The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 12 -- Sweep of Time

by shysage

Chapter 11, Same Page

It was pretty late at night, and a high, almost full moon cast its soft glow. The huge meadow in front of the Audience Hall on the top deck of that strange multi-level mountain that Canterlot was built on; that meadow was full of ponies from all over Equestria. Most had galloped all night the night before to get here. We were sure that Cel, er Princess Celestia, she was somewhere out there, probably near the center of that adoring throng.

Shysage and I were sitting near one of the front corners of the front facing wall of the Audience Hall. This was Cel's Equestria, and we didn't need to be involved with this. Hopefully our actions had helped Cel, and had averted whatever the madness it was that had tried to creep into Equestria. In my mind, I scoffed again at that stallion's phrase 'some form of representative government' or something. It sounded like a recipe for removing those ruling from those they ruled, if you ask me. And Shysage and I both knew that Dark Melvain would repeatedly attack in years to come. Well, that was not so much our concern at the moment. Equestria had rules and laws evidently, and all Cel had to do was remind the Guard Captain about that. And I guess we gave Cel that ability. Hopefully Shysage and I did that in a way that rescued the future without changing it. Well, we had not disappeared yet, anyway.

Surely after midnight, almost as one, the sea of ponies laid down in the grass. It sounded like Princess Celestia said a few things that we couldn't make heads or tails, then it was mostly quiet. Nopony came up to us, so I guessed that Equestria's amazing Princess was sleeping in the meadow with her treasures, her ponies, Equestria's ponies. She could have moved to her room, but... Not even Shysage and I... Equestria's ponies were Cel's life. That's where she belonged, I guess. But we did notice a substantial guard presence around the outer edges of the ponies near us. Maybe the guards got their sense back too, and were trying to protect their Princess. This was good.

It was warm, but there was a little breeze directly across the meadow, so Shysage and I moved just around the corner, out of the breeze. We had not moved far around that corner, but we were basically together and alone then. I don't know... Maybe out of habit, I laid on my belly along the wall of the Audience Hall, and Shysage was quickly on his belly on my other side, as close to me as he could get. We had spent the better part of the last three months sleeping like this in that prison cell. Of course, I shivered at that thought. We were back in Canterlot, and the same jail cell was very close. At least we were not fugatives here. We rubbed noses briefly, and said little. Between those three horrendous months, and the heart-breaking few days leading up to our mad dash for the Portal, all in our present... We were beat. And we were by ourselves. I think we just wanted to sleep in peace, for a little while at least...

Well, we slept. Maybe we over-slept. The sun was pretty high in the sky when Shysage woke me with a gentle poke of his nose. Cel was not far off, talking quietly with Mildred. Mildred, the master of details soon left, however. Mildred didn't seem especially comfortable around us, and Shysage and I knew why. There was nothing we could say, however. It didn't really matter.

Cel looked kindly at me as I got up, and she said quietly "Equestria's Shila. Mom, you've rescued us again. I hope that's the last--"

I jumped up and hugged Cel tightly. I doubt she understood why. Maybe Cel's anger in our present had wounded me more than I realized. I cried pretty hard as we hugged. Still, I tried to calm down.

Cel said quietly "I think you both need to come see this..." The she turned to walk off. Of course, Shysage and I followed Princess Celestia of Equestria.

As we rounded the corner, I gasped. The meadow in front of the Audience Hall was empty; that sea of ponies was gone.

Cel heard my gasp. Then she smiled, then sighed. "Yes, I sent them all home earlier this morning. All my amazing ponies, sending them off was hard. Still, they have their life..." Tears quickly filled her eyes, and we stopped and cried softly together for a few minutes. Cel pulled herself away, and said, again smiling "Mom, dad, you need to come see this." Cel walked off pretty fast towards the Audience Hall doors.

Well, Cel seemed like a completely different person; smiling, hopeful, in love with life... A lot more like the young mare Shysage and I remembered. Still, I winced again at that thought. Dark Melvain would do his best to take care of that...

Cel led us over to a stone monument that now stood in the center of the walk-way leading into the large double doors of the Audience Hall. The monument was made from the boulder that the Phantom Alicorn had formed in the Audience Hall last night, while trying to talk some sense into a young Unicorn... I guess it had been moved out here at some point. A flat face was then cut at an angle across the boulder. On that flat face were clearly engraved, in large letters, the following words...

Princess Celestia...
Princess Luna...
The two Appointed Ones...
...Are EQUESTRIA !!!"

I just cried. This was the Equestria I grew up in. This was the Equestria I had risked my life for repeatedly, and even died for... This Equestria was worth everything Shysage and I had been through... We all cried together softly, hugging, for a few more minutes.

