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

by shysage

Chapter 8, Hushed Whispers

Once the train was moving, everypony just settled in for the trip back to Ponyville. The Twins Soul-Linked and were quiet, except for Equestria Girls Twilight, Rainbow and Rarity. They were quiet, but wept softly at various points. They didn't have their Twins yet...

There was nothing anypony could do about this. Summer Rain understood exactly how they felt.

Summer was sitting up front next to Shysage; both were facing forward. The Fluttershy Twins were near them, and were Soul-Linked and quiet.

"Shysage" Summer said quietly. "I noticed that there was more writing in your book, but that it was all scribbled out or something."

Shysage had no intention of keeping anything from his Mare. He replied softly "Summer it is a more detailed explanation about why Princess Twilight's inner circle... ...uhm... ...may have had trouble."

"Can I read it?" Summer asked quietly.

Shysage sighed, then paused in thought. Then he worked on putting together an answer. He spoke more quietly, almost whispering.

"I scribbled it out because I felt at times, it simply wasn't my place to make these observations, even though I think it explains what may have happened. I wrote this over 30 years ago after all. So you will need to read them in that light.

"Also, since it does involve your sister, you can't read on unless you promise to NOT take any action yourself on any of what you read. I think there will be a time and a place for that, but you are probably too close to your sister to have a hand in that.

"And by the way, you are the only pony I would ever let read this.

"At any rate, I feel you need to agree to all this before continuing."

Summer thought a minute. She almost decided not to, but then said softly "Ok..." Summer wanted to understand her Stallion.

---

Summer began to read what Shysage wrote, maybe 30 or more years ago.

Shysage started out by saying that he was no 'prude', and that he valued intimacy as much as anypony. Summer smiled inside at this. She had no desires now, but hoped she would some day...

Shysage felt that it was intimacy that had caused Princess Twilight's circle to fall apart.

The main problem Shysage saw was this.

He felt there was a certain percentage of the 'population' (Shysage felt this was true for both worlds he had experienced) that responded in this way. Shysage guessed this percentage at between 10% and 30%, but he really didn't know exactly.

For this small group of ponies, there was a threshold of intimacy, which, when it was crossed, it was emotionally impossible for these ponies to "go back to being friends".

In other words, for these ponies, once that threshold was crossed, they either needed that level of intimacy to be sustained, as in a permament relationship, or they would simply be shattered. They could not back off from that without serious emotional pain.

Summer stopped here and thought. Then she asked quietly "Shysage, there's two statements here totally blocked out. What do they say?"

Shysage carefully bent over and whispered into Summer's ears.

"Intimacy without unity is abuse."
"True friends don't do that."

Summer thought for a minute more. Then she noted that Shysage gave a few examples showing where this was true.

As Shysage wrote this over 30 years ago, Shysage's first example was forced rape. He was referred to what the monsters had done to Summer. She clearly saw there was no unity there... And it was horrible abuse.

Summer guessed his next example was from his own past experience. It was of a wife who consistently trampled what her husband treasured, then came at him for some "favors". Summer figured out what he meant, and agreed this was terrible.

Shysage included two high school kids on a date, and one of them just seizing the opportunity to take what they wanted. Even during her brief time in the Equestria Girls world, Summer understood this to be all too common. The stories the girls told...

The last one was scary. Close friends who found themselves too close, and one just took from the other, for whatever reason.

Shysage wanted to be fair, he knew he didn't want to come across as trying to tell ponies what to do.

But the existance of the 10-30% that would be shattered, were that threshold of intimacy to be crossed, should cast a whole new light on close friendships, and how they were conducted.

Where full, open and honest unity was not present, intimacy past a certain point ran the very real possibility of shattering somepony. True friends just don't, or shouldn't do that.

The nature of the use of the 'Elements of Harmony' required all six ponies be involved. As a result were this scenario to play out with only one of Princess Twilight's girls, Equestria would be very vulnerable.

Shysage felt this or something similar had actually happened. For whatever reason, in the space of maybe a month, three ponies were gone.

Summer went to turn the page at this point, and Shysage looked into her blue eyes, and said softly "Can we look at this later?"

She would not turn down this request. The book was soon back in his pocket.

Summer realized that her Stallion had asked her to stop before any mention of her sister. Summer so very much appreciated that, and she softly told him so.

---

The train ride up the slow grade to Ponyville proved a little more challenging for the train stallions, and they pulled into the Train Station in the late afternoon.

Everypony went and thanked the very much 'out of breath' train stallions; they had saved them a lot of time.

They headed to Dawn's Shop.

Equestria Girls Rarity suddenly began wailing loudly, and bolted off, surely for her Twin.

The rest of the group simply headed for Rarity's Boutique, or what was left of it. They found both Raritys Soul-Linked, still wailing, right in front of it. They just left them there for now.

Equestria Girls Rainbow Dash was now weeping softly. She wanted her Twin too...

Summer walked over and hugged her tightly, and just cried with her a few minutes.

Both Pinkies said at once "Maybe we can try a Sonic Rainboom?"

Rainbow was sure she was too 'out of shape' for this, it took a lot of speed.

After some thought, Summer decided that adding magic to the Rainboom would surely bring Eschate Zumulus, and Summer didn't think fighting him in the dark was a good idea.

The Pinkies did say 'try' however.

"Rainbow give it a try maybe" Summer suggested.

Rainbow sighed... "Well at least I can try I guess."

It had been decades for Rainbow, and it was starting to get very cold, but Equestria Girls Rainbow took her coat off, and headed into the sky. She headed west straight out of Ponyville.

She flew very high, then came down quickly. It looked like she might do it. At the bottom though, she could not pull up near fast enough, and no Sonic Rainboom resulted.

Rainbow returned to the group in tears, and was sobbing as they helped her get her coat back on. "I'm so sorry... I just couldn't do it..."

Without warning, Equestria pony Rainbow Dash flew quickly but gently into her Twin, knocking them both over, but causing no injury. They just Soul-Linked on the spot. They left the Rainbows linked a little while too.

---

It was getting colder now, and Summer and Shysage carefully pulled any still linked Twins apart and they all headed to Dawn's, and were quickly inside.

Dawn had been expecting them, it was very comfortable inside. She had also made a bunch of Oat Pies, and everyone enjoyed them.

Summer just hugged Dawn, and thanked her with tears in her eyes... Being able to stay here was such a big help...

Summer introduced the Equestria ponies to Dawn, and she was quickly crying again. She never dreamed she would see the ponies that her Grand-mother had talked so much about.

Still, Summer said softly "Tomorrow morning, we go get our Princess, and Twilight's Twin. Twilight Sparkle was crying... They were all crying... They all wanted their Princess back.

Dawn offered Shysage and Summer the use of her room again, but Summer politely declined. "Shysage and I want to be with our friends tonight Dawn, I really appreciate it though."

After a few minute's silence, Summer said to them all "Girls, I know that for me, it has only been maybe four days since we were last together, but still... I want you all to know that I love each of you very much-- " Summer could go no further, she was crying.

They were all crying...

---

Princess Twilight avoided the book that Summer had dropped on the ground.

She didn't move it or even touch it for a while. She knew what it was from the title on the spine. She had avoided this book for many years, and had specifically left it behind in the Library.

The next evening, for the first time since she could rememeber, she finally opened the book, right where it was, and began reading... She hadn't read very far...

Princess Twilight began to sniffle quietly, and brushed away a few tears as she lay down on the floor, and slid the book away from her. But it was no use, she was soon crying, quietly but bitterly, hoping nopony would hear.