The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 9 -- Future Perfect

by shysage

Chapter 10, Twilight in the Rough, Part 2

The three of us slept well, probably because four huge Panthers helped keep us warm. I guess they didn't mind that Shysage and I were next to their Fluttershy.

I woke up next to my smiling sister, and was soon weeping softly. Ever since we were very young, that has been so comforting... I woke Shysage up with a kiss, then Sis and I cried together for a few minutes.

We didn't want to get up just yet, so we talked.

Shysage said first thing, that Fluttershy, he and I were the only ponies that came here from Equestria Present (for us), that he knew of. And he summarized that he had been here six months, and Fluttershy had been here a month maybe.

I added that I arrived in the Crystal Palace yesterday.

Shysage mentioned quietly that what we did here would not be a problem, but after we returned to Equestria Present, we would probably need to be careful what we said and did, in order to avoid changing the Future. Although Shysage wondered if it might need to be changed.

And we all realized that we didn't know a whole lot about what we needed to accomplish. Well, Equestria was clearly a gutted shell, and we didn't know anything about any of Equestria's Princesses. We guessed Princess Cadance and Shining Armor had just taken the Crystal Empire somewhere else. Or maybe the Crystal Empire was long since dead.

We were pretty sure that Eschate Zumulus, the big, flying magic casting Black Bear, and Phantasma his daughter, were again the main problems. Shysage also felt that was so wrong. Oh, and saying good words was still not a good idea until we were ready.

Still, this was no dream. There was a lot we didn't know, and we would just try and decide what was best, dream or no.

We had no clue where to start looking for the rest of the Equestria ponies. And from my dream, it seemed like just a fluke that the Equestria Girls had arrived in Ponyville via the Portal, the very day we needed them. We honestly doubted that would happen again. Shysage mentioned the Shyna Twins, but there was still Filia and Fiona. And... Cel and Lu...

Well, we just didn't know. But we realized Equestria needed help, and we would start doing what we could today.

And, together we decided finding Princess Twilight first was a good idea. Still, that was just scary. We really didn't know what we would find.

...

We got up after it warmed up some.

Right away, Fluttershy spent some animal friend time with her girls a while.

Shysage walked over to a piece of wood, pulled his clip thing and some ink out of his ancient shoulder sack, put a piece of paper on the wood, and started writing. I watched him write, and realized he was making some very cryptic notes about our meeting yesterday, then this morning.

I also quietly mentioned that the events that I have gone through since my arrival here should also be recorded soon.

Shysage thought a minute, then said quietly "I think we will need more paper..."

It was clear he was trying to conserve space, since his paper supply was limited. We really would need to deal with this soon, it looked like. I am a Canterlot Recorder too!

After he was done, Shysage thought briefly, then decided to leave his writing stuff here in the barn for now.

Then us three ponies from the Past headed back down into the valley, to the Oats and the lake. Fluttershy's girls ran off, and found themselves breakfast (Fluttershy said), then the four of them came back.

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Fluttershy spent a little while more fussing over her girls. Shysage used that word, and I think it fits so well! Then we walked across the overgrown fields of Sweet Apple Acres to the edge of the Everfree Forest.

Well, we couldn't put this off... We headed into the forest, then found the path to Zecora's hut. Fluttershy and her girls led the way, and Shysage and I followed. I walked right next to him. Wow I had missed that...

I think we all hoped we would find Princess Twilight, and soon... But again, we really didn't know what we would find. This wasn't a dream.

I think we basically knew the way to Zecora's hut and to Dethwell. Dethwell was in my dream, but Princess Twilight in the Present just knew it existed, and we faced these monsters there. Well, that was decades ago now...

Part of the way through the forest, Fluttershy stopped us and showed us her home. It was a small cove inside the stump of a big tree. Shysage said it was a Redwood tree, but that made no sense to either of us. He mentioned that he thought they smelled nice.

Well, we kept going. This part of the trip was just hard... We needed to press forward. But we just didn't know what we would find. But we needed to find out... But we may not want to find out...

...

Thirty minutes later, we walked into the clearing next to Zecora's hut. Fluttershy fussed with her girls some more, and sat them down in a row, and told them to stay put.

All three of us went inside.

Princess Twilight was there, minus her crown, sitting in front of the fireplace. The fire wasn't roaring, but she was clearly keeping it going.

Our Princess was facing the fire, facing away from us. She looked dangerously thin.

It was quiet for the longest time...

Nopony moved...

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...

...

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This is Princess Twilight... Well, no... I used to be a Princess...

...

I guess... I knew this time would come...

...

In reality, I forgot completely about Summer's Dream...

...until the day Eschate Zumulus marched me here, and told me I would die if I had any visitors. That big Bear shouted loudly "Friendship is magic? Bah... Banishment will be far better punishment for you..."

