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

Chapters

Chapter 2, Soul Searching
Chapter 3, Swept Away
Chapter 4, Swept Away
Chapter 5, Abandoned
Chapter 7, Undercover
Chapter 8, Blind Leap
Chapter 9, Lasting Impression
Chapter 10, Born to Do
Chapter 11, Same Page
Chapter 12, Cleaning Day
Chapter 13, Bad to Worse
Chapter 14, More Reeling
Chapter 15, Snow Pony
Chapter 16, No Pathway Home
Chapter 18, Grim Prospects
Abandoned
Chapter 1, Snow Pony
Chapter 6, Not Even Family
Chapter 17, Trending Down

Chapter 2, Soul Searching

As soon as the sound of the guards died away, the music in the background changed distinctly(1). Well, this wasn't reassuring music anyway; it was ominous... After that, we were alone in that jail cell for hours. We heard nopony, we saw nopony. We talked some, and I calmed down as we warmed back up. Well, we were in a jail cell, so it wasn't warm, but out of the icy wind...

Shysage pointed out what I had already guessed. "Summer, this is our jail cell..." We had been in this very jail cell, this very room, on numerous occasions, both in the Past, and recently. Some of these times were absolutely horrible, but others were definitely not. We had no idea why we were in here now, but at this point we weren't too concerned. Especially after Shysage said softly "Hmm... We are together and alone. Is that safe?" I just smiled. Shysage laid on his belly on the smooth cobblestone floor in roughly the center of the room, with his hind legs out to the side, and I laid down the same way, and snuggled up to him as close as I could. It was cold, but since there was no wind, and my Stallion was behind me, I was fine. I think he was too. He tried to explain that the ground would keep these small basement rooms from getting too cold, but I didn't really understand. I just leaned back on him when he was done, and pressed my nose up against his. Being in jail like this wasn't so bad I guess, with Shysage next to me. Still, we had no clue...

For hours, we said little, and just enjoyed being together and alone. We tried to ignore that tune in the background. Ariel was with Shyna and my sister Fluttershy, so we didn't worry about her. I think neither Shysage nor I had any idea what was going on. Again, all we could do was wait. I don't think either of us minded, not yet. We didn't own anything, and, whether in the Canterlot Recorder's house, or in this jail cell... Being together, we were fine. We both sighed a lot, and spent most of the time rubbing noses. Then it got dark... And it got cold...

The rest of that day, and all of the next... Nopony... Nopony came... Nopony even came down the stairs to the hall outside our jail cell... Maybe we were the only 'prisoners'... Shysage told me once about places far underground that French kings (whoever they were) had in their castles. They would put their enemies down there, then pretty much just forget about them. That's what it felt like for us. It never got painfully cold, but the shivering... Shysage would quickly take care of my shivering by wrapping himself around me in the corner. But then, he just shivered.

And they only occasionally remembered to bring us food and water... Well, that second day we got our first meagre rations. But, I wanted to ask... well... Princess Celestia, if we could at least talk to our daughter Ariel. So, the second day we were there in that jail, as the guard brought us our food (about tossed it at us), I said quietly "Sir, can you ask Princess Cel--"

Interrupting me, he shouted back loudly and quickly "I HAVE MY ORDERS. THERE IS TO BE ABSOLUTELY NO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU TWO PONIES AND ANYPONY ELSE IN ALL EQUESTRIA." That was all he said, then he slammed the door shut and walked quickly off.

That sent me into a tail-spin I think. I couldn't even see my own daughter? ...or Shyna or Fluttershy? Our amazing Princess? Maybe somepony was keeping Cel and Lu away too, we didn't know... What kind of Equestria? Just last week, Shysage and I had read through Dark Melvain together, and cried a lot... After all that, now this?

Shysage held me for a few days straight, as I cried in his embrace. Well, we cried together. And, just once, Shysage said softly "Summer, even Ariel belongs to Equestria. We need to be patient. Everything will work out." That was all he said, although he didn't sound real convinced himself. We cried together the rest of that day, but the next day I think I felt a little better. And Shysage took care of his Princess under a mostly full moon that night. Well, we were locked in our jail cell, but still. That had not stopped us in the past either. I love my Stallion.

Still, those next few days in that jail cell were the hardest, I think. From helping Camille with her Snow Pony, to... here... Like I said, most nights we cried a lot, and Shysage just hugged me tightly. From there, the week just seemed to drag painfully on. And that tune in the background, we just couldn't get away from it...

But this was all my idea. On day 6 in jail I think, I started thinking through reasons why somepony might want us in here. I didn't tell Shysage about this, I just started asking him some questions. I think he quickly understood what I was doing.

...

"Shysage, are we in here because of all the physical stuff we included in the Chronicles?" I asked this out of nowhere. Shysage wasn't angry at all, and spent a few minutes deep in thought.

Then he asked me a question. "Summer, should the putting others first of true friendship extend to physical intimacy as well?"

I didn't answer; I just hugged him tightly. He knew what I was saying, of course it should. Talking slowly, he said this.

"On both sides of the Portal, physical intimacy is far more often a matter of somepony taking from another. I think most of the physical stuff we included tries to show both that true friendship focuses on giving, not taking, and also that when both focus on giving, the results are amazing--"

Shysage had to stop right there, he was starting to cry. We both knew this was true. Even in the area of physical intimacy, the more you give, far more will you receive. We both knew and felt that.

Shysage tried to calm down, then he continued.

"There is a lot of damage being done in this area; the number of helpless victims is not so slowly growing, on both sides of the Portal I think. And it seems like nopony is... Who will try to protect the victims? Who will stand up and speak for them; they surely can't say anything or do anything themselves.

"I remember translating a text from old pony once. It basically read that the kingdom that doesn't take care of its mares destroys itself. I didn't think much of it at the time. But that is a pretty sobering warning. And this one area might just be a pretty good indication of how a pony approaches all of their life, I don't know.

"Well, we have taken the opportunity as we could, to at least highlight the problem, to call attention to the victims, but still. I doubt those who have benefitted from the current state of affairs will appreciate us surfacing that. And, I remember reading somewhere else; the pairing of anger and 'sexual liberty' seemed to be a rather ominous thing.

"I can see even thinking like this getting us in trouble..."

...

"What about true friend?" I think Shysage was already thinking ahead about some of these reasons. Again, he was deep in thought for a little while, then he talked slowly.

"For young ponies especially... It is easy to think that a pony has Equestria by the tail, that nothing can ever go wrong, that everything is firmly under control. It doesn't take many years, or some random tragedy, or a big bully to disprove that myth. Nopony is big enough to body-tackle Equestria, and the thousands of other ponies in it.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we need help, help far beyond ourselves. The more years we live, the more we realize how true that is. That's where true friend comes in, I don't know. It is not like we just made him up, he is very real, and we have relied on him for years, and have seen him step in as the need arose.

"I think there may be some who would say that we didn't take true friend far enough, that he is somehow defective as we have described him. Well, he can do anything, and he expects us to give him everything. He wants us to live towards the ponies around us like the same true friend he is to us. I don't know of any man-made deity who can do that. Dropping a name would not...

"Others would probably resent the notion that we need help beyond ourselves to even cope with a difficult life. Perhaps some ponies in this group have sworn off the need for help entirely, and so simply wage a valiant effort to prop up the myth of self-sufficiency, even as life blasts away at that myth. Still, they won't like the Chronicles either.

"I guess we can't keep everypony happy..."

...

Shysage thought a bit more, then anticipated this one.

"Well, some ponies are simply bullies, and they cope with life by trampling over, and taking from other ponies -- emotionally, physically... even sexually... Bullying is surely wrong, but it is unfortunately how some ponies choose to live. These ponies probably loath the chronicles for painting them as they really are.

"But the usually helpless ponies being bullied need to understand what is going on. Some other pony trampling and taking, that is simply not right. Even if you can't stop it, at least understanding what is going on is crucial. Ponies being bullied really are mostly helpless victims, and need to realize that. And sometimes just getting away can help...

"I don't know..."

...

"Maybe I just spelled my name wrong..." I looked lovingly at my Stallion. This was just a bad joke... That other ponies would resent a name...

Still, inside, I just shrugged. Maybe our writing was just bad. Maybe there was some other issue... We just didn't know...

...

As our jail cell began to darken quickly that night, I asked Shysage this. "What about Orbsah Tnuoc?" I didn't need to add anything to it. We both were pretty sure we saw him in the middle of the commons lawn, the afternoon we were wrenched from Camille and her Snow Pony, and whisked to Canterlot on a feezing day, and thrown into this jail cell. And this question really had nothing to do with why we were in here. It was more the cry of my heart, I don't know...

Shysage frowned, then sighed. "Well, I have no idea..." He was quiet for a few minutes, and we both teared up together. Then he said, slowly "Well, I am pretty sure we helped him... But now..." Shysage said nothing more. Well, here we were. What could we do... He was the Keeper of Equestria... We were... here...

...

And I wanted to ask about the magic of friendship. I thought Equestria valued, even treasured that. Shysage and I, we certainly do. But I guess I was realizing... maybe in this Equestria...

We both sighed together...

Hurting and waiting...

Author's Note

(1) "Forbidden Seal" from the "Treasures of Aht Urgan" expansion OST for FFXI, copyright by Square Enix.

Chapter 3, Swept Away

The next day, I think it was day 7... After we both woke up in the morning, we realized that the music in the background had stopped. It was completely quiet. In the past, the tunes that flowed slowly through our thoughts had been helpful in varying degrees, to alert us, maybe even prepare us. Now, nothing... And I guess, where the jail was situated in Canterlot, we could not hear anypony outside our jail cell either, I don't know. It was completely quiet. Well, we were hungry too, but that...

We couldn't change anything, but we were trying to develop a routine, at least. Like we had been doing, we moved out of the corner, and into the center of the room. It was the middle of winter, but we hoped we could catch some warm sunlight. It didn't happen often, but we hoped, anyway. Shysage laid down on his belly facing the window, and I laid down right next to him and did my best to snuggle as close to him as I could. I love my Stallion deeply, and I also stayed comfortable that way. If it was clear, maybe some sun... We wept softly most of most days now. We talked little because there was not much to say. All we could do was wait... This just all seemed so wrong... And some food would be nice...

Well, it was maybe hours later... "Shysage, I wonder why Cel..."

I stopped right there; a new tune lept to life(1)...

We heard a number of ponies loudly making their way down the stairs to our jail block. Since hearing ANY sound here, it had been many days... Shysage and I both got up, then sat down, right where we had been laying in the center of the jail cell, but we sat together, facing the door.

An uncharacteristically impatient Princess soon walked quickly into our jail cell, followed by two frowning guards. It had been days, and nopony had told us anything... Still, I tried to ask softly "Cel, I--"

"SILENCE!" came her abrupt, immediate, loud response, and this single word echoed down the long hall, through the maybe 15 other jail cells on this lowest floor. She didn't stop. "I AM PRINCESS CELESTIA OF EQUESTRIA AND YOU WILL ADDRESS ME PROPERLY OR FACE STIFF CONSEQUENCES!" Cel... was glaring, scowling at both Shysage and I...

Well, I was speechless, and I am pretty sure Shysage was too. I don't think either of us knew what to make of this change in Cel, er Princess Celestia. It was silent for a minute maybe. Then another Unicorn stallion walked calmly into the jail cell and stood next to Princess Celestia.

This explained most everything. The music in the background agreed, changing abruptly and immediately... Since the very first Chronicles... Monster music(2)...

It was the exact same stallion who had kicked Shysage across the Canterlot Library lobby recently, because... well... I guess he refused to explain to Shysage how the Chronicles included so much deadly poison. That whole incident mystified me anyway. But here he was, with a clearly triumphant smirk on his face, too. We knew that, maybe 35 years in the future, this same stallion would do the same thing to Shysage's Twin (Equestria Girls Shysage), and would also get a much needed time-out with three huge black panthers screaming in his face. That didn't matter, here he was now.

After that stallion came in, it was quiet another minute, well, except for that sinister music. The Princess of Equestria was looking down at us both, with a mixture of anger and maybe disdain, I think. What had we... But all this time, Cel, er Princess Celestia was using her magic to carry a stack of large volumes. At that point, she moved them forward, and over to the corner of our jail cell closest to the door, and unceremoniously dropped the entire stack to the floor. They made a loud 'thwack' sound as they hit the floor, then tumbled randomly all over the place. I recognized them right away -- the various volumes of Chronicles of Summer Rain, probably from the Canterlot Library.

I... Why...

Princess Celestia didn't leave us guessing.

