The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 11 -- A Wing and a Prayer

by shysage

Chapter 5, True Love

Shattered and broken...

After weeks...

We had found an accurate statue of Summer as the Phantom Alicorn. It looked like it had been haphazardly tossed into one of the secluded flower beds on the grounds of the church that my Twin, Equestria pony Shysage worked at. I guess he would recognize something not quite right, something out of place. Still, it was all I could find of my Mare, my Summer, my world... I had spent weeks maybe, chasing after a needle in a hay-stack -- no, looking for a single bee somewhere in hundreds of busy, constantly changing bee-hives -- all in just a small corner of the hundreds of thousands of square miles that was the Equestria Girls world...

And I had found nothing... Except this... I just hugged the statue and cried. I really could not do anything else... I felt so empty... so spent... I knew I was on the hairy edge of hysteria... And it was like I hadn't even really started looking yet...

Maybe inside I was hoping that my tears... Maybe the statue would magically change back into Summer. I had seen some remnants of Equestria's magic here in the Equestria Girls world before. But it wasn't often. And it was not like Summer was absolutely essential to Equestria, like one of the Princesses. Well, Summer and I agreed, neither of us were. We were both expendable. Or... This statue just might be Dark Melvain's punishment for me... I didn't like either thought right then, and just cried more.

My Twin stood by me for a while. I wasn't crying hard, and I was sure he felt my pain. And he probably had his hands full emotionally taking care of his Mare, Summer's Twin. Losing a Twin is a nightmare... So, this whole thing wasn't easy for them either. But as the sun headed for the trees, he got a text, then said he would be in the church if I needed him. That was fine, I am sure he had a ton of work to do yet. Tomorrow would be a busy day here. Still, there was nothing he could do anyway. I didn't think there was anything anypony could do. Well, I did throw up a few pleadings to true friend, but honestly, I felt so at a loss without my Summer. My life felt so ruined... emptied... again... And after looking for weeks, I was holding the only thing I had found...

I am not sure how long I cried there, tightly clutching a chunk of plaster that looked like my Summer... hoping... The walkway lights nearby came on though, so it must have been dark. I kept crying. I didn't know what else to do. This search could go on for years... I cried for a while more... And... as time passed, I realized this wasn't my Summer, and wouldn't be... Inside I knew I had to start this whole search all over again... I really needed to go home and get some sleep, because tomorrow... But I just couldn't... let... go...

...Suddenly I began to move. Well, something was moving me. I thought at first that my mind was playing tricks, but the feeling didn't go away. And I couldn't feel a hand or a rope or anything like that around my stomach, around my chest, but something... I had to let go of that statue...

As my hands and legs fell slackly downward, something picked me up and I rose into the air. It was slow, but I was moving, higher and higher. Maybe when I was fifty feet in the air, I began to move sideways. As I did, my body was actually rotated, so I was facing away from where I was moving. I wasn't scared because I was moving pretty slow. But I was moving. And I was definitely not doing it. Neither was my Summer though... It was clear to me I was out of ideas. I also had no idea what was going on, but at least it was something. I had no better plan. I really had no plan. I asked true friend for help and just relaxed. I couldn't, wouldn't fight whatever it was that was moving me anyway. I could fall to the ground if I did. From 50 feet up, that would break a lot of bones...

It was dark, and I was facing in the opposite direction anyway; I couldn't see where I was being taken. But I realized pretty quickly, based on where I had been... I guessed I was being taken to the Portal wall in front of Canterlot High School. As I moved down the broad walkway leading to CHS, I was pretty sure I saw Pinkie Pie run up. I didn't really feel like talking... Whatever was moving me, well I stopped directly over the statue, then turned so I was facing up. I had to hold my arms and legs... Then I drifted slowly down towards the grass on the building side of the statue, right next to the Portal wall. Then I was pulled into the Portal...