Well, Cel saw that we needed to stop hugging and calm down. "Mom..." she said this softly, then Shysage and I turned around, and stood next to Cel, looking away from the stone monument.

It was clear some sort of honor guard (Shysage's words) was now stationed behind us, waiting for the attention of Equestria's Princess. The Guard Captain and maybe 20 other guards, fully uniformed, were bowing in sort of a semi-circle facing us.

It was quiet for a minute, then the Guard Captain spoke up.

"As commander in chief of Equestria's Guard Corps, I, Captain Hawkmeer, along with these loyal guards, report for active duty to Equestria's ruling Princesses, and sware full and complete allegiance, on all matters, at any cost, to the kingdom of Equestria. We are here at your service."

It was quiet a minute. Cel, er Princess Celestia was clearly deep in thought. Then she carefully answered with this.

"Captain Hawkmeer, your service to Equestria has been fully received. You are fully authorized to return to your duties, and remain available to enforce the current form of the EGC, and to further carry out any of the ruling Princesses' directives."

As Equestria's Princess smiled, the guards were quickly off and about their business. Cel said quietly, almost under her breath "I think I did the right thing." I had to agree, this was a welcome change, although this whole interchange sounded vaguely familiar.

We followed Cel off into the meadow. The grass was all matted and flat, like thousands of ponies had walked over it. Still, Cel laid on her belly in the grass facing the edge of the meadow, with miles of Equestria arching away beyond. Without thinking or talking, Shysage and I laid on our bellies, on either side of Cel.

It was quiet for a few minutes. Cel said softly, still looking out across Equestria "I remember from your last visit that you... couldn't tell me things... and couldn't, maybe shouldn't stay a long time. Without causing any problems, can I ask how long you both can stay with me?"

I was doing ok until Cel added this last phrase "...with me..." I again felt so torn, and if Cel only knew what lay ahead... I tried to stem a raging torrent, and just wept softly. And I think Shysage had the same problem. Neither of us answered. Well the truth is that neither Shysage nor I could answer.

Cel just sighed, and said quietly "Well, I will be happy for a couple days with my mom and dad."

Shysage answered, with great difficulty "Cel, that will be fine."

Cel got up, and we all hugged for a little while. I think we all needed it.

Mildred walked up, then apologized. Cel and Mildred talked briefly, then Mildred walked quickly back up to the Audience Hall.

Cel sighed, then said "Equestria awaits... I have just a few appointments, then I would like for us to fly back down to the tree together.

Well, I tried to paste on a smile.

Cel continued "Would you like to stay with me, or would you prefer to wait in my bedroom?

Shysage was able to talk at least. He said slowly, carefully "I think we would prefer your bedroom unless you think we should accompany you."

Cel smiled. "My appointments are basic decisions. I will walk you to my room, then try to get them done quickly and return."

So that's what we did. And it was only after we knew Cel was clearly far away, that I could stem the torrent no longer. Shysage and I cried together, hugging. Maybe we were both a mess. We hurt for Cel, and the centuries that stretched forward for her, alone, with Dark Melvain making her life miserable every chance he got... And then our present... A lot just hurt, I don't know. But after a while, Shysage thought we should try and calm down, so we did.

I guess when we thought of coming here, we hoped it would be easier here than in our present. I think we were having a hard time. I think we hoped we could leave the future behind when we came here. We just couldn't. We simply could not stop the sweep of time... for us... Since the day we were thrown in jail, all we had known was mounting pain, staggering loss... And to cry with our family and realize the pain spread far beyond... We just couldn't... "Shysage, what monster are we facing right now? This is just..." I said this, then started crying again, and Shysage did too. We hugged and cried together a few minutes more, then we worked on calming down.

It was quiet for a while; I just hugged my Stallion tightly. Well, he really was all I had left. He is my world. Sitting, facing him, hugging... I really did begin to calm down. Shysage sighed a time or two, so maybe he felt the same way about me. After maybe half an hour of quiet, Shysage said softly, slowly "I know we both hurt a lot... It's not fair to Cel though..." That was Shysage, so concerned about Cel here in the Past. I just shook my head. Trying to protect Princess Celestia in the Past from pain Princess Celestia had caused in our present... It was just too much for me. Well, we loved Cel, and no matter what. And Shysage was right anyway. We needed to give Cel the family she needed here and now.

Shysage and I rested in each other's hug for a few minutes, and I tried to work up the happiest attitude and outlook that I could. Maybe that was as important for Cel right now as being the Phantom Alicorn and helping her confront her Guard Captain.

Cel walked into her room a few minutes later. She was smiling, so we tried to smile too. She noticed us hugging immdiately and said quietly, like the little girl she used to be "Aww, family hug, I want in..." Of course, we all hugged together for a little while. We were all crying softly before long. Such loving hugs were probably already few and far between for Princess Celestia of Equestria...