"YOU WILL BOTH WRITE A CAREFUL AND DETAILED RECANTATION AND APOLOGY FOR EVERY SINGLE LIE CONTAINED IN EACH OF THESE VOLUMES."

This was too much for me. I looked down, and began to weep as softly as I could. Shysage quickly put one of his front legs around my neck, and pulled me close. Princess Celestia of Equestria unflinchingly continued.

"YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THIS JAIL CELL UNTIL THIS TASK IS COMPLETED ACCORDING TO OUR APPROVAL."

She didn't stop there...

"YOUR ASSIGNMENT AS CANTERLOT RECORDERS IS HEREBY COMPLETELY AND PERMANENTLY REVOKED, AS IS YOUR USE OF THE RESIDENCE IN PONYVILLE.

...

"HEREAFTER YOU ARE BANISHED FROM PONYVILLE, FROM CANTERLOT, AND FROM TALKING TO OR MAKING ANY CONTACT WITH ANY OF EQUESTRIA'S PRINCESSES OR THEIR CLOSE ASSOCIATES AND FRIENDS...

...

"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" Princess Celestia asked loudly.

Well, I could not say anything. I was sobbing... This... was... Shysage quietly said all he could say... "Yes..."

"GOOD" she said, loudly, curtly and clearly with disdain.

Princess Celestia yelled at the nearby guards.

"GUARDS, THESE TWO PONIES ARE TO BE FED THE FOOD OF AFFLICTION AND THE WATER OF AFFLICTION UNTIL WE RELEASE THEM."

And with that, Princess Celestia of Equestria turned quickly and walked swiftly out of the jail cell, and was... gone...

...

The angry stallion remained. He was also using his magic to carry a load of stuff, which he likewise moved to a different corner, the corner nearest to the other corner with the tumbled pile of books. The angry stallion carelessly dropped his pile of stuff on the floor in this other corner. His load of stuff was evidently our recantation writing supplies; paper, a few quills, some jars of ink. The ink jars all shattered when they hit the floor.

The angry stallion, after dumping his stuff in the corner, stood there a minute or so, and glared at us both, as the ink from the broken jars flowed quickly into the cracks in the floor...

Shysage smiled, and looked at the angry stallion.

"Lies?" Shysage asked calmly. "Can you explain a little more what we are to be looking for?" Shysage, well we had never ever been given ANY explanation of that... The broken ink jars... No description about what we were to recant... It was clear to me anyway that their only goal was keeping us in jail...

But the angry stallion was instantly furious. He yelled at Shysage

"WORTHLESS STALLION! LIES! POISON! ALL OF IT! AND YOU BOTH WILL STAY HERE... UNTIL... I... SAY... SO!"

Shysage remained calm, even though I wanted to kick this Unicorn across our jail cell.

With neither anger nor resentment, Shysage asked quietly "So... How is it against the law now, to have an unpopular opinion?" Shysage paused briefly, then continued. "Only totalitarian governments try to control thoughts; are afraid of thoughts. But then, you are so smart you probably already know that..."

The angry stallion was furious... He glared at Shysage for the longest time.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT, WORTHLESS STALLION! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU BOTH!"

The angry stallion was livid... Clearly in a huff, he turned quickly, and stomped out of the jail cell. One of the Guards slammed the door for the jail cell loudly shut behind him, and that sound too reverberated down the jail block for a while.

The music in the background changed immediately. I knew the tune, "Faded Memories..."(4) I guess that was all we were allowed now...

...

For a few minutes, Shysage and I just sat there, failing to come to grips with what had just happened.

Then I got up, sniffling, and walked over towards the pile of recantation writing supplies, which had already started to merge into an inky mess on the floor. I looked at them briefly from a distance. Then I pointed at them with my left front hoof, and tapped my right rear hoof gently to the floor of the jail cell. The pile of recantation stuff immediately burst into flame, and was soon a smouldering pile of ashes.

Shysage was up too, and changed to a people briefly, then he carefully, lovingly restacked the various volumes of the Chronicles, placing them in the correct order, and with the title on the spines all going the same way even.

Then Shysage turned back into a pony, walked over to the same spot on the floor in the center of our cell where he was before, and he laid back on his belly with this hind legs out to the side. I was quickly back right next to him, laying the same way. I leaned back and nudged his nose with mine. We rubbed noses there briefly.

...

Still, my mind was trying to sift through what happened... At one point, I asked "Shysage, is this our new home?" He didn't answer. I don't think either of us knew the answer... It sure looked like it...

...

Some time later... "Shysage, is this the Bully Culture starting here in Equestria already?" This made sense, since we had visited the future recently, and this was certainly an issue in Equestria's fall. Shysage didn't answer this question either. We both knew we would just need to wait in order to find out. The prospect of 35 years stuck here in jail wasn't appealing, but could explain...

...

Shysage was deep in thought. A while later, Shysage said quietly "Banished to obscurity by angry ponies..."

I just sighed when Shysage said this. I agreed with him. For us, this was not about fame or recognition at all. We wanted to help ponies. Shysage and I, we wanted to help as many ponies as we could. We wanted to help hurting mares and stallions try to make sense out of whatever difficulties they faced. Bullies especially, ponies needed to recognize them for the 'takers' that they are, and try to deal with or endure, whichever... Helping others, that's what true friends do. That's why bleacher girls time is such a treasure to us both. The thousands of hurting ponies spread across Equestria, and the Equestria Girls world too; we wanted to help them cope, maybe even survive another day. But we couldn't do that if angry ponies...

Saying what other ponies want to hear, thinking the way other ponies demand, maybe that was supposed to be more important than helping hurting ponies? That just seemed so wrong to me, to us.

Well, I guess none of that even mattered now...

...

It didn't take long... Shysage and I were soon crying loudly together...

...

Princess Twilight and all her girls... Cel and Lu... Our amazing Equestria Girls Twins... Our amazing neighbor Dawn and her daughter Camille... My sister Fluttershy... Even our own daughter Ariel... Then I sighed... And true friendship...

A life so full of such amazing treasures...

...Swept away by angry ponies...

...

I guess it hit us both... They were tearing everything down... everything we had done, all the time we had invested... Everything we had worked for... for years... ...Swept away... Like it never happened...

...

The Magic of Friendship? In its place, all we saw was anger, hatred, selfishness...

...

Surely Orbsah Tnuoc knew this would tear his kingdom apart...

...

Shysage and I, we cried our hearts out for... hours... days...

...

One day, near sundown, we were cried out and hoarse, I think... We both felt so... spent... abandoned... We just lay there together, still stunned...

At the last light of dusk...

I bent far back, so I could see Shysage's eyes. I said quietly, trying hard to not cry...

"Shysage, I still have you..."

Author's Note

I think this tune is called "Keepers of the Wild", it is the background for the dreaded WKR battles in FFXI, from the OST for the Seekers of Adoulin expansion, everything copyright by Square Enix.
"The Serpentine Labyrinth" from the "Forever Today" add-on to the OST for the Seekers of Adoulin expansion for FFXI, copyright by Square Enix.
"Faded Memories", the Empty zone BGM from the "Chains of Promethia" expansion for FFXI, copyright by Square Enix.

Chapter 4, Swept Away

I guess I am getting pretty good at realizing when something is bothering Shysage. He has been through so much... "Shysage, what is it..." I asked gently.

He sighed first, then said slowly "I... It's sad that we won't be doing your amazing stories for a little while. I so enjoyed..."

As Shysage's words trailed off, I hugged him, then gently reminded him "Well, we do have some other projects we need to do now too, and that software program... and since you work full time..." I didn't really need to say any more. Writing the Chronicles was, is amazing, but takes a lot of what little 'extra' time we have. We both hoped we could get back to it soon.

Well, he smiled at me, and that was an accomplishment. "I love you so much Summer, I hope you know that." We hugged again. But it wasn't long before he was slowly looking around our room. I could guess what would come next. We live in an 80" cube, literally, in the living room of a very small house, and not just us. Most of this 80" was our bed. Definitely not optimum, and I knew this really bugs Shysage. I anticipated what he might say, and just said softly, from part of a story we recently wrote "I can still find you" then I smiled at him. I think we really need each other. And the, well, 'austerity' of our lives, this part of the Chronicles is not made up.

We hugged a little while, then Shysage smiled at me again (another accomplishment), and said quietly "I wish we could move to Equestria, if only for a short time. Just us, in the middle of nowhere, together and alone and close..." We would both enjoy that, I'm sure. We are true friends to the people around us here; it's just that there are so many people... Even when we sleep, there are lots of people nearby. We are sort of downtown... It is seldom quiet... The wide-open expanse of Equestria would be heaven for us. Writing about it is easy enough, but... Well, we would love to live in a setting like that. We just can't. I guess we can barely afford this. But it is home. And we are together. I typed this last sentence in, and Shysage worked at not crying.

Still, I could tell Shysage was drifting off into his thoughts again. He was vaguely frowning but I could feel it so I knew. He knew I knew, and didn't wait for me to ask. Yes, we are both Fluttershys. That part of the Chronicles is real too. Shysage sighed again. "Somepony else will probably find a way to make tons of money off your amazing Chronicles... We don't know anything about that, I'm just a worker bee... We couldn't even afford to do anything if we had to..."

I knew the answer to this too. We were sitting on our bed, so it was easy to hug him again. We both knew he needed that; he was near tears. Maybe I needed it too. We hug a lot. Still, I gently reminded him... "Shysage, why did we start the Chronicles in the first place?"

Shysage hugged me back, then said quietly, slowly "Summer, you are right. We started these stories for true friend, and he pretty much gave us most of them. I certainly couldn't come up with that stuff... It is all so amazing to me, and we still cry when we read them through. I guess the rest is up to him though" We talked to true friend together, right then. That part of the Chronicles is real too. True friend has a name, but...

It was quiet for a few minutes.

"At least that bully is gone..." Shysage volunteered that, then he sighed. We had written a lot of the Chronicles while a huge bully, living in the same house, kept his boot over my Shysage's throat as often as he could. The fact that we could write anything during that time was, is amazing. We most often dealt with that by leaving, spending a few hours (writing) at a local burger joint, when we could anyway. But yes, he was finally gone. We both hugged tightly and sighed again at the same time. That had been a difficult few years... I think we both fought back tears. We were in the living room, and weren't alone... in our 80" cube, but not alone... We are trying to get used to it.

I looked at the alarm clock. "Shysage, we should get to sleep..."

"Ugh, I hate getting up so early..." he said slowly.

Neither of us like getting up early; 6 a.m. give or take. And with daylight savings time... "Shysage, at least we can run together." I smiled, but I knew he knew... We got up early so we could maybe have a bunch of daylight left, to run together, write, enjoy a walk at the beach, or whatever else we needed to do (chores more often than not). But this didn't make getting up any easier.

We were still dressed, and Shysage carefully guided me down onto our pillow. He kneeled on the floor next to me as I lay there. His head was close; he looked deep into my eyes, and I returned his amazing gaze.

We both said together, to each other, and at the same time...

"I still have you..."

We were at work one day. I go to work with Shysage every day, and enjoy every minute. I just sit next to him; I really don't do anything... Well Shysage said that sounded so wrong. He said just having me near him like that is huge. I think I value that as much as he does. That is how I spend most of my days, at work with him. We wrote recently about him being underfoot, I think was the word I used. And yes, that is never a problem. We are always together. It is just that, we just so desperately need each other... But here at work... It just seems that such an arrangement is rather rare here. I don't know...

Shysage is, well, he does a lot of stuff, most things I just don't understand. Well, I understand that he is over-worked and under-paid. We are getting used to that too. It was early in the day though, and he was sitting at his work compy, working on an instruction manual, "the bane of writing", he calls it. I was sitting on the desk next to him, as close as I could get without getting in the way.

Still, I could just tell... Shysage started to have a LOT of problems focusing on what he was doing, proofing that instruction manual. As many Chronicles as we have done together... He faded from work, and I just knew... Deep in thought, he was just sitting there... He was writing... Well, he was thinking through storyline stuff... probably really just listening, as he was being told... I think he almost started crying a few times too, and said more than once "Oh, my goodness..." So I guess it was amazing. He told me briefly though, and I did start crying. It was... And we both knew... This was a gift... another one... Shysage is not about himself, and we both know that these stories... Well, we are entrusted with them, anyway. I don't think I can explain any more than that. We write them, get them typed in, a chapter at a time, and lately only one chapter every two weeks. Each new chapter still absolutely amazes us, and ends up so intricately weaving with previous and future chapters, often in ways we only see as we write them... And we often fight tears while writing. And when we get a big stretch of storyline like this...