---

After clearing the Equestria end of the Portal, I clearly recognized the Library in Princess Twilight's Castle, and the deep purple rug with Princess' Cutie Mark on it, there in front of the Portal. I could also see that I was a pony now. But I was still being moved backwards, by something, some unknown force. It was wierd, but like I said, I had nothing else...

Princess Twilight was the only one in the Library. She was reading a book, and she slowly watched me as I was pulled backwards, a few feet above the ground, away from the Portal, through the Library and into the hall. She said nothing, and the last I saw, she was looking straight ahead, gazing far off into the distance, hopefully connecting with Equestria. Maybe she could come up with something now, I don't know.

But I didn't stop. Now, my pony back was facing forward, and I could only see behind me. I was moving down the hall slowly, then out the front door of the Castle. I didn't go down the steps, I was slowly pulled much higher into the air, up to maybe normal Pegasus flying height, which was around 500 feet. I wasn't flying, even though I probably could have if I was dropped suddenly... But I was still being held up, moved, backwards, able to see only where I had been. Maybe I could have turned my head and looked off to the side. I guess I thought that I shouldn't, or rather was not meant to. But honestly, I didn't know anything. And, overall, it just didn't matter.

Still, I was being moved just a little faster than I could fly. Even so, I felt the air only flowing gently past my body, not that this even mattered. But it did mean that this trip might take a while. It looked like maybe mid-morning in Equestria, and the sun was high in the sky. I saw ponies on the ground far below, but none up in the air nearby.

After maybe fifteen minutes in the air, I was pretty sure I was headed towards Canterlot. I had made this trip many times flying, and could tell by the terrain, certain landmarks, even though I was moving backwards. Well, just maybe... Equestria's Princesses might have new information, I don't know. Again, I really didn't know anything.

When I thought I was nearing Canterlot, I slowly began to veer off to the left. I wanted to wait until I was sure because this was not a good prospect. But after ten more minutes, it was pretty clear I was not heading to Canterlot. Of course that filled me with dread. There was just one other possibility, based on where I thought I was heading, based admittedly on where I had been...

Dark Melvain's Bastion...

The last time I was there, hundreds of years ago now, Dark Melvain insisted that I run the gauntlet past 30 or so powerful Unicorns. Well, I could barely move when I had actually arrived in the Past that day, and the rough handling at the hands of Canterlots guards... Then a magically very weak Unicorn had so battered me hauling me out to the Bastion... Well, I couldn't move when Dark Melvain demanded... His Unicorns pretty much threw me around with their magic until I wanted to die... I felt like I was already about dead. I think that was Dark Melvain's plan. Summer, Cel and Fluttershy got me through the Portal, and I am pretty sure I lived thanks to the tears of a sea of bleacher girls.

That all happened last time I was where I suspected I was being taken. These were not fond memories, and I could not shrug off the foreboding I felt. Drifting along, high above that dark ridge comfirmed my fears, just as foreboding music slowly arose in the background(1)... Monster music...

I passed over the main downhill gate complex of his Bastion up in the air... And I guess I started preparing myself for the worst. But without Summer, I am not sure how much survival really mattered. I had already told her that if she died, I wanted to die too. Living without her again had already become a daily nightmare. I had already tried that, twice now, so I knew... Of course I would fear for our daughter Ariel. She had come to love both Fluttershy and Equestria pony Shyna, and even Princess Twilight, all as family. Of course she would mourn our absence, again, but she would be well cared for.

Directly over the cold, rough, jet-black obsidian floor of the large square courtyard in the center of the Bastion, I stopped, turned to be face up, then we slowly descended towards the courtyard. I didn't think this would be a happy landing unless I slowed some... I had no control over that. But nearing the courtyard floor, I did slow substantially. I was then turned sideways again, and realized I was only feet above the floor. We went through two open doors, one into a hall, then a second into the same jail cell, in this very place, that Dark Melvain had thrown me, and left me to die slowly and in agony.

