The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 10 -- Ariel Dawn

by shysage

Chapter 14, Out of the Blue

That night was just hard. For the first time, Ariel slept next to Shysage as he tried to comfort his hurting Mare. I think I really needed him that night. I think I have said that a lot though; Shysage has always been close to me when I need him. At some point in the middle of the night, Shysage carefully rolled over onto his side, making sure his back could help Ariel stay warm. She stayed asleep. But Shysage pulled me up against his chest and neck, and hugged me there tightly. It was only then that I began to calm down. But I don't think either of us slept much. And I knew I would need to explain to Ariel...

And when the light of the sun blazed into our cave, even through a thousand branches and leaves, we all woke up at the same time. I had to leave my place of solace, and was again weeping softly. I knew Shysage felt so torn. He had two mares to care for now. As the morning wore slowly on, Shysage tried to take care of us both. Even though it was cool in the woods, the sun warmed us nicely as the three of us headed across the meadow. I tried eating a little, but I cried the least leaning up against my Stallion. I don't think either of us knew what to do. I didn't want to be like this. But I also didn't want to be away from my sister, everypony else, for years... I even hugged Ariel at one point, and we cried together a few minutes. I guess my Ariel knew exactly what was going on. "Mom, it would be brutal for me to be away from you and dad for a long time. I understand." My little girl...

Shysage and I ended up laying next to each other in the grass, close to our lake. And I knew this was coming... Ariel really was growing up quickly, and had been pushing for just a little more independence of late. That was part of growing up, but... I wondered if she really grasped the fact that, away from us, she would probably die. Still, her next words didn't shock me at all.

"Dad, can I do Cougar patrol this morning? I promise I will stay where I can see you both, and I'll come straight back if I see anything."

I think Shysage was already feeling torn, and this just made it harder. It was only then that I noticed the tears in his eyes. He really didn't want Ariel to have to fly alone. But he absolutely knew he couldn't leave me, especially not now. It was silent for a while as Shysage wrestled. I felt bad I put him through this, but I couldn't help how I felt.

"Shysage, I think she will be ok..." I said this with as much certainty as I could muster, which wasn't much.

Shysage sighed deeply, then said "Ok Ariel, just stay close. Don't fly huge circles, just stay near us, and stay in the air."

Well, we hadn't seen a single Cougar all summer, and so I think Shysage felt this was probably fine. Ariel was quickly in the air stretching her wings, laughing. My daughter... A Pegasus mare, even though just a yearling, she absolutely loves flying. Shysage said it runs in the family.

I don't know why, but with just Shysage and I together, I began to relax. Maybe it was just Shysage and alone that I really needed. I didn't like that thought at all, because we both loved Ariel so deeply. But Shysage soon had me tucked up against his chest and neck again, and... I think I melted. I still missed my sister, and everypony else, but feeling my Stallion close like that... I honestly thought I could do this. Well, I really had no choice. Shysage and I had talked; there was really only one way out of here that we knew of, and we had to wait. And it would still be scary.

It was silent for a while. Shysage was constantly watching for Ariel high overhead, while tightly hugging his Mare.

"Shysage, I really love you. I think, as long as you are near me... I think I can do this..." I said this slowly, but it was clear, even to me, just from listening to my voice, I had calmed down significantly. Shysage started crying. I felt bad, but I was sure he sensed that I was working on dealing with years away...

We cried together for a while, and that felt very nice. Then Shysage tried to explain.

"Summer, I can't change... I know of only one way, and neither of us knows when..."

I realized that maybe he was struggling with this as much as I was; being away from our Princess, our friends... And he was right. Neither of us could change this. And if this was part of the cost for us having Ariel, then... I pressed the top of my head gently into the bottom of Shysage's neck.

"Shysage, I really love you. Please don't ever leave me..."

"Oh Mare, I can't... I just can't..."

It was quiet for a few minutes. I think we were both working on calming down. For me especially, that was an accomplishment.

"Shysage, I--"

The very next thing I heard...

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, help...."

Ariel flew overhead, next to another young Pegasus; they were headed west rapidly. Ariel shouted to us as loud as she could as they flew over us.

Well, sister or no, our Ariel was in trouble. In less than 10 seconds, I had rolled out from under Shysage's legs, stood up, reared back on my hind legs and changed into a people, and I had spun up my Cutie Mark. I jumped, and was quickly in the air. Shysage followed me of course. But as the Phantom Alicorn, I could fly much faster, and quickly caught up with Ariel and the other pony.

The other pony, another young mare, could barely breathe; she was clearly both terrified and winded, and I realized, very weak. The sweat on her back, she had been flying, probably as fast as she could, for a while. The other pony tried to explain, but was talking old pony, and I understood very little. Well, I realized "holp" probably meant help.

Shysage, a little out of breath, caught up with us just then. "Summer, nine Cougars chasing us." That was all he could say, but it was all he had to say. If our visitor had landed, she would have quickly died. No wonder... Looking back, I could see they were close, and probably as tired as our visitor. Still, I had a good idea what to do.

"Shysage, we need to tell our visitor to stop, but stay in the air. She is very tired, but I can most easily deal with the Cougars if she, well all of you stay in the air hovering behind me." As I quickly explained this to Shysage, I doubted our visitor understood any of it.

Shysage thought a minute, then said carefully "stoop", and Ariel and I stopped too, and we kept our position high above the ground. Our visitor kept flying, but quickly turned around and came back. Shysage explained later that we were the only ponies around for maybe a hundred miles. He guessed she would not leave us, and he was right.

Our visitor came back but obviously couldn't hover for very long. I didn't need much time. The Cougars stopped directly under us, and that made it easier. I quickly dropped down maybe half the distance towards the Cougars. I coated them all with electricity with my left hand, then carefully dropped ten large boulders (one missed), and they were all dead.

Less than 10 seconds after I had killed the last Cougar, our visitor made the most painful landing I have ever seen. She was quickly crying loudly, laying on her side in the grass. I was still a people, but I had unwound my Cutie Mark. I sat next to her, and had her pony head quickly in my lap, and I talked softly to her gently stroking her neck, and tried to comfort her. Well, she was still shaking with fear. Ariel laid on her belly right next to me, and put her pony head up on my other leg, and tried to help comfort her. "Hey, it's ok now. My mom can protect you. We will help you." I wrapped my other arm around Ariel and hugged her too.

Our visitor, with her eyes mostly closed, cried loudly for maybe half an hour, then her crying tapered off. She looked up at me with wonder for a few minutes, then she looked at Ariel, then back at me, then Ariel again. My daughter and I, we both smiled at our visitor. I said quietly maybe the only old pony word I knew very well; "Hoy", and Ariel awkwardly said the same word. Our visitor smiled back. She said quietly "Hoy", blinked her eyes a few times, then fell asleep in my lap.

Another pony, asleep in my lap... We were surrounded by the fresh carcasses of nine Cougars... With my free people arm still around Ariel, I hugged Ariel tightly. "Ariel, I love you..." While Shysage kept an eye out for any more Cougars, my daughter and I, we wept softly together there for a long time...

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