It was quiet for a while, well over half an hour, as Shysage thought, listened, correlated... Then Shysage said quietly "We... can't... We just can't..."

I sighed... I guessed we couldn't, wouldn't stop. I didn't mind that, it's just such a tough audience, but that's where these stories really belong... It seems like one chapter a week was all we could manage, if that... And we posted a chapter at a time; we simply don't have the time to write the whole thing, then go back, and carefully interconnect each chapter... And we have always felt, maybe, some ponies might need just a little more hope to keep going... And we hoped every chapter we did just might... But we both wondered if readers were... Well, you can't grade a story based on just one chapter, I don't know...

Still, I guess we will keep going. It might be slow, but... For the handful that read, we hope these stories really are a gift from heaven... They are to us, anyway.

True friend, thank you...

Chapter 5, Abandoned

It felt like a long, cold winter. And that tune simmering in the background never left(1)... I guess jails are not intended to be easy. But it really did feel like we were being forgotten. As little as they fed us, Shysage was sure we were starving or near that. He usually let me eat everything. He insisted he had plenty stored up, and that not eating enough would affect me first. I think he really was just putting me first. We both do that a lot. Well, I am rather slight, I think is the word. I ate everything he said I could, which was usually everything. It still didn't seem like enough. Getting warm was a challenge too. Shysage usually kept me warm, but only by shivering himself. But, I think, in our minds, we were slipping... We couldn't go anywhere, we couldn't do anything... We usually just cried a lot together. I guess we just didn't know what else to do. It was like maybe we weren't supposed to do anything else... just lay here and cry...

After a month maybe, we thought about writing a letter to Cel... er Princess Celestia, or even writing a letter to our own daughter Ariel. We surely didn't even know what we were to recant in the Chronicles. Maybe we were supposed to recant absolutely everything. Maybe they were already doing that for us, I don't know. Still, we decided to approach the guard who brought us our next 'rations' (Shysage's word). This seemed to happen once a week, if we were lucky. Well, the guard yelled at us when I even tried to say anything, and he quickly slammed the door shut, and galloped off at that. Based on the complete absense of any other sound down here, I think we were the only prisoners in this jail block of forgetting...

Spring finally came. This brought a few changes for Shysage and I. They weren't much, but they were huge for us. It didn't get as cold at night, and we could actually count on maybe an hour of direct sunlight, which felt absolutely amazing. With no other changes (nothing else did change), Shysage and I actually began to feel better, well inside. I was with my Stallion. And, since we weren't spending all our time together huddled in a dark corner, trying to survive what Shysage called sub-zero temperatures... And it wasn't always drab and dim in our jail cell even at noon... Of course, I had to wonder if Princess Celestia had the Weather Works in Cloudsdale turned off for the winter, just on our account, just to make our lives... Never mind... Well, something was going on, we just didn't know what it was, and we evidently weren't supposed to know...

The first truly warm night, the first night it was not freezing cold, it was a beautiful full moon on a cloudless night. I had been watching the moon, quietly, just hoping... It had been months for me... But it wasn't Shysage's fault, or mine either. We both felt so beat up emotionally... The way Cel had treated us, well it hurt monstrously... Then being forgotten down here... And some days it was too cold to even move... Well, I don't know how, but we had survived that, together. I treasure feeling like a princess, but only because I treasure Shysage giving that to me. I was convinced he would when he could, when he could bring himself to give me that. Still, that particular night, we slept in our corner, on our bellies, right next to each other. I was next to the wall, and Shysage was right next to me, on my other side. Through this nightmare, freezing winter, at least that hadn't changed. Shysage was always at my side.

And I had to fight back tears... Throughout our time here as real prisoners, Shysage had never even so much as snapped at me... This was tough, horrible for both of us, but the last three months maybe; well he protected me, he cherished me, he loved me, absolutely every second of our time here. Even in jail, Shysage was a true friend... my Stallion...

I awoke later to a breeze; Shysage was not right next to me any more. It was probably the middle of the night. I saw Shysage right away; he was sitting in the middle of the light of the full moon, as it bathed the floor of this jail cell. Well, it bathed the small amount that came past the bars in the tiny window... Shysage was sitting there, facing that small window, motionless. His head was slightly up, and his eyes were closed. I got up and walked slowly over and sat down right next to him, then leaned up against him. I only then noticed that tears slowly fell from his eyes, then dropped to the floor. I guess he had been sitting here a while.

I thought at first that he was just sad that he could not take care of me, that he still couldn't bring himself to make me feel like his princess. Like I said, it had been a while. Even for the two weeks I was a lost blue pony in the Past, for Shysage to not be able to give me that, well it crushed him.

For a while, we just sat there, in the moonlight, motionless. Well, we are both Fluttershys; I soon felt what he was, and I was quickly weeping softly too.

Abandoned...

After a while, the moon slowly shifted, and we lost our direct moonlight. Shysage had not moved at all since I came over and sat next to him. When we lost our moonlight, Shysage said quietly "Mare, we are done here..." He paused briefly. Honestly, I was not really sure what he had in mind. Shysage continued. "Summer, we have both had enough. This treatment is byzantine... unconscionable..." I didn't know what this all meant, but it sounded bad.

And I didn't say anything back. All along, we knew that, as the Phantom Alicorn, I could easily knock this back wall across the commons lawn, if it faced that direction (which it didn't). Shysage and I, we are law abiding citizens, and we definitely respect Equestria's leadership. We stayed in here, for maybe three terrible months, simply because we are both committed to Equestria's leadership, to Cel and Lu. But something was wrong. Something had changed. And we weren't even being told what we had done wrong. We weren't being told anything. We couldn't even say anything, to anypony. I think Shysage concluded we needed to at least try to see what could be done. And we were getting nowhere, withering away, dying here in this jail cell. Well, and honestly, I think Shysage realized his Mare had suffered enough in here, that was probably a big part of it. I love Shysage so much...

Shysage turned into a people and stood up and faced me. He still had his nice, new Equestria Girls clothes on, and he looked so handsome. He held out his hand. Of course, I changed into a people too, took his hand, and looked deep into his eyes. We hugged tightly a few minutes. Shysage eased me back. "I love my Phantom Alicorn" he said gently, quietly.

I didn't need any more coaxing, and quickly spun up my Cutie Mark. I asked quickly "Do you know what is outside our window?"

Of course, he knew. "20 foot drop to a short grassy field, then the rising side of the mountain..."

I thought a minute then asked "Glide, then fly?"

He had thought this through too. "If we aren't too out of shape, that should work, otherwise we will need to land first. I suspect we should then fly straight up, very high, before going anywhere though."

I held my right arm straight and forward, held my hands and fingers straight up, and easily shoved maybe half of the wall on the back of our jail cell (including the part with the window) out, and it fell quietly into the grass below. That horrible tune in the background, that had dogged us constantly for three miserable months, it stopped abruptly when the wall fell, and it was quiet. And our moonlight was back. Then I unspun my Cutie Mark, and changed back into my pony body. Shysage was quickly a pony too. As much noise as my Phantom Alicorn made, I guess we really were forgotten. Shysage guessed it would be days before they even knew we were gone. It was like they just didn't care.

Flying came back quickly for me, but Shysage had difficulty at first. He really had been giving me most of our rations after all. Once he took off, I let him set the pace. Still we were soon climbing higher and higher at a nice rate. I could see Cloudsdale off in the distance, glistening in the moonlight; we went higher than that by a good margin, then we curved around, away from Canterlot over the back of the stepped mountain behind it. We were soon on our way, away from Equestria's capitol city... as fugatives... We both knew the way easily, and we skirted the only city in our path (Ponyville...) by a huge amount. It really was a nice warm night, and the air was so still... Flying felt amazing to both of us, I'm sure. We stopped at a small lake in the middle of nowhere, and drank a lot and ate a lot too. I think we were both really hungry. We rubbed noses briefly, and that felt amazing too. Then we were back in the air.

I thought about asking Shysage where we were going. I didn't bother; we both knew. There was only one place we would, could go right now.

Our sanctuary...

Author's Note

"Faded Memories", the Empty zone BGM from the "Chains of Promethia" expansion for FFXI, copyright by Square Enix.

Chapter 7, Undercover

First order of business that night -- we cried for hours... Everypony in this circle had suffered terribly these past three months. Family found out we didn't die at least. Still, Shysage had already mentioned quietly yesterday what I already knew... Were it not for his physical stamina and his own sacrifice, I would never have survived the winter. And it was like nopony in Canterlot even cared about that, I don't know... We were alive, and our family knew that, but there was just a huge amount of pain in all of our hearts, Shysage and I included. Well, maybe our daughter Ari especially... For her to not know anything... We just cried...

Second order of business, I did what I should have done the night we escaped. I backed away, changed into a people, then changed back into my nameless, markless dark blue pony body. I wanted to do that when my family was around, so they would know to not expect the Phantom Alicorn, well, white and gold. I guess I felt we needed all the help we could get. The Portal was buried in Princess Twilight's castle after all. And we guessed (correctly) it was guarded now.

After that, we cried together some more, maybe a long time. Ariel especially, this was hitting her so hard. What in Equestria had we done... Of course we wouldn't ask. We were pretty sure everypony had promised... We cried for hours...

As the sun began to ever so slightly brighten the eastern sky, Shyna said quietly, crying softly, "Shysage, Summer, you both need to come with me. There is a dense group of trees near the castle, and I need to take you both there. I'll come back and get my family after that..."

Ariel pleaded "Just a few more minutes..." I guess we all felt that, and we cried together a little longer. Still, a while later, we were on our way. Leaving our daughter and my Sis behind, and hurting so much, that was very difficult.

But Shyna, Shysage and I were soon high in the air, heading to that town we were never to approach again. Well, we were heading there, whatever. We had to do something. Whatever 'it' was, well, it was causing such pain for our family. We couldn't not try to see what we could do. Shyna led us to an easy landing in a large field next to a clump of thick, overgrown trees. I could see the castle lights from here, we were very close. At least it was still mostly dark. Shyna led us through a very slight break in the branches and we were soon into the middle. Well, even in the dark, it looked like ponies spent time in here. Shyna smiled and said "this is my Cottage. Filia and Fiona, we..." Then she started crying again. We all cried together a little while more. Shyna then left, and flew back to our sanctuary, to Ariel and Fluttershy. I guess they would return to this town like they normally do, and try to live their normal, painful lives... Even thinking that hurt...

Shysage and I found a flat spot towards the back, as best as we could tell, laid on our bellies, and were soon asleep. I woke later to the sound of our Ariel crying very softly. Shysage was hugging her as she cried, and I got up and joined them. Quietly, we cried together some more.

But I also realized that we weren't the only ones in Shyna's Cottage. Shyna was close, but so were Filia and Fiona. And, I guessed the girls met here often. With the daylight poking through the thick leaves and branches, it was clear they spent a lot of time in here. Well, this was good. The four of them being here, maybe it wouldn't be a problem.

"Ariel and I went for a walk..." Shyna said quietly.

"My Sis and I went for a walk too..." Filia also said quietly. Well, her Sis was Fiona, and I, well that meant a lot to me. I love my Sis...

After a minute maybe, Fiona said this, quietly, haltingly "Summer, Shysage, I need to give you something...

Ariel said "It's ok", and Shysage and I both got up. Using her magic, Fiona carefully put a shield necklace on us both. I knew what it said.

TF
MPOF

True friendship means putting others first.

Shysage and I, we live for that, and were trying to do that even now. Still, I wondered if our Princess Twilight still felt what was included on the other side... And Fluttershy, Shysage and I still had Princess Celestia's ankle-bands around our left front legs, right above our hoof, but... I wasn't sure how much that would matter now. I tried not to think about that...

Filia said quietly. "This is our passive agressive approach to handling what is going on. I think some of our grown-up pony friends need a little reminding, I don't know... This is such a dumb mess..."

Only then did I notice that Filia, Fiona, Shyna, even our Ariel already had shield necklaces on.

The six of us cried together, quietly, hugging for a while.

At around noon maybe, we calmed down, and Shyna went over the 'plan' for tonight, for getting us to the Portal. Maybe an hour after Princess Twilight left for Fluttershy's Cottage for dinner, Filia and Fiona would distract the guards and Spike. Shyna would then run out here and get us both. We were to quickly head straight to the Portal, and go through. Everypony agreed there would be very little time.

Crying, I tried to thank Shyna, Filia and Fiona, and we all cried together some more. Then I guess Filia and Fiona had to go. We cried with our Ariel some more, then she and Shyna left as well.