It was then that I realized that... What was happening... Princess Twilight said Dark Melvain had authored the spell... I was pulled from my Twin's church in the Equestria Girls world -- to this very place, Dark Melvain's Bastion. This whole thing had Dark Melvain's fingerprints all over it. "This will not end well" I thought to myself...

I only momentarily stopped inside my jail cell, sideways, looking back at the door. I was then turned so my back faced down, and I was looking up at the ceiling. I only saw that briefly. We plunged downward... I was sure I was going to be squeezed into a flat sheet of flesh and bones, dying horribly, as whatever it was, pulled me to the floor...

...But I kept going... ...down... I watched the floor of the jail cell pass over my head, and realized I was still alive. I passed through a maze of lower floors, then through the obsidian foundation of the Bastion. I was still alive as I was pulled down into the bedrock, then layer after layer of that mountain where the Bastion was built. Blazing gems occasionally flashed as I passed. I was actually being pulled down through layer after layer of solid rock, but it was always kept a few feet away from me. I was not injured by this descent. If I had any interest in geology... Summer was all that mattered to me now, and I didn't think I'd ever see her again, not with Dark Melvain behind this... And with each passing foot that took me deeper into the ground... I was pretty sure my doom was sealed. I was beyond help... So far away from help, and getting deeper by the minute...

Suddenly, the layers of rock opened into a HUGE cavern. I actually continued descending, but saw no rocks nearby, just dimly lit mist that I passed easily through. I am not sure how, but I felt maybe I was getting close to the floor of the cavern. Moments later, I landed pretty hard on my back, which knocked the wind out of me...

The first thing I noticed... The dreadful music in the background was louder...

When I could breath again, I rolled over on my side, then I saw...

...

Summer was very near, and I quickly got up and ran towards her. The closer I got... Her head was down, eyes closed... It looked like she had not eaten since she had been ripped from our bedroom...

I lifted her head, and said quietly "Summer..."

Her eyes flew open, and we were quickly hugging, crying...

Summer said faintly, a few times "Shysage, I knew you would come..."

It felt amazing to be able to hug my Mare again, and we cried loudly together... Still, she was very weak, and I had no idea how to get her out of here.

...

A voice blasted loudly out of nowhere...

"SUCH STUPID SENTIMENT..."

It... was... Dark Melvain. He uncloaked maybe a hundred feet away from Summer and I. Still crying, we turned to face him, and I kept one of my front legs around Summer's neck. If she died, I wanted to die too.

He looked just like I remember from the day we killed him... last time... His huge, barely discernable pony form, maybe three stories tall... His dark purple hide and the multitude of raw, bleeding, open pits showering out every conceivable magical element...

Dark Melvain seemed very cheerful, and without a care. He was facing us, looking down at us. He didn't move, but he spoke. Well, he yelled...

"WELL...

"WELL...

"WEEEELLLLLLLL!

"I'M IMPRESSED!"

Brief delay. He spoke, yelled slowly, and seemed to be amazed briefly.

"SOMEPONY!

"SOME AMAZING UNICORN!

"SOMEPONY FINALLY DID IT!

"SOME INSANELY POWERFUL UNICORN... FOUND MY SPELL, AND PULLED IT OFF!

He looked directly at us, and said with a sneer

"NONE OF YOUR TRUE FRIENDS, OF COURSE!"

Dark Melvain laughed wickedly and loudly for a minute or two. Then he seemed somewhat preoccupied, and turned his huge body around, looking off into the distance behind him.

"SO THIS IS WHAT THE OUTSIDE OF THE GATES OF HADES LOOKS LIKE..."

Brief delay... We couldn't see these gates.

"SO GLAD TO FINALLY BE OUT OF THAT TERRIBLE PLACE..."

Dark Melvain turned to face us again, followed by a longer delay. He was in no hurry, and seemed to be enjoying this.

"SOME AMAZING UNICORN DID THIS!

"NO MATTER WHO THOUGH..."

Laughing loudly and yelling at the same time...

"...THEY SET ME FREE!