Cel pulled away before too long, and said quietly "Let's fly down to our tree." I thought "yes, Princess", but of course we were soon walking through the now empty Audience Hall, out the big doors and into the warmth of the afternoon sun. We walked lazily across the meadow over to the edge of the top deck of this strange mountain. Cel laughed as she jumped off the edge, and quickly, expertly trimmed into a slow glide. That laugh... It was the same one we heard the first time we had brought Cel and Lu up here, hundreds of years ago now. I worked at not crying. Cel was clearly back to normal, and a part of me deeply wanted back the two amazing years we had spent raising Cel and Lu. We wanted the past back. Well, it just hurt. Still, I quickly caught up with Cel, and Shysage followed.

We landed cautiously on the road leading out of the garrison still at Coptol. We walked slowly to the big tree, then down to the river bank. Wow, everything looked the same as the years we had spent... And it was a nice, warm afternoon... So many memories flooded quickly back, I guess I wasn't the only one; the three of us were quickly crying together. Cel cried pretty hard, and, at one point "I hope Lu comes back soon..." We all cried harder after that... It would still be 980 years...

A number of guards had watched us land, and moved to the road above us. I think they were protecting Equestria's Princess.

Cel spent most of the afternoon crying. We were on our bellies, with Cel in the middle. We cried with Cel, of course. And we knew that this would become a place of solace for Cel, a sanctuary of sorts for her. Well, maybe it had already become that. And our time here, crying with her now, that would help her for years. Still, late in the afternoon, Cel said softly "The guards want me back in Canterlot before evening. I think we should head back soon." We sat together and hugged a while more, then we walked slowly back up to the road, then flew even more slowly up to the top level of Canterlot. Shysage was still having a hard time flying.

As the sun dipped towards the horizon, it blanketed Equestria with a dazzling orange tint, as the countryside stretched off for miles to the west. When Shysage and I landed, Cel had already briefly talked with a guard. She came back, and flopped down on the grass facing the setting sun. Again, Shysage and I were on our bellies on either side of her. Shysage's breathing slowly returned to normal, but besides that, it was quiet as we all watched the sun set together. There, in that calmness... Princess Celestia was back where she belonged, and we were at her side... The view was very beautiful... Shysage was close... Maybe we could do this...

"It seems clear to me that you are both hurting deeply. I don't know the cause, or if I should even know what the cause is. I am still troubled by it though. I love you both so much, and you have done everything conceivable to help Lu and I, and if there is anything I can do..." Cel said this quietly, breaking the silence.

Maybe crying all afternoon helped me. I sniffled, but I said quietly "Cel, we will do anything we can to help you..."

I think Shysage knew far better, both what was going on, and what needed to happen. After some thought, he said quietly "Cel, what do you know about where we come from?" I realized right away where Shysage was tip-toeing, and we had to be very very careful here. But I think... Our family tried to avoid keeping secrets...

Cel answered carefully. "I... know you are both from our... future. Old Pony sounds absolutely barbaric compared to the way you and mom taught us to talk. And that change in our language seemed to lift our whole culture..."

As I cringed, Shysage said quietly... Well, he told Cel the truth... "Cel, in our present, something angered you, and you threw us in jail, for months, with no explanation... It hurt so..." Then Shysage cried... hard... I guess the way Cel in the present had treated us, maybe it hurt Shysage the most, I don't know.

Cel's eyes were huge, and she got out "Dad, I would never..." We got up and hugged, and cried together for a while more. It felt like Cel here in the Past was as mystified at this chain of events as we were. We cried for a while. But it felt like we were all on the same page now. And, at one point as we cried, Cel said "This just makes me want to keep you here..." I think we all cried harder at that thought. I knew Shysage and I, part of us just wanted away... But our family... Our future...

We cried together for a while, an hour or two maybe. Cel was crying with us, and she hurt with us. What a twist... As the stars twinkled brightly, and the full moon rose slowly, we laid back down on our bellies together and worked on calming down.

"...So you came back to the past, just in time to rescue Equestria again..." Cel is such a smart girl. But after a minute maybe, she added "I love you both so much... I can't see anything..."

Ok, so we wept softly together a while more. What happened in our present, well Shysage and I had no clue either...

The moon was high when we all managed to calm down. I wonder if Shysage felt like I did; I felt bad that we had made Cel feel bad. I didn't know how else to avoid...

Cel just sighed... "Mom, dad, I will always love you both, no matter what..."

After crying together a few minutes more, Cel led us to her room. With mom and dad on either side, Princess Celestia of Equestria was soon asleep.

Maybe fifteen minutes later, Shysage whispered to me. "We need to let this go, so it can recede from Cel's thoughts. I just don't want..."

Shysage didn't finish. We were soon asleep too.

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