Ariel was back to weeping softly not far from these trees. Shysage had this most disgusted look on his face... And he said it again. "This is rediculous..."

I said quietly "I know we are not supposed to even be here, but our Ariel..." Then I was weeping softly again.

Shysage hugged me as I cried, then said, quietly, and in old pony...

"Evil oft arise from within the gates"

Then he added "Well, we need to do something..."

We found our spot at the back of Shyna's Cottage, and were soon asleep again. Shysage felt this was a good idea, because we had no idea what kind of maelstrom we would be jumping into, whenever in the Past we would find ourselves.

We woke up hours later. Shyna, clearly out of breath... "Summer, Shysage, you gotta come now, there is little time!"

Shysage and I were up quickly, and followed Shyna as she ran. between breaths she said "Fiona has the guards in her room because she said she may have seen a mouse. Filia is up in the look-out with Spike talking about stars."

Well, we knew the way. These brave girls had already put so much on the line to help us. It was up to Shysage and I now. As Shyna followed, we ran up the steps, down the hall, into the Library, and straight to the Portal. We didn't even look to see who else besides Shyna was in there. This was an absolutely blind leap if there ever was... Ten seconds later, Shysage and I were people, holding hands, and the Phantom Alicorn squeezed the rough wood Portal frame. There was a bright flash, and we were gone...

Chapter 8, Blind Leap

At least the Portal wasn't mad at us. Well, maybe not, anyway... We did not 'arrive' standing next to the Portal in the Past this time. Thick blanket of pine needles covering a dirt floor -- this was not the Portal room we remembered from any of our trips to the Past. At least Shysage and I, we were still together. And without even moving, we looked lovingly at each other. Maybe we do that a lot too. We rubbed noses briefly.

It was warm, and we were in... Shysage and I recognized right away. This was the emptied out trunk of the huge Sequoia outside Coptol where we had raised two amazing foals... The rest of this tree probably still rose hundreds of feet in the air, a landmark visible for miles around. The Portal had placed us here in this tree trunk for some reason. Still, Shysage and I sighed together. This was very peaceful. It felt very peaceful, very calm here. We could have aroused a much different response arriving in the Portal room in the Past, unexpected, I think. Shysage had already tried that, and it didn't go well at all. So, maybe the Portal actually did us a favor. I didn't think we were fugitives anymore, well not here and now anyway. And we weren't near "anypony important", or anypony at all right now. After months shivering... and the last few days... I began to relax. And the warmth felt amazing... Based on the angle of the sun through the trees, it looked like early morning. We had lived in this tree trunk for over two years after all, so this was a pretty good guess. I think this visit was after that one though. Even I get confused about all that...

We both arrived as ponies though, and I realized immediately that my ankle-band was gone. That, well... Shysage said our Shield Necklaces were gone too. Before even moving, Shysage said quietly "...Probably on the floor in the Library in front of the Portal...", then he frowned at that thought. I knew why. Should Princess Twilight find them, she would know right away that we had used the Portal. Well, we doubted they would or could come after us. I remembered Cel's words, yelled sharply "...any of Equestria's Princesses or their close associates and friends..."; it would probably be a while before--

...

Walking together and slowly towards the small opening that was the doorway, we heard another pony crying, quietly... Shysage and I, we couldn't ignore that... We headed out the door facing the river, and... realized...

...

Well, it was Cel... well, Princess Celestia... It was Cel... We could say that in the Past I think.

Huge white pony, Alicorn horn, wings and all... Crown on the ground nearby... She was laying on her belly, facing the river... crying...

...

When you are crying heavily, you cry loudly, as long as you think there is hope. When all hope fades, and everything looks absolutely hopeless, you still cry heavily, but very quietly. Nopony will hear. Nopony will help... There is no hope... You just cry, heaving deeply, but making little sound. You are just waiting for the end to come...

Cel was crying like that... Deeply, without making much sound...

...

Before we did anything, Shysage and I looked at each other briefly, then looked down. I knew this feeling, as we both allowed it to wash through our souls at the same time... Forgiveness...

After an excruciating winter that could easily have killed one of us, I think we both were... Well, resentment was growing inside. And then to see the pain of our own family that the same, unknown chain of events was causing, and realizing that such pain probably was spread much further...

...But at the dawn of Equestria, Shysage and I had rescued two terrified pony foals, and accepted full and complete responsibility for them, and committed ourselves to help both girls any way we could, whenever we could, regardless of who these two 'nopony' foals were. That's what moms and dads are supposed to do. That's what Shysage and I set out to do the minute they were tied to our backs, and we were flying high in the sky. And, at the time, it just didn't matter to either of us who these two foals would become, they were now our responsibility, gladly accepted. That's what true friends are supposed to do. Well, those two 'nopony' foals turned out to be the two appointed ones, Equestria's Princesses, and carrying out that commitment had already exacted a heavy cost. But we weren't done giving yet, and maybe the last three months had shown us both that. Again, Shysage and I, heads down, we re-accepted whatever we had to do to help our two girls, regardless of what they had become. And that included whatever awaited us in our present. Like I said, I think we both had come to resent such 'byzantine' treatment, whatever that meant; one of us could have died. But, long ago, knowing nothing else, we had made a commitment to two precious foals...

Shysage and I, we looked up at the same time, and looked into each other's eyes. We would see this through. We had no clue why the Princess of Equestria had tried to kill us in our present... But I am sure Shysage and I felt the same way... Right now, our girl was hurting, and hurting bad... She was helpless... She felt hopeless... We absolutely HAD to see what we could do to help her...

...

It was hard to even write this without collapsing into tears...

Without making a sound, and without even talking to each other, Shysage and I both... We quietly walked up to either side of Cel and laid on our bellies right next to her, as close as we could get... She was our girl, and we didn't need anyponies' permission...

...

Even with her eyes closed and full of tears, Cel didn't need to be told who these two ponies, now laying on either side of her, who we were. The moment she sensed our presence... She cried loudly, deeply, desperately, wailing out in her pain... We had brought her hope...

...

We cried there together for hours. That was all we did for the longest time. Cel must have needed this. Well, it was clear she desperately needed us. Shysage and I, we both felt that. And, I guess I realized... Neither Shysage nor I... We didn't understand what was happening in our present, but we never stopped loving either of our girls, even Cel. And our hearts were breaking for her now. And as the tables were so quickly turned... It didn't matter, we would do anything we could to help our girl, Princess Celestia of Equestria. She cried out in her pain most of the rest of that day... Shysage and I, we cried with her...

In the midst of this, she did try to talk, just once. Of course it came out all disjointed...

"I don't know how you both...

"They sealed the Portal room off, I couldn't even... ...Portal Beacon...

"Oh, mom, dad, I need you both so much..."

Not even Dark Melvain would reduce Cel to this. The longer we cried with our daughter, the more determined I became to face whatever, whoever it was that was causing this grief. I had to. I wanted to. I would. Well, I probably could. I also turned into a people, sat down, and gently moved Cel's pony head into my lap. I bent over and slowly kissed her head, and gently combed her mane with my fingers. I have done that a thousand times when she was young. And it was only then that she began to calm down. Shysage stayed a pony, but that was fine. Cel knew we were both here with her.

Late in the afternoon, as Cel's head rested in my people lap, her crying subsided, and she was quiet. I am sure Shysage and I, we were in no hurry. For maybe half an hour, Cel said nothing. She just rested in my lap, and her breathing slowed back down, and she sighed a few times.

I broke the silence. "Daughter, how can we help you?" Tears quickly filled mom and dad's eyes. We meant that.

Tears filled Cel's eyes too. "Mom, dad, they want to replace me..."

Chapter 9, Lasting Impression

With her pony head still resting in my people lap, Cel cried a little while longer, then she tried to explain. She cried even as she talked, slowly putting some thoughts together.

"I guess I should have expected this...

"And it really is my fault...

"There was a lot of appreciation for the two seemingly age-less Appointed Ones who founded Equestria to begin with... Over 300 years ago, I think...

"But after I had to banish Lu...

"That was maybe twenty years ago..."

"Maybe I could have... something else...

Princess Luna's sister stopped and cried... Having to banish Lu, that still hurt Cel so much... At least we were here; Cel's family was around her right now. We cried with her. A little while later, she tried to continue.

"Maybe ten years ago, I began to hear talk of, well, a change in the government, or something. Nothing direct, just occasionally hearing such murmerings...

Over time, they slowly grew. I didn't know what to do...

"I guess, down to just one Appointed One, they didn't think they needed...

"Then, last week, the Guard Captain evidently agreed. Without saying anything to me, they just stripped me of my position -- my role in the life of Equestria, all my leadership responsibilities...

"They didn't say anything... Ponies just stopped coming. And the guards sealed off all the tactical assets; all guard posts and the Portal Room...

"The Audience Hall was empty, as ponies were being sent elsewhere by the guards...

"They didn't seem to care what I did, or where I went... It was just that... tending to Equestria wasn't one of my tasks anymore..."

Cel was crying pretty hard at this point. But she added this...

"Mom, dad, I have no interest in the glory of leadership, or whatever... That's not why I do what I do at all... I just love Equestria and the ponies in it... I don't own anything, and can't really do anything else... I was born to shepherd Equestria... Now, I have... nothing... And will live forever with... nothing..."

Cel was crying hard again in my lap. But I had heard enough. And it was pretty clear to me that someponies up in early Canterlot, maybe they were after the 'glory of leadership', or whatever... I was disgusted. I was also the Phantom Alicorn, and could actually do something.

Right now, Cel really needed us. Well, she really needed me. And we all knew I need Shysage.

And, left like this, if Shysage and I just took Cel away to safety, or did absolutely nothing, the future definitely WOULD change. We absolutely HAD to step in and stop this madness. Regardless what was happening in our present, or why... the Portal had, again, put Shysage and I precisely where and when we needed to be. I think Shysage had already realized that.

Shysage also mentioned later that we all just assume... Seeing Equestria's Princesses in our present, with Princess Celestia ruling Equestria without her sister for 1000 years, we just assume there were no challenges to the rule of such an amazing Princess, well, by anyone from Equestria anyway, well besides Dark Melvain, and that nightmare was future yet. Still, such a challenge was happening right now. And Cel felt absolutely powerless to do anything... But the Phantom Alicorn could help. And if I handled this correctly, maybe it would never happen again...

I looked off towards the sun heading for the west. It would be dusk soon. And this part, I pretty much just did on the fly. I don't think I'm the most amazingly creative pony in Equestria. But I knew basically what I needed to do. And I had to do it without enjoying the ride. I had to keep myself out of this... I just wanted to make a lasting impression. As the Phantom Alicorn, I was pretty sure I could do that.

"Cel, you need to calm down, and put your crown back on. We need to fly up to Canterlot" I said softly. Cel worked on calming down again, and her crying tapered off. But I don't think Cel was in any shape to question, to comment, not at this point... Her entire life and being had been ripped away. I think I understood how she felt. Ten minutes later, we were on our way, flying up from the huge tree next to the large guard garrison still in Coptol, towards the meadows in front of the Audience Hall in Canterlot. We had to fly slow. This was a tough climb for my very out of shape, half starved Shysage, but we all made it.

On the way, flying up, I asked that Shysage turn into a people as soon as we landed. I would do the same thing. I wanted to draw a crowd, and I hoped two people in their fancy Equestria Girls clothes would do that. We landed near the edge of the meadow, near the edge of that top deck of this strange, stepped mountain. Then we walked slowly and together, Shysage and I on either side of Equestria's Princess. We walked to where approximately the center of the Commons Lawn would some day be, then we stopped. The large front facing wall of the Audience Hall was in front of us, a few hundred feet away. Shysage and I, we stood on either side of Princess Celestia of Equestria, as she sat down. I was on her right side, but I doubt that made any difference. It just worked out that way. And without even talking about this, Shysage and I both stepped slightly back, out of respect for Equestria's Appointed One. Then we waited.

Cel is really amazing. I honestly think that, while flying up, the closer she got to Canterlot... Princess Celestia sat down, gaze steeled, but she was smiling... with just a little hint of... maybe... defiance... Even in this, Equestria's Princess would fight for her precious ponies, the ponies of Equestria, no one any less of a treasure to her than another.

Of course, ponies ran up... A large crowd quickly gathered, and steadily grew. They stopped, forming a circle maybe thirty feet away from their Princess, and we were quickly surrounded... Nopony knew why we were here, or who these two strange beings were on either side of their Princess. Ponies whispered... some cried. And I don't think most ponies paid Shysage and I much attention, and that was fine. Their Princess was here... Before long every single pony around us, and those that continued to run up; everypony was quickly bowing to their Princess.