...

"...THEY BROUGHT YOU HERE!

...

"...AND THEY ERASED THE PHANTOM ALICORN!"

Dark Melvin laughed loudly and with glee for a while. I just hugged Summer tightly... After weeks...

Then Dark Melvain looked directly at us.

"AH YES, THE EX PHANTOM ALICORN AND HER CONSORT..."

Brief delay... He smiled I think...

"WELL, I HAVE YOU BOTH NOW..."

Dark Melvain laughed loudly, scornfully, abusively for minutes more...

Summer said weakly "Shysage, my Cutie Mark..." I looked immediately. Those three drops, fading from sun yellow at the top into aquamarine at the bottom, they were gone without a trace.

Dark Melvain evidently heard this, and started laughing all over again, and laughed loudly for a while more...

I hugged Summer tightly, then looked into her eyes, and said quietly "Summer whatever happens, know that there is nopony else for me, and I will love you supremely until..."

Summer looked back into my eyes, and we both hugged tightly and cried softly.

"OH SHUT UP, AND STOP THAT STUPID..."

Brief delay...

"WORTHLESS STALLION, BACK AWAY FROM THE EX PHANTOM ALICORN OR I WILL KILL HER ON THE SPOT."

Summer said quietly, weakly "Let's see what he..."

I carefully backed away from my mare, further away from Dark Melvain by maybe 20 feet. I was not getting any further away than that. Summer was sitting, head down some, facing me and looking up at me.

Dark Melvain spoke his mind.

"I UNDERSTAND THE PHANTOM ALICORN WORKING TO PROTECT EQUESTRIA...

"I CAN LIVE WITH THAT...

"BUT YOU, WORTHLESS STALLION...

"YOU ARE PATHETICALLY WEAK, AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY... NO... POWERS... NOT EVEN ONE!!!

"YET, YOU HAVE CAUSED ME SO MUCH... ANGUISH... RUINED PLANS... FRUSTRATING DEFEAT...

"YOU HAVE REPEATEDLY INFURIATED ME!"

Then I realized... Somehow given the chance to live again, and Dark Melvain only had one thought on his mind... Vengence... And I actually was his real target...

After a brief delay, Dark Melvain waved one of his huge front hooves. In the blink of an eye... I was suddenly facing maybe a hundred Summers. Exact duplicates, they all were sitting in a long row, head down, looking up at me in the exact same way. And the music in the background lept obnoxiously loud...

Dark Melvain laughed hysterically for a while. All the Summer's didn't move. I froze... I was looking at Summer, then I blinked, then... There were so many now... I had no clue which...

After a while, Dark Melvain's laughter subsided, and he explained... yelling...

"YOU ANGER ME STALLION...

"AND ALL YOUR TRUE FRIEND GARBAGE...

"I COULD JUST AS EASILY KILL THE PHANTOM ALICORN, NOW ANYWAY...

Then his whole tone became clearly, completely flooded with anger... RAGE... He yelled this a little more quietly, but he was clearly furious... He was livid... With nothing but rage in his eyes, he looked straight at me...

"...BUT I THINK YOU DESERVE THAT HONOR..."

He was quiet for a minute maybe.

Dark Melvain yelled this last quickly and harshly...

"TOUCH THE IMPOSTERS ONE AT A TIME, AND THEY WILL DISAPPEAR...

"TOUCH YOUR PRECIOUS MARE AND SHE WILL EXPLODE...

"...BLASTING HER BLOODY CARCASS ALL OVER YOU...

"...WELL UNLESS YOU TOUCH HER LAST!"

Dark Melvain laughed a while and loudly.

But these were the rules. I had to touch my Mare last or she would die. I had to touch all the imposters, maybe 99 of them, and make them disappear first. Otherwise... And Dark Melvain clearly knew how to hurt me the most. For me to kill my Summer... Regardless what happened after that, I would die a thousand deaths every day, as that one event would replay itself continuously...