I knew he was right...

For some really amazing years, friendship really was magic... Well, it was anyway... And so now, instead of that magic, instead of those friendships... I just have gnawing loniless. Each day is it's own nightmare for me. And at night, I just sleep. I have no dreams, because, I have no hope... I have nothing left...

...I just have absolutely nothing left...

...

Actually, until today, Eschate Zumulus' taunting was the last words I heard...

And after he left, Summer's Dream came blasting back... It was a warning... But, apparently, we had all ignored the warning, and all Equestria had paid the price. Well, I knew it was a little more complicated, but the end result was still the same.

That was maybe 30 years ago now, I think, and since then I had remembered a lot more of that dream. I didn't have much else to do...

...

The main thing I remembered though, was that some day, Summer would probably come back. Her dream was a dream, but still. Summer was the Phantom Alicorn, and any dream that she had; I just couldn't ignore that.

Well, actually, I guess we all did...

But I was pretty sure that some day... ...Summer would walk through that door like she just did.

I had plenty of time; I had thought a lot about this, and had carefully planned these words...

And I knew it was her. I didn't even need to turn around. I just talked slowly.

"Emissary from the past. I'm sorry but you need to leave..."

It was quiet for a minute maybe, then Summer said softly "Princess, dream or no, we are here to help... to help you... to help Equestria..."

I had planned this part out too.

"Summer, I don't want to be helped. All my girls... Something changed us... It was terrible. I can't even be around any of them any more... Even Fluttershy drove me craz--"

I hadn't planned this part... Evidently Fluttershy was with them, and she burst into tears right then...

I wheeled around quickly (which was hard) to see Fluttershy close the door behind her, and hear her crying... Then, I said this without even thinking "Fluttershy came with you?"

By then, I knew the answer, and realized what I had just done... Almost thirty years had changed nothing... I was broken. I just couldn't say... I couldn't even apologize...

Well, then I was facing Summer and Shysage, and quickly noted the Shield Necklace that Summer still wore...

TF
MPOF

True friendship... Putting others first? Bah...

And I had no treasures left, not any more...

I just sighed, and looked down steeply at the ground...

It was quiet for a few more minutes. Well, I knew Summer was weeping softly.

"Princess, please..." Summer said as she cried.

I snapped. I didn't plan this part, but it didn't matter. I yelled.

"Summer, look around you... Equestria is lost... I can't stand to be around the most important ponies in my life... I was only a Princess when... They are gone... We don't even have our elements any more...

"Honestly, you drawing Eschate here would do me a favor... I don't deserve to live. Every day here alone is turture. I don't want to live..."

It was quiet a few more minutes.

I could tell that Summer, still crying, was struggling to get something big out of one of the pockets of her coat. I remembered that part too.

"Summer, I don't want your book either..." I said sharply without even looking up.

Summer finally managed to work the book out, and it fell flat onto the floor, loudly.

Summer just said quietly "Princess Twilight, this is not my book... It's yours..."

It was quiet a few more minutes, then Summer said this. "Princess, you told me you would never stop loving me. I don't know what I have done to deserve this... But Princess, I still love you..."

Summer walked out the door, just like her sister had, and probably felt the same way...

...

It was quiet a minute.

Shysage sighed, then said quietly. "Princess Twilight, I still love you too. True friendship can explode forth and blossom anew... ...at any time... ...in any place..."

Then he walked slowly out too.

Well, Shysage stopped at the door, looked back some.

"Princess, Equestria is worth rescuing. You are worth rescuing. Summer, Fluttershy and I will do what we can. We would appreciate your help. Actually, I think we will need it."

Then he was gone.

...

I can't describe the turmoil I felt inside that afternoon. I had not planned that part at all... These emissaries from the past had done me no wrong, and had only paid dearly for even being around me briefly. I still knew that was so very wrong...

...

And the Volume of Princess Celestia's commentaries Summer had left... It was Volume 3; I had been made a Princess at the end of it... "And all for this?" I actually said out loud...

...

I guess I concluded overall that this just sealed my doom. I no longer wanted to live. Well, I wanted my girls back, but definitely NOT the way they all were... the way we all were, when we last parted ways.

And I knew it was just a fairy tale that the Equestria Girls showed up at all in Summer's Dream, let alone when they did. The Equestria Girls world is so huge... It eats up the people there. I doubted they even cared about Equestria any more, even IF they remembered... They were all probably scattered hundreds... thousands of miles way...

I guessed I could change myself if I needed too, but I honestly doubted that the eleven other ponies would ever... There was just no way I could get them back.

We had our chance... We squandered it, even though we were warned... The cost was huge...

Under these circumstances, death would be welcome.

It was just a matter of time.

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