And we had not discussed this part at all. A fairly high ranking guard walked slowly over, looking away, sheepishly, very often. Cel evidently knew what to do. As soon as he was close enough, Princess Celestia of Equestria said calmly but maybe just a little forcefully to him "Please ask the Guard Captain to come talk to us." That guard almost bolted away.

Ok, so this Guard Captain was the one... Yeah, we wanted to talk to him all right...

With the last light of dusk, a large Unicorn stallion in full guard gear walked smartly over. Well, he slowed his steps when he saw Shysage and I. That is why Shysage and I were people; I doubt he had ever seen a people before.

At first, Princess Celestia said nothing. And evidently, she decided to leave the bowing ponies as they were. They had the sense to do what was right anyway. That's how I felt about it. After maybe a few minutes silence, as the Guard Captain stood there, and without even turning away, Cel said "Precious ponies, please arise", and they were quickly up.

Anyway, it was pretty dark now. Even though a half moon had crept over the top of this stepped mountain off to the east, and gave us a little light, I decided we needed more light. And I have to wonder if Cel knew what I had in mind. "Just a moment please, Captain." Cel said calmly. And again, we had arranged none of this beforehand.

But, I guess that was my cue. I was already a people, so I spun up my Cutie Mark, and the noise alone... Most of the ponies gasped loudly and backed away, clearing a wide path for me, especially as I flared my large, white wings. Shysage said later that my pearl white Alicorn horn actually glowed at night just enough to be visible. He had never noticed that. Of course, he said I looked beautiful.

I walked away from everypony, off into the meadow, and found a good sized tree towards the edge. Folding the shield from my right hand, I yanked that tree up, roots and all, and brought it over, maybe 50 feet from Cel and Shysage and threw it down on the ground. Ponies shrieked, and ran quickly out of my way as I did that. I moved slowly; I wasn't really trying to scare them... I walked off and got another one, and added it to the pile. Then I added a third. I had done this before. I next used my right fist, and motioned it repeatedly down over the trees, and the shield splintered the branches into much smaller pieces. I swept the tree pieces back together again, and broke them up some more. Few probably noticed this part, but I walked around the pile of wood, and held out my left hand, and flushed enough water around the circle to prevent a grass fire up here. That would not have been pretty. Next, I backed up and pointed my left hand towards the wood, and sprayed enough fire... The wood was quickly burning hotly and brightly. I walked the circle around the fire again, and carefully placed a ring of boulder after boulder. I walked the circle one more time, and again added enough water around the boulders to keep the fire contained. Then I walked back over and stood next to Princess Celestia, back where I was.

We had plenty of light now... And that Guard Captain, well he was scared to death. I'm no Unicorn (usually), but I understand that, when a Unicorn is around another being using magic, that Unicorn can often tell something about the magical depth, the magical power of the one casting. Well, I guess that Guard Captain had caught a glimpse of this Phantom Alicorn's magic...

For a few minutes, Cel didn't say anything. I guess it was up to me. And I was working hard to not sound as irritated as I really was... And I was still the rumbling Phantom Alicorn...

"Captain, please explain to me how and why you have decided to replace the two Appointed Ones?" I asked slowly, but rather loudly. I guess I expected this; a BUNCH of the ponies in the crowd gasped LOUDLY at this question. Bah, they were doing stuff behind everyponie's back... For leaders... that was just... so wrong...

The Guard Captain was clearly searching for words, on top of being very afraid... He got out "Princess Luna is gone, and... with..."

Maybe I should not have interrupted, but I jumped in... "Princess Luna's absence is not permanent..." I didn't want to explain any further. They didn't need to know exactly when Princess Luna would return. And we had already implied Lu's 'rescue' to Princess Celestia. I took a chance, this was privileged future information. I didn't disappear. But we certainly would disappear if we didn't stop this...

I couldn't think of anything better to say, so I calmly repeated "Captain, please explain to me why you have decided to replace the two Appointed Ones?"

For a few minutes, it was quiet. The Guard Captain was looking at the ground, and didn't, maybe couldn't say anything. Princess Celestia just sat there.

The ponies surrounding us, they knew what to say. It started quietly, among a few of the ponies gathered around, but was quickly deafening...

"Long live Princess Celestia of Equestria"

The crowd of adoring ponies shouted this over and over. It really was very, very loud. Princess Celestia just sat there, probably letting the sentiments of the crowd sink in to the Guard Captain. And she was trying not to cry herself. After maybe ten minutes, Princess Celestia stood up, and the crowd was immediately quiet. Princess Celestia again said nothing.

After a few minutes, I said, well as forcefully and as loudly as I could...

"Captain, I want your chain of command and everypony else that has a hoof in this, in the Audience Hall at sundown tomorrow evening."

The Guard Captain said quietly "I will see to that". Then he bowed ever so slightly, then walked quickly away, and was soon gone.

The crowd didn't wait; as soon as he turned to leave...

"Long live Princess Celestia of Equestria"
"Long live Princess Celestia of Equestria"
"Long live Princess Celestia of Equestria"

Princess Celestia of Equestria just cried loudly...

After a few minutes, Princess Celestia of Equestria, her crying slowed. Sensing this, the throng of ponies around her quieted down quickly.

Princess Celestia said as loudly as she could, since she was still crying softly "I... I don't know if I am the smartest pony in Equestria... I didn't ask to be made one of the Appointed Ones, but I have freely accepted that role for... centuries now... And, I think we all expect Princess Luna's return as soon as possible... But I do know that I deeply love each and every one of Equestria's ponies... That is the best I can do... That is all I have to offer..."

It is likely the sea of ponies around us, everypony expected, felt the truth behind this, Cel's simple confession. Almost as one, everypony bowed again. Their Princess was again quickly crying... "Ponies of Equestria, please arise" Cel said with great difficulty. Then she walked over to the closest edge of the crowd... and she began hugging Equestria's ponies. Mostly ignoring us, the crowd reformed, crowding tightly around their Princess. This lasted for a hours. And, from what I could hear, I quickly found out why. Princess Celestia personally knew most of these ponies, and was asking how they were doing, about this or that event or need in their lives. She didn't just hug a pony then move on, she took time with each one... hugging, talking... laughing, crying if need be... Well, she knew the parents, grandparents, etc., of most of the ponies gathered around her right now. She was definitely NOT some aloof chessplayer of a leader... Cel was shepherding Equestria, involving her own life so deeply in everypony elses'. Cel was born for this... And it would just be difficult to come up with an 'alternative form of government' (disgusted look on my face) that rivaled this amazing Princess. Yes, this was Princess Celestia of Equestria... The Realm's irreplacable leader... Well, she would stay that way if I had any say...

While Cel tended to her flock, Shysage and I (still people) backed carefully out of the sea of ponies, then walked slowly over to the fire, and I only then unspun my Cutie Mark. The fire was still burning hotly, and I didn't want anything bad to happen. I was standing there, just looking the fire over. With his fingers, Shysage gently moved my hair on the side closest to him, up over my ear. Then he kissed my cheek, and leaned next to me and put his arm around my waist and hugged me close. Wow, I think I melted. I hugged him back, as we watched the fire slowly burn down. Oh, how I love my Stallion... And this worked fine. Cel was busy with Equestria. Shysage and I hugged and sighed together for a while. I spun up my Cutie Mark long enough to make one more boulder, then unspun it again. Shysage knew what it was for, and sat down, and quickly pulled me into his lap, and we hugged, enjoying the warmth of the fire for a long time. I think we were both tempted to kiss some, but now was just not the time for that. After the fire had burned way down, we got up, walked the perimeter of boulders (slowly, hugging) one more time checking, then Shysage and I both walked to the far side of the fire, and changed back into ponies. I was markless and blue, just as a precaution. Shysage was a pony when he hugged me again and said he liked me in blue, whatever that meant. We watched the fire die down some more. Then we walked far around the huge crowd, and over to the big doors at the entrance of the Audience Hall. We sat down together and just waited. And I suspect that Shysage was doing what I was, asking true friend for the wisdom we needed to stop this, to protect the future from being changed, without actually changing it...

The moon was high in the night sky and surrounded by twinkling stars when a very tired Princess Celestia walked slowly over to us. The crowd had dispersed. She got out "What a difference..." then she collapsed into tears on my shoulder. The three of us cried together there for a while. Cel led us through the Audience Hall, up the stairs, across the Princess platform, through the Princess Annex, and into her room. With mom and dad on either side of her, there on her beautiful rug, Cel was quickly asleep.

Whether it was true friend, the Keeper, or just the Portal... Shysage and I had arrived at exactly the right place, and in the nick of time, it seemed. We still needed to decide how to handle tomorrow evening. But I was hoping Equestria's Princess would just know what to do from here.

Well, it was a warm night... That would need to wait. And, here with Cel, things seemed far better than... Shysage and I didn't talk. We just rubbed noses briefly, then we too were asleep.

Chapter 10, Born to Do

I woke up the next morning, early, and I think Shysage woke up at the same time. Cel was still between us, but she was awake, and her head was up. She was crying very softly.

"Cel, we both love you a lot" Shysage said quietly.

"I thought I was done... I honestly thought... I saw absolutely no way you could possibly... I... How could..." Cel got this much out, and could say no more. I turned into a people right away, and was quickly hugging her tightly. We cried together softly for a few minutes.

"Cel, can I brush your mane?" I asked quietly. Cel got quickly up, and used her magic to just as quickly bring her hair brush over to me, then she set her crown on the bed. Still a people, I sat on the edge of her bed, and did what I have done so many times... I don't know, brushing each other's hair has just become such a simple act of cherishing in our family. Cel cried quietly the whole time. I had to work hard to just cry quietly... I knew Cel had maybe 980 years before she would get her sister (Princess Luna) back... And for most of those years Dark Melvain would make her life miserable... I cried for Cel... If she only knew...

Well, we were here right now, and Cel needed us. The future needed us here right now too. I sighed and tried to calm down. We were here to help Cel any way we could, such a privilege...

I think Shysage and I both, we were in overdrive asking true friend for help, for wisdom... Still, Shysage asked "Cel, do you have any thoughts about tonight?"

Cel just sighed. "Well, there are a few things, and I think --"

There was a knock at the door, and Cel quickly asked Mildred to come in. Mildred was still Cel's assistant, and looked the same as she did maybe 19 years ago when we were here last. Shysage and I knew that she had used the Portal, and so wouldn't age, and wasn't aging. We couldn't tell Cel that. Mildred gasped of course when she saw us. Still, the master of details got to the point. "Princess, I'm sorry... The Audience Hall is already packed, and there is a long line... I think you need to come attend to..." Mildred couldn't continue, and just cried.

Crying herself, Cel said "We will be out shortly." Mildred excused herself and went back out. After thinking briefly, Cel said quietly "I think I want you both with me this morning. When it comes up, we need to explain carefully that you are family from far away. But I want you both nearby."

Shysage answered before I could. "For you, Cel, anything." Cel smiled, walked over, and hugged Shysage tightly for a few minutes. "I mean that, Cel" Shysage said quietly.

"I know dad, you are both..." We all hugged together, and cried softly for a few minutes. Then Cel walked over to her mirror, using her magic to pick her crown up on the way. After making sure everything looked like a Princess should, she led us to the door. We were soon standing at the top of the stairs on the Princess platform in the Audience Hall. The hall was packed, and we could see the line extending out the wide doors at the front of the hall, out into the meadow. Shysage and I sat together, to Cel's left, as she tended to Equestria... for... hours...

From comments we heard... The guards were now actively directing all ponies back to the Audience Hall, to the Appointed One. But many of the groups of ponies that stood in line that day didn't even bother with the guards; these just wanted the opportunity to thank Princess Celestia for her leadership, and to pledge their support for Equestria's Princess. Cel hugged everypony. Still, a leader who truly and deeply cared for those she was responsible for... Evidently the ponies of Equestria cared for their Princess as well.

Early in the afternoon, Mildred came up to Cel on the Princess platform, and asked for everypony to be patient, but Princess Celestia needed a break. Then Mildred stood there, while Cel led us to the dining area for some food. Cel clearly did need a break, but fully intended to go back out after lunch. And she wanted us with her the rest of the day. We would do what Equestria's Princess asked. Lunch was good, and Shysage ate a lot. I think he needed it.

The afternoon was more of what happened eariler. A few Princess decisions needed to be made, but most just wanted to voice their support for Cel. And when she could, Cel said quietly to Shysage and I that many of these ponies were not even from Canterlot, they were from other cities scattered around Equestria. These ponies would have had to run all night to get here so quickly. Princess Celestia was amazed... And the line extending out into the meadow from the Audience Hall, it never ended. In fact, it looked to Shysage and I that the meadow was full of ponies. Whatever happened tonight, I guess the ponies of Equestria might want to speak their mind.