All one hundred Summers didn't move. Such a long line of them, they were all sitting the exact same way, maybe a foot apart, head down, looking up at me the exact same way, all blinking at exactly the same time... Well, I knew true friend wasn't garbage. I asked for his help, then I slowly walked the entire line of Summers, a few times, and their gaze just followed me as I passed them...

With each passing minute, Dark Melvain's laughter grew. He was clearly relishing the doom he had dumped on me... "WEAK, PATHETIC, USELESS, WORTHLESS STALLION..." He said this a few times. I tried to ignore him, along with the painfully loud music...

I was in no hurry. In fact... I... couldn't make a mistake... But I think Dark Melvain was getting impatient.

"GET MOVING STALLION OR I WILL HELP..."

I asked true friend for his help again, and started popping imposters. I took my time, but progress, at least, seemed to calm Dark Melvain down just a little. That was my goal. Still...

I actually ran my hoof along a stretch of maybe 20 imposters, and they were gone. A few here, one there, these two out of the way... I honestly think Dark Melvain forgot which one was the real one as well. Then I walked the thinned out line at random and slowly removed even more imposters...

After minutes that seemed like hours, just three were left, fairly close together. I eliminated the two imposters...

Then hugged my Mare...

"NO!!!!!" Dark Melvain roared...

"...HOW COULD YOU..."

Summer was crying right away. Well, we both were. "Shysage, how did you know?" she asked softly...

I hugged her and answered as lovingly as I could, crying softly myself... "Precious Mare... You alone so yearn to serve me... You would clearly do anything to help me, to care for me, to love me... You so deeply yearn to do simply what is best for me, no matter what it costs you... I saw that yearning in your eyes... That can't be duplicated or replaced... Ever... I could look for centuries and never find..."

Summer burst into tears, and, through loud crying, she haltingly said this...

"Oh Shysage... Oh, Shysage... You only saw that... Because thats what... ...thats what I saw in your eyes... Oh Shysage... Oh, my Shysage..."

We hugged tightly and cried loudly...

...

Dark Melvain was absolutely outraged...

"NO... I WILL NOT BE...

"NO... YOU CHEATED!!!

"NO...

"NO MATTER...

"I WILL STILL BLOW UP YOUR...

"...PRECIOUS MARE..."

Dark Melvain said this last with as much scorn as he could inject into the words. Then he began casting some magic...

Summer wheeled around quickly to face him, lifted her left front hoof, and pointed it at Dark Melvain, then she stomped her right, rear hoof loudly and quickly to the floor...

From high above the heavens, a huge fireball streaked blazingly down through obsidian and bedrock, into the cavern, and crashed loudly over Dark Melvain, crushing his huge body to the floor, breaking a lot of bones, and coating him with red hot lava. It quickly enveloped Dark Melvain, as he screamed. He didn't scream for very long.

Dark Melvain exploded again, just like he did last time we killed him. The flash was very bright. The growing mushroom cloud lit up the cavern. We could clearly see the gates of Hades some distance beyond where Dark Melvain was. They were huge. They looked like a much larger version of the gate complex marking the entrance to Dark Melvain's Bastion. But even with all the light, we couldn't see the roof of the cavern. Well, we were pretty far away from Dark Melvain's explosion, and the extra light quickly subsided. Still, Summer was holding up her right front hoof, and the resulting shield blocked the small shock-wave that approached us.

"Those three drops on my flank are not what make me the Phantom Alicorn... And true friendship is the only way to really live..." Summer said quietly, slowly.

And with that, all the bits and pieces that were Dark Melvain shot quickly and directly, back through the gates of Hades, and he was gone... back where he belonged...

That obnoxious tune in the background... It was immediately quiet...

Sitting facing each other, hugging tightly, Summer and I just cried... together...

---

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Author's Note:

(1) "The Serpentine Labyrinth" from the Forever Today addition to the OST for the Seekers of Adoulin expansion of Final Fantasy XI