on anyway.

As they walked to the lake for a drink, Fluttershy joined them. She quickly hugged Summer, and they cried together briefly.

Shysage walked over to them, and asked Summer to transform into her Equestria Girls form, and then touch both of them, so they too would be transformed.

Soon, Summer had her hand on both Shysage's and Fluttershy's 'people' shoulders.

Shysage took each of Fluttershy's hands in each of his. He was soon crying. Through tears, he said to Fluttershy

"Sis, thirty seven years ago, I became your brother and tried to accept responsibility to care for you and to protect you until Summer returned. I wish I could have done a better job at this..."

Shysage next held both of Fluttershy's hands out to Summer. One hand at a time, Summer moved her hands to take hold of each of Fluttershy's hands, as Shysage also was holding each one. They all stayed in their Equestria Girls form.

Still crying, Shysage said quietly "Fluttershy, your sister is back." then Shysage pulled both his hands away, leaving Summer holding each of Fluttershy's hands in each of hers.

Shysage turned immediately back into a pony, and fell to the ground crying. He didn't think he had done a very good job...

Summer and her sister hugged tightly and cried together in their Equestria Girls form for a while.

Shysage later told Summer that he knew she would take better care of Fluttershy than he ever could.

---

A little more walking and they headed together into the Everfree.

After maybe five minutes, Fluttershy softly called out three names, and three large, jet black Panthers soon bounded quickly up to Fluttershy, purring loudly.

"She's such a purty kitty! Yes she is!" Fluttershy said this repeatedly to each one. She fussed over all three 'cats' like they were hers. They were. Each of these Panthers were substantially bigger than Fluttershy was.

"I always kept three girls with me to protect me. Boys would just get mean, so I always made them leave." Fluttershy said softly.

When Fluttershy originally told Shysage she was going to the Everfree to live, he was initially very scared for her. Shysage realized now that the Everfree really held no hazards for Fluttershy. She could befriend any animal.

"I tried to keep other ponies away from Princess Twilight too. I don't know how good a job I did though" she added quietly.

---

For a little less than an hour, they walked together to Princess Twilight in Zecora's hut, buried in the Everfree. There was little talking. Nopony really knew what they would find.

Following Fluttershy and her cats, they were soon at the edge of the clearing next to the hut. Fluttershy then walked back up the path some, sat her cats down, and she sat down too. Fluttershy would go no further.

"Summer, please don't stay long..." Fluttershy cautioned.

Summer went into the hut. Princess Twilight was curled up on the floor, facing the wall away from Summer. A small fire in the fireplace was keeping the room tolorably warm.

Hearing Summer enter, Princess Twilight simply put her head up, and didn't even turn around.

Summer softly said "Princess..."

Princess Twilight quickly replied "Summer I'm sorry you have to see Equestria like this... I need you to leave though, quickly."

"Princess please..." Summer said, crying.

"Summer, I'm banished... Please just go..." Princess Twilight said. She was irritated.

"Bu--" Summer started to say.

"SUMMER LEAVE" Princess Twilight shouted, and began to cry herself.

Princess Twilight had NEVER yelled at Summer before...

Summer burst into tears, dumped the book from her pocket onto the floor, and ran quickly out of the hut, down the path, and cried bitterly on Fluttershy's shoulder.

Princess Twilight got up and turned around, looking at the book. It was face down.

Shysage was next to Summer before she left and heard the entire interchange.

Princess Twilight said slowly "I'm sorry you had to leave your world to watch Equestria die like this Shysage. It all seems so hopeless."

Shysage walked up to Summer's Princess, and bowed deeply. Then he arose and said "Princess Twilight, where true friendship is, there is always hope."

Then Shysage turned and walked out of the hut to Summer.

"We need to gather Princess Twilight's girls" Summer said through her tears. Fluttershy do you know where any of the rest are?

"Pinky went home to the Rock Farm thirty five years ago maybe. That's all I know" Fluttershy said.

"Well, we will start there then" Summer said. Summer looked into her sister's eyes... "Fluttershy, Sis... Please... ...can you please come with us?"

Fluttershy began to cry. "Summer, I want my Princess back too..."