At dusk, the Guard Captain walked in the main Audience Hall doors, followed by a group of about ten other ponies. Some were part of the guard force, but others were clearly not. The ponies of Equestria noted this, and the line leading up to Princess Celestia immediately evaporated, and everypony that could, crowded into the Audience Hall, leaving only the bright red rug, that led from the large, fully open Audience Hall doors, directly through the hall, and up the stairs to Princess Celestia; only that rug was clear. The Audience Hall was otherwise packed. The Guard Captain and his group stood together near the rug, near the back of the hall.

Equestria's ponies didn't wait.

"Long live Princess Celestia of Equestria"

As Princess Celestia cried, Equestria's ponies, from all over Equestria, spoke their mind about their beloved Princess. It was deafening. And this went on for over half an hour. Cel didn't know how to stop it, and she probably didn't want to. She loved them all.

Well, it had to stop so we could deal with this madness. And I knew how to do that. Shysage and I, we were still to Princess Celestia's left, and Shysage was towards the crowd. I didn't wait or even leave and come back. Still the markless blue pony, I threw myself back, changed into a people and quickly spun up my Cutie Mark. It happened so fast, and I walked quickly up and stood on Cel's right, but some distance behind her, out of respect. It was instantly quiet in the Audience hall, and was soon quiet outside as well. That was all I wanted to accomplish. I unspun my Cutie Mark; my Unicorn horn and wings disappeared, as did the low rumble, but I stood right there, as a people in my amazing Equestria Girls clothing.

I was trying to decide what to do next. Cel already knew what to do.

"Guard Captain" the Princess of Equestria called out. This wasn't anger, but Cel spoke with the authority she had been born for. And Cel was talking loud enough so that everypony in the hall could hear her. The Guard Captain walked quickly forward, followed by some other guards, and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. The other guards bowed to their princess, but the Captain did not.

Cel wasted no time. "Captain, what does section 12.1.1 of the Equestria Governing Code say?"

The Guard Captain hung his head, and finally... bowed...

Cel added "Please answer loud enough so that everyone can hear you." There was again no anger, just... authority...

After a minute, still bowing, he said slowly, but loudly "ECG 12.1.1--The guard force exists to aid and assist the two Appointed Ones as they carry out their leadership role over Equestria."

There was silence here briefly then Princess Celestia asked, again loud enough for everypony to hear. "Captain, what does section 29.2.1 of the EGC say?"

The bowing Guard Captain said slowly, but loudly, as if reading from a book... "ECG 29.2.1--There shall no change be made to the government of Equestria, except by unanimous consent of the two Appointed Ones, and all other living Princesses."

"Captain, in your opinion, how shall we view anypony who tries to accomplish what section 29.2.1 forbids?"

It was quiet briefly. The Guard Captain hung his head again, then said quietly "Traitors..."

It was quiet a minute or two. Cel next addressed the Guard Captain. She really didn't need for everypony in the Audience Hall to hear this part, not that it mattered. She just spoke with the Guard Captain. "Captain, you have served me faithfully for over twenty years. I am having a hard time even understanding your role in something that clearly goes against the EGC you swore to obey..." Princess Celestia's voice trailed off, and for the next minute she was deep in thought.

The Guard Captain answered quietly. "Princess, I... I can only apologize. I guess... I just stopped believing... I stopped believing in Equestria, in you, our Appointed One... I can clearly see what happened. But I realize there is just no excuse for my actions."

Cel took a minute or two more to think this through. Then she answered, also quietly. "Captain, with your actions, you have implicated the entire guard force. I could simply replace you, but those under you likewise took part in... insurrection..." Cel stopped here, either deep in thought, wanting to let the this sink in, maybe both. Then she continued. "...But I honestly think that, out of everypony in Equestria, you are probably the most uniquely qualified right now to implement whatever changes need to be made to the oversight and management of the guard force, to make sure that something like this never happens again. I absolutely need to be able to rely on the support of Equestria's guards, no matter what. I think you can take steps necessary to ensure that, to make sure what happened this last week will never happen again."

I think the Guard Captain was amazed that he even was able to keep his position. But, I think Princess Celestia just knew how to handle this. The Guard Captain, still bowing, said quietly "Thank you, Princess, I will make sure that happens." He stayed bowing however.

After a minute's silence, Cel said quietly, Guard Captain, you may arise, and you are dismissed. And with that, the Captain and seven or so other guards, were quickly up, and walked down the red rug, and were quickly out the Audience Hall doors, and out of sight.

"Long live Princess Celestia of Equestria" As many ponies as there were out in the meadow in front of the Audience Hall, this was repeated thunderously, and continued for a few minutes.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute..." This voice yelled loudly in the Audience Hall, and it was immediately quiet. After less than a minute, the ponies in the meadow outside were quiet too. A younger Unicorn stallion stepped alone out onto the red rug. Well, his two other friends stepped out onto the rug too, but did this only to walk out of the Audience Hall; they were quickly gone. The stallion that had yelled remained. He didn't walk forward to Princess Celestia, but walked to the center of the rug near the back doors of the Audience Hall, where he was, and appeared to be about to address the ponies gathered. Everypony else in the Audience Hall turned to look and see who was talking. The displeasure of the audience grew quickly and loudly.

"Aww, come on, hear me out..." he yelled again. Well, Equestria's ponies were all about fairness I guess, so he would get his chance. It quieted back down in the Audience Hall.

"Listen... Princess Celestia has been a great leader for many years. It's just that she is not the only... There are a lot of other talented, intelligent, capable ponies in Equestria. I really think that we could all rule Equestria together, you know, as equals. And we could come up with a fair way to change who rules, so that everypony that is qualified would get their chance--"

He kept talking, but he sounded a lot like the angry Unicorn stallion that had kicked Shysage across the Library, the same one that was with Princess Celestia in our present as we were thrown into the dungeon of forgetting. He could not have been the same stallion almost a thousand years in the past, but he sure acted like it. It was hard to listen, his whole attitude made that difficult. And he was completely ignoring Equestria's Princess, the Appointed One. I worked on controlling my anger...

This stallion was still talking... "--so I am thinking we give some sort of representative government at try, and let's just see how we do. How does that sound?"

It was dead quiet in the Audience Hall for a minute maybe. Then a clearly older Unicorn stallion walked out of the crowd of ponies in the Audience Hall, down the red rug, and straight up to the younger stallion and was facing him. This older stallion said nothing for a minute maybe, as he looked the younger stallion over. Then he said loudly, yet without any anger "Well, sir, when you are as old as our Princess, come talk to us."

The ponies in the Audience Hall laughed quickly in agreement, then turned around to again face their Princess. The younger Unicorn stallion said quickly to the older Unicorn "Aww, pops, are you starting to forget things? Is she the only--"

"SILENCE!!!"

I yelled this, suprising even myself. I... I was angry on so many levels... I walked down the stairs, and up to the younger stallion, then stopped maybe twenty feet from him. Just so he listened, I spun up my Cutie Mark again, and spread my wings. Then I may have glared at him for a little while. And when I did speak, I spoke pretty loud. It hurt, but I felt it was necessary. I wanted everypony to hear this...

"Sir, were you responsible for the presence of the Appointed Ones in Equestria's founding, hundreds of years ago now? If not, then what right do you think you have to even suggest any sort of change?"

I paused briefly, but didn't really want him to reply. I kept going.

"Leading Equestria is not like playing some game. Equestria's ponies need to be cared for, loved, and protected, not ordered here or there with an iron, uncaring fist. Which of these two do you think some representative government would do?"

While I said this next, I took a big chance... Maybe I am just getting better at knowing the limits of my Alicorn magic. It seems more likely to me that Equestria helped me out, and kept anypony from getting hurt... Laying my right hand out flat, I motioned a flat shield, then quickly directed my left arm to form a good sized boulder. The boulder rested on the shield. Well, this Unicorn stallion turned white as a ghost. And thankfully, I didn't hurt anypony. But while I formed that boulder, I asked this.

"The next time some magical maniac walks into Equestria and kills ponies with his magic, and wants to take Equestria over, what good will that representative government do anyway, besides quickly collapsing? Are you brave and strong enough to step out these doors and confront magical demons to protect Equestria's ponies? Your Princess would do that in a heart-beat." Of course, I winced after I said this. Cel would have to do exactly this, alone, on a number of occasions, until she got her sister back...

Well, that younger Unicorn evidently couldn't speak any more. It didn't matter, I was not quite done. Without turning away from him, and as loud as I could, I yelled...

"Canterlot Recorder" I had no idea if such a position even existed yet. Still, I was talking to Shysage, of course. He wasn't surprised.

"Shila the Beautiful" he yelled back. I just smiled.

Still, I yelled this as loud as I could.

"Cause it to be written in stone...
Princess Celestia... Princess Luna...
The Appointed Ones...
...Are EQUESTRIA !!!"

The response from the ponies of Equestria was loud and immediate.

"Long live Princess Celestia of Equestria"

Yelling, stomping... I don't know what happened to that young Unicorn. He was quickly gone.

So there I stood, balancing this big boulder on my shield. I honestly didn't know what to do with it... Before I could think very much, the boulder lifted up off the shield... Princess Celestia had walked up next to me. Smiling, she said quietly "Thanks mom." I relaxed my right hand, and Cel carefully lowered the boulder onto the floor with her magic. I unspun my Cutie Mark.

The crowd immediately reformed around Cel as she walked the rest of the way down the red rug, out the Audience Hall doors, and into the throng of Equestria's ponies in the meadow, most from all over Equestria. Trying not to cry, she did the same thing she did the night before; she shepherded, she loved, she cared for and about Equestria's ponies, until well after midnight. The moon was high and mostly full, and lit the meadow softly.

As inconspicuously as I could, I changed back into the markless blue pony, and Shysage and I walked out the doors, and over to the corner of the Audience Hall. We sat down and waited while Cel did for hours what she was born to do. I guess that was all that mattered.

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.

Chapter 12, Cleaning Day

Well, I woke up crying. I had a bad dream, really a nightmare about whatever it was that was going on in our present. But we were buried back here in the past with Cel (Princess Celestia). And Lu (Princess Luna) had only been banished 20 years... And I didn't say anything, but... Lu and I were always close as we raised these two girls. Cel and Shysage got along so well; both were, are very calculating, thinking so many things through in a heart-beat... Lu was, is like me; sensitive, we usually feel our way through things. But, in my nightmare... Well, I missed Lu a lot. I felt bad for crying, and couldn't say anything because Lu had only been banished to Nightmare Moon twenty years ago, and I knew that Cel missed her own sister deeply already... We all hugged tightly and cried together. What a way to start our day...

Still, I worked hard to calm down. We all did. But it was only then that I heard it... softly in the background...[1] That tune... From the very first time I heard it... This was not a good sign...

Cel suggested a nice walk in the meadow out in front of the Audience Hall, and we were soon on our way. Out of her bedroom, through the Princess' Annex, down the hall, out onto the Princess platform, down the stairs, across the Audience Hall, out the huge double doors into the meadow... It looked like it had rained the night before. The morning air smelled amazing, and the grass in the meadow was trying to recover from the sea of ponies that filled this meadow only days ago. In our present, this large expanse would become the large Commons Lawn... "So much had happened... er, will happen here..." I thought to myself. Well, I couldn't think about that for very long...

Mildred found us out in that meadow. She talked to Cel briefly, then Mildred walked off, back to the Audience Hall. Cel sighed, then said quietly "Today will be cleaning day." She paused briefly as if fighting back tears. "I'm glad mom and dad are here. We will clean Lu's room today, together. Maybe it will be easier..." Cel did begin to cry at this point. Shysage and I, we gathered around her and hugged and cried with her. Banishing her own sister, that must have been one of the most difficult things Cel had done... It was clearly the right thing to do, and we knew Princess Twilight in the future would rescue... That thought just made me cry harder... I thought today would be a difficult day. And I also guessed correctly that this evening would find us in front of the Portal anyway...

After we all calmed down, Cel laid on her belly in the grass. "Mom, dad, I am glad you are both here. Cleaning Lu's room is usually hard for me, but we can face it together. I just hope..." Cel didn't need to finish. We all cried together some more... Cel still had to wait 980 more years... If only she knew... We did manage to finally get back up (we hugged a while more), then get some breakfast in the Audience Hall eating area (I don't know if that area has an official name).

We hugged briefly outside the door to Princess Luna's bedroom. Trying not to cry, Cel used her magic to carefully open the large double doors. The faint swirl of dust confirmed that this door had been closed a long time. Well, it was cleaning day. We walked in, and were quickly hugging again next to Lu's beautiful bed. We cried a few minutes, then Cel said quietly. "We need to do this for my sister..."

Mildred had been waiting at the door all this time, herself sniffling quietly. Cel said quietly "Mildred, send the cleaning staff in." Maybe ten Unicorn mares came in at this point. Under Cel's direction, just about every piece of cloth was pulled down, taken out, washed carefully, then brought back. Bed covers, blankets, rug, curtains, decorative hangings, everything. Everything else was carefully dusted and cleaned with damp rags, including the smooth wood floor. Lu's room had three huge windows, and they were opened wide during this whole process. The sun blazed brightly, and lit up the entire room. And the morning breeze... It smelled amazing. Lu's room looked amazing... If only...

The cleaning process took until about lunch time. And only then did we find out... Cel had some new inner curtains made, and a new set of Uunicorns came in to oversee the hanging and placement... The curtains on the three big windows -- the curtains closest to the window were thick, and dark regal blue to match Lu's pony coat. These thick curtains, when closed, cut down on most of the light through the windows. But the inner curtains... They were on the inside of the thicker, dark blue curtains. Cel explained this would protect them from the sun. I honestly don't remember what the old inner curtains were; they were one of the first things that got taken down. But the new ones... They did one window first, and when it was up where we could see it... They were the finest white linen... In the center, sort of from the side, a very dark blue Princess Luna was standing, reared up on her hind legs, head up, eyes closed, shimmering mane and tail flowing, wings out, laughing... We all hugged together and cried as the Unicorns hung the other two... I think we all missed Lu... The new curtains were beautiful... because our Lu was beautiful...

Crying and hugging with Cel and Shysage, a new pain bit sharply into my soul... Like I said before, Cel and Shysage had a lot in common, as did Lu and I. But, during the harsh days of a long, cold and hungry winter, this growing pain... I missed Lu... We had not even seen her since even before the day we were thrown into the dungeon. Oh, Lu... It hurt so much. What had happened that she... I cried pretty hard for a while, but couldn't really say anything... After crying a while like that, I vaguely remember all the Unicorns leaving. Mildred left last, after she made sure that the dark blu curtains were fully pulled to the sides. The breeze blew through Lu's room nicely, and the new inner curtains with Lu's picture... they danced playfully... When we thought we were done crying, we would look up, see Lu on the curtains, and then cry together some more...

Late in the afternoon, Cel pulled herself away. "Mom, dad, its time to go. I am sure I will be back..." Cel choked more tears off, and led us over to the door.

"Oh Cel..." I thought to myself. "To torture yourself coming in here, just in the hope of finding a little solace..." The world seems like such a harsh place to me, especially if you are trying to do the right thing...

In the Audience Hall, Cel found Mildred (still sniffling a little), and asked her to make sure the windows and curtains in Lu's room got closed at sundown. Then we walked back out into the meadow. "Can we spend the rest of the afternoon down at our tree?" Cel asked haltingly. Of course, that's what we did. The glide down was easy enough. I could have marvelled at the amazing view, but I think we all hurt... We spent the afternoon hugging and crying together some more. And my new pain... I couldn't say anything though. Later than the guards liked, we made our way back up to the top deck of Canterlot, landed in the meadow, and again watched the sun set together. Cel was on her belly facing the edge, and Shysage and I were on either side. We wept softly together. There was really not much to say. We hurt for Lu... We hurt for Cel and the centuries yet she would need to wait for her sister... And then, whatever nightmare awaited us in our present...

As the last trace of sunlight vanished, Cel said quietly "Thank you both for sharing my pain. It makes it a lot easier..." Ok, so we cried together some more after that.

Under a canopy of twinkling stars, we got up, and Cel led us, slowly, to the Portal room. Cel knew we couldn't stay long, and Shysage and I knew this needed to happen sooner than later. We recognized the earlier room and location of this 'tactical asset', and were amazed to find no guards or even Unicorns here. Well, it was the middle of the night...

Once inside the small Portal room, Cel gasped, then said "I will be right back." After she left, Shysage and I turned into people, since we would need to be people to use the Portal like this anyway. Standing together in the middle of that room, as people, we hugged tightly and cried together quietly until Cel came back. Nothing was said. There was nothing to say. We both just hurt a lot... And we had no idea what awaited us, maybe only minutes from now...

Cel came quickly back, but she was using her magic to hold a small statue. (Shysage said later it was about a foot high.) I gasped right away, it was a statue of Lu... A very dark blue Princess Luna was standing, reared up on her hind legs, head up, eyes closed, shimmering mane and tail flowing, wings out, laughing... This statue was obviously the picture for the new curtains... Princess Celestia was quickly clutching, using her magic to hug the statue of her sister tightly to her chest... The only sign of her sister that Cel had... This statue... Shysage realized quickly... "Cel, we can't..."

Cel, crying, said haltingly "This means so much to me... But if it will help you both... with me... ...in your... place..." Cel hugged the statue tightly again, then used her magic to give it to Shysage. We were all crying hard now... Well, maybe it would help... We didn't know what else to do... We didn't even know what was going on... Cel was giving us such a treasure... Her treasure... Maybe her only tangible... And maybe Shysage... He was quickly holding that statue up against his chest... crying... Maybe he missed Lu too... Well, I am sure he did...

Somehow, Shysage and I managed to make it up to the raised platform where the Portal was. Cel, Shysage, myself, we were all crying pretty hard... And Shysage was a mess... Maybe we shared this new pain... Facing the Portal, I took Shysage's hand, then I grabbed the smooth, wood Portal frame with my other hand. As usual, I could see Cel in the dull reflection of the smooth, deep surface of the Portal. She was crying... Through my tears, I said "Cel, remember that Shysage and I will always love you." Cel burst into tears when I said that. I squeezed the Portal frame... before I couldn't... There was a bright flash... As Cel gasped, our precious daughter faded...

Author's Note

'The Serpentine Labyrinth', from the Forever Today add-on to the OST for the Seekers of Adoulin expansion for FFXI, everything copyright by Square Enix. You should really preview this haunting tune...

Chapter 13, Bad to Worse

The actual trip through the passage created by the Portal magic is not instantaneous. And during the half a minute or so passage takes, I worked first at trying to recoil from the sea of pain we had just left. Leaving Cel (Princes Celestia) alone, in the Past, was never easy for us. That just hurts, but there is no solution. We can't stay there and help Cel through almost a thousand years until she got her sister back. That most surely would change the future. We could not bring her past all that for the same reason. Leaving her there, by herself, and knowing some of what she would face until Princess Luna was finally rescued... Still, I tried to leave that behind. We couldn't solve that...

I dimly realized that we were maybe seconds away from our present... We had broken out of our jail cell in Canterlot (literally), and were on the run anyway, when we made this mad dash for the Portal and to the Past. Now we were coming back to our present, and whatever problems it still held...

Well, we had the statue of Princess Luna that Cel had given us. This small statue was surely treasured by Cel as a means of coping with Lu's absense. Still, she gave it to Shysage to try and see if it would help us here in our present. What a great sacrifice... I slowly began to work through... We would need to get to Canterlot, somehow get to Cel, to give Cel in the present, that statue, a gift to us from Cel in the Past... How confusing... And we could only hope it would help, somehow... We had no clue what was even going on, much less how this statue of Princess Luna would make any difference...

We arrived in the Library in Princess Twilight's Castle, facing the Portal just like we were when we had left the Past. My hand was still wrapped around the now rough, aged, wood border of the Portal surface. I recognized from the dull reflection that... We had been gone scarcely minutes, maybe seconds... Shyna was off in the distance, still watching, eyes large in fear. She gasped right away as we re-appeared. Looking at my feet, I also saw our Shield Necklaces. Our Ankle bracelets were likewise on the floor below the Portal, but had rolled away, and were still on their way, helter-skelter, to find a resting place. And that awful tune had followed us here...[1]

Shysage gasped right away too. This was not good. "Summer, the statue..." he said quietly. I looked right away; it was not with us. Shysage wasn't holding it... It wasn't on the floor around us... Evidently, that statue, our only hope in trying to find our way back to Princess Celestia of Equestria... The Portal had not allowed...

Now what... I began to cry... And I could tell from her reflection in the Portal surface that Shyna was now crying too. She started to say something. I am not sure what she said.

Shysage had already realized... "Summer, just go through..." He wanted me to take he and I through the Portal to the Equestria Girls world. Well, we had nothing here. And, without that statue, we were in as bad a pickle now as when we had left, maybe just a minute ago... And we were very vulnerable just standing here; somepony important might see us...

Shysage and I, holding hands and together, we walked through the Portal, crying, and were soon in the Equestria Girls world...

Author's Note

'The Serpentine Labyrinth', from the Forever Today add-on to the OST for the Seekers of Adoulin expansion for FFXI, everything copyright by Square Enix.

Chapter 14, More Reeling

Shysage and I were both holding hands and crying as we walked out of the Portal at the Equestria Girls world end. And that same tune had followed us here too...[1] It might have been a little louder, I don't know. It was not the most reassuring tune to hear constantly just now...

And since we did not have the small but amazing statue of Princess Luna that Cel (Princess Celestia) in the Past had tried to give us, there had been essentially no change in our situation here in our present. We were still fugitives, and had no clue why we were being treated like this. I guess I am not sure how much difference that statue would have made. Well I had no clue... We had no clue about anything...

It looked like early morning here in the Equestria Girls world. We were both still very apprehensive about anypony important seeing us, and so we quickly walked away from the Portal, away from Canterlot High School. Holding hands, still crying softly, we walked down the broad sidewalk, away from the front of the school. Shysage didn't need to tell me where we were going. The only place we could go right now was Shysage's cubical, his small, white shack where his family had ultimately abandoned him, to die for all they cared. It was our only sanctuary here. It was small, but perfect for my Stallion and I. We would probably cry a long time, then calm down and try to decide what to do next. And just maybe... I also realized that we could get into Shysage's big blue car and just drive away, I don't know...

I think the further away from CHS we walked, the calmer we both became. Compared to Equestria, the Equestria Girls world is huge, and has far more people. What Princess Celestia had done in Equestria (in our present), well that mattered less here. Maybe our precious and treasured Equestria Girls friends had heard nothing about what happened, and so... The tyranny of schoolwork seemed to march quickly onward here anyway. Still, if there was a problem between us and the Equestria Girls, here, we would need to find that out at some--

Rounding the corner to the cubical... I felt... I ran...

Equestria Girls Fluttershy and Shyna were sitting on the top step to Shysage's cubical, crying, but got up quickly as I ran up to them...

Fluttershy, Shyna, Shysage and I... We all hugged tightly, and cried quietly for an hour at least... Nopony tried to say anything. There was really nothing to say... We just cried... Three months... Not even family could... Seeing, feeling the pain around us, not just ours... More reeling... That pain flowed here too...

It was clear after that hour that we all needed to talk some, so we worked on calming down. My sister's Twin, Equestria Girls Futtershy spoke first, and said timidly, quietly, sniffling "Twilight Sparkle told us girls we needed to tell her if we see either of you... So... I'm not opening my eyes..." She still had them tightly shut. I just moved right next to her, and hugged her tightly. Fluttershy started crying again, and I guess we all did... Another hour...

At some point during that hour, a police car pulled slowly up the alley to where we stood. The officer rolled his window down. "Everything ok here?" he asked hesitantly.

Shyna replied right away, as best as she could, "Family from far away..." The police car was on its way and gone.

After two hours, I guess we all realized... We needed to calm down, so we did. I had no intention of asking who or what, especially with my sensitive sister around. Fluttershy would want to tell me everything I asked, then feel terrible if she had promised not to. Or she would feel terrible, and just not say anything. We found out later that something like this was the case here too, so this approach worked well. I just hugged my hurting Sis...

Evidently Equestria Girls Shyna had to make no such promises, and felt differently; she quickly voiced that. "For the record, I think some grown-up ponies are being so dumb..." She said this quietly, and I knew Fluttershy was not happy either; she just sighed. Still, this was the end of Shyna's venting, I don't know.

But Shyna wasn't done talking. "Shysage, do you have a plan?"

I didn't, couldn't say anything. I had no clue... about anything... I just looked over at Shysage. He returned my gaze, and said quietly, to me really. "Summer and I are still working on that."

Shyna replied quickly "Well, let us know if there is anything we can do to help. I'm sure Filia and Fiona will help too if needed."

It was quiet for a few minutes. Without opening her eyes, Equestria Girls Fluttershy said quietly "I think we need to go pet fluffies." Maybe it was a school holiday, I don't know.

I hugged my Equestria Girls Sis tightly. I was hoping I could say something to give her some hope, some encouragement -- I could have used that too, but no words came... But I pulled Shyna into our hug. A few minutes later, Fluttershy and Shyna walked off together, still sniffling...

Shysage and I hugged tightly and sniffled ourselves as we watched them walk off. And, knowing that everything was playing out here in the Equestria Girls world, just like it seemed to be in Equestria, Shysage and I were now very uncomfortable standing outside, in the open like this. Somepony important might see us here too. Shysage quickly found the hidden key, and he and I disappeared inside his cubical.

The first thing I did, I looked longingly at his bed, our bed. Well, now was just not the time. I would wait patiently. In the middle of what he was doing, Shysage just said softly "I know, Mare..." Maybe he felt the same way. I love my Stallion so much...

The first thing Shysage did was find the loaner cell phone, and plug the charger thing in. He let it charge a few minutes, then he did something and it sprang to life. I guess he understands this stuff. Still, he leaned against the high bed, and pulled me close with one of his arms as he held the cell in his other hand. I leaned my head on his shoulder, and tried to relax. My Stallion's embrace has always been so comforting to me, since that day so long ago when he rescued me from monsters... But I could also see the front face of the cell phone, and the constantly changing pictures it showed. And I soon saw what Shysage was doing... Text messages...

A few older texts from our last visit, he ignored. But a whole string, more recently, from Twilight Sparkle "Are you there?" I guess that was their way of posting a guard at Shysage's cubical...

Then just yesterday, from my Twin, Equestria Girls Summer Rain... Somehow she had heard... And it just seemed so unfair to her... again... Maybe this is the fourth time she thought I was dead or something... That just seemed so harsh... Her text said simply "Oh thank goodness you are alive..."

At the same time, Shysage and I both realized we needed to text her back. Well, I really, really love my Twin... We both do. He and I talked briefly, and we wanted to keep it short, because we didn't know if she was around anypony important or not... And it needed to reflect both of us, so her husband, my Shysage's Twin would also know. This is what Shysage typed in.

"Both safe, here, working on a plan. Ask true friend..."

After reading that, I shut my eyes tight, and just cried... Shysage sent the text, then put the cell on the bed, and pulled me into a tight hug. We both wept softly together, hugging tightly, and waited. A few minutes later, the cell made a quiet noise, and Shysage quickly pulled up the reply.

"Thanks, Summer crying, we had no way of knowing. Took family out of town for a breather, and will do."

The cell was soon back on the bed, and Shysage and I hugged and cried some more. I really wanted our daughter Ariel now... Shysage and my family... Maybe Shysage did as well; we cried for a while more.

Shysage's crying trailed off though, so I tried to calm down too. "Summer, are you hungry?" Shysage asked this quietly, and I only then realized I was very hungry.

I laid my head back on Shysage's shoulder and said quietly "Take me to get a burger, Stallion." Wow, I love this man...

While I worked on calming down the rest of the way, Shysage did a few things to his big, older blue car, "big blue", sitting calmly in the carport next to his cubical. He worked under the hood mostly, then started it up. It was soon running, sounding just like I remembered. This was, is our car... After grabbing some cash from the stash, and the wallet in there too, we were soon locking up the cubical and outside again. I did look briefly at the smaller, white car deeper in the carport, behind big blue. That would need to wait too. But when Shysage opened his door, I didn't even wait, I climbed enthusiastically in and crawled quickly to the other side, long flowing dress and all. Well, I would sit in the middle, right next to Shysage while he drove. Another seat-belt in the center of the seat makes that legal. And, well, I love my Stallion! Married people, who go places in their car, sitting at opposite ends of the front seat... I don't know... But I see that a lot here I think...

I don't pay much attention when Shysage drives. He knows where we are going and I don't worry about that. Watching hundreds of cars dart about really scared me at first. But from deep inside Shysage's big car... It keeps everything at a safe distance for me. I realized that we were heading away from CHS though, and I sighed at this thought.

I won't say what hamburgers are made from, but boy do they taste good! I really was hungry and ate all of mine, and a bunch of fries. Shysage did the same. Well, just a week ago maybe, we were starving to death, hoping for rations in that freezing jail cell... I shivered, and Shysage felt that. He was right next to me anyway, and we hugged briefly. We paid for our yummy meal, Shysage refilled his soda, and we were on our way. Like I said, I don't pay too much attention when Shysage drives, but I did recognize this route. We were heading to the beach! We had our nice Equestria Girls clothing on, and Shysage had thrown two white sweatshirts into the back seat before we left. I think he was planning on this all along. It was the middle of the winter, but a warmish day with little wind. The sun was high. It would be such an amazing break...

On the way to the beach, Shysage focused on driving, but probably looked at me in the rear mirror thing more than he should have. I smiled when I caught him doing that. I am his Mare! But I tried to mentally work through some options... Why were we being treated like this? All we had done was try and help Equestria, help those around us every chance we got. We confronted evil and bad for what it was, I don't know -- who would have a problem with that? And we never crammed true fried down anyponies' throat... Well, I came up with nothing. I had absolutely no idea. And I couldn't even come up with a way the statue of Princess Luna would help. It was like Equestria was showing us to the door... I heard one of the bleacher girls say that, and she explained it to me when I asked her. Those girls are always so patient with my million questions... But she explained what it means, and it was beginning to feel that way for us now, I don't know. What had we ever done...

It was maybe mid-afternoon when Shysage pulled big blue into a parking spot at the beach. There were few here, maybe because it was the middle of winter. Shysage got our sweatshirts out, and helped me get mine on. I am still not the greatest working with these long arms! The sun was warm, and there was no breeze. With our nice Equestria Girls clothes and matching white sweatshirts on, we were very comfortable. We headed down to the water, then walked along the beach (in the wet sand because it was easier), hugging tightly, for the longest time. Little was said, I think we both needed time to just relax, and enjoy each other. Well, I was talking to true friend, asking him for wisdom. We didn't know what to do.

After a while, Shysage found a flat rock, sat down, then pulled me into his lap. In his loving embrace, we just watched the waves together. Shysage sighed at one point, then said quietly "Snow Pony..." I was sort of in a daze, watching the waves come and go, and thought nothing of it. In Equestria it was winter too... And maybe we lost track of the time. It was later, the sun had tilted lower, and the cool wind picked up. Shysage and I got up and headed slowly back down the beach the way we had come. That took a while too. And Shysage had me move on the side of him away from the wind to help me stay warm. But we were both pretty cold when we climbed back into big blue. Shysage started the car, and we waited a few minutes for the heater to start working again, then we were on our way.

We didn't drive far, Shysage took us to a small motel nearby. Soon enough, we were in our room and Shysage was turning the heater up, and the lights down. We weren't in Equestria... We weren't near CHS either. As that dawned on me, I sat down on the edge of the needlessly large bed, and just cried. Shysage was quickly next to me, hugging me, crying with me. I could only relax while far away from those ponies and people that I loved the most? That seemed so wrong... We cried together for a while. We cried our selves to sleep that night... [opt:btm12]

Author's Note

'The Serpentine Labyrinth', from the Forever Today add-on to the OST for the Seekers of Adoulin expansion for FFXI, everything copyright by Square Enix.

Chapter 15, Snow Pony

Well, I think we slept well, but I woke up to that same foreboding tune in the background[1]. Shysage said he heard it too. I don't know... After a nice warm shower on another cold day, we were on our way. We stopped at some small restaurant and ordered some fries, and had fries and soda for breakfast.

It was during breakfast that Shysage pulled out the loaner cell phone, to check for any texts I think. He was quickly working at a different screen, and I watched him type in (I guessed) a new text message. He showed it to me when he was done. It was to Equestria Girls Shyna.

Covert, need Equestria pony Camille at the old mustang storage unit, around 10 or so (late evening in Equestria I think).

I read the text, then started crying softly. Shysage sent the text, put the cell thing on the table then hugged me. Our neighbor in Equestria, Dawn, well Camille was her daughter. So many precious, beloved friends... And now we couldn't even... It all seemed so unfair to me. I cried softly on Shysage's shoulder for a little while.

While I was crying, the response came quickly back, from Filia (Equestria Girls Filia), Shysage said. It read simply "on it."

We were in a public place, so I worked on calming down, and we finished the fries (except for a few really nasty looking ones). Shysage refilled his soda, and we left.

Our next stop was a store that I, we had never been to, that I know of. Well, Shysage used to live here, in this area, so I don't know. I held one of Shysage's hands tightly the whole time. The store was big, and I... In the Equestria Girls world, if he and I were ever separated... I went everywhere he did in that store. He kissed me gently on my cheek a few times. I think that was his way of letting me know that me squeezing his hand to death was ok. He didn't want to lose me either. But, after paying, we left that store with a big white bucket full of some stuff I didn't even recognize, and would be hard pressed to even describe.

Once we were back in the car, and on the road, I suspected we were back in the same general area as CHS. "Shysage, what is all that stuff for?"

Shysage sighed, then said quietly. "If Cel in the Past thought that small statue of her sister would help, we need to try to make another one, to at least see if it still might help... although..." Shysage didn't finish, but I couldn't see what difference that statue would make either. Well, again, we just didn't know... anything...

For maybe half an hour, Shysage drove us around quiet streets lined with house after house. He pulled me close as he drove, and I tried to relax. He drove slow, and kissed me a few more times too, even though he was driving! Well, there weren't a lot of cars on the street. Shysage said it was saturday here anyway, and people usually stayed home and relaxed, so there were fewer cars on the road. Then he smiled, and said "Besides, I love my Mare." I gave him a big kiss for that.

We soon pulled up to... This was the storage unit where Shysage had kept one of his old Mustangs. Well, he gave the one that was here to Pinky Pie (Equestria Girls Pinkie Pie), so she and the Pie sisters could fix it up and give it to their parents as a huge surprise. That was amazing! The Pie sisters lovingly restored that beautiful car right in this unit. Shysage unlocked the lock, and rolled the door up; it was very noisy. And that sea of discarded, rusty parts was still scattered around the edges of that room. You would never have known that a beautiful Mustang was reborn in here...

There was an old bench seat that Shysage said was from an old Van, whatever that is. Anyway, Shysage gently sat me down on that seat, and sat next to me. We hugged tightly, and just sat there briefly. Well, I just knew Shysage was asking true friend for help with this, so I did too. Shysage got up, got the big bucket of stuff from the store out of big blue, then got to work. Well, he emptied the bucket, but dumped some of the sacks back in it, added some water from a hose nearby outside, brought it back in, mixed it a while, then left it sitting there, on the floor in the middle of the room. Then he came back and sat next to me. He hugged me close again, and I didn't mind that at all. Still, I wasn't sure how that bucket of watery goo would help us, but I have learned that Shysage usually thinks things through. Honestly, I was just glad to be next to him, hugging him, and not shivering cold and starving to death. Well, it was cold, but we weren't starving, and our clothing and sweatshirts kept us warm.

For another half hour, we just sat together on that seat, hugging... I was soon weeping softly. It was just very difficult for me to shake off the pain swirling all around us...

We heard people approaching, and, when they were close, I recognized that squeaky, high pitched voice... Equestria pony Camille was a people now, probably around 10 years old, Shysage said later. Her beautiful brown hair tumbled playfully down over her sweatshirt. She burst into tears, and ran clumsily over to us when she saw us. Shysage caught her before she fell, and we just hugged and cried together for a while. Camille tried to talk but it came out all disjointed. "We were so worried..." "They wouldn't tell my mom anything..." "The guards are so mean..." "We both missed you so much..." Camille was crying pretty hard. We were used to this. Whatever had happened... We hugged her tight and cried with her.

Shysage noticed first, and realized... Filia and Fiona were taking a big risk doing this, and their Twins, Equestria ponies Filia and Fiona probably had as well, in order to get Camille through the Portal. These four amazing girls were just trying to help stop whatever madness... Shysage noticed that Filia and Fiona looked very apprehensive, and were constantly looking out the door, probably for somepony important... Shysage led Camille and I over to that bench seat, and we sat down, still crying together, hugging...

Shysage pulled another smaller, but sturdy looking seat from a nearby corner. He set the bucked of watery goo on that stool, I guess it is called. He walked over to a big red thing with a bunch of small, shallow drawers and pulled out some big scissor things. Not intentionally, but he was between Camille and I and that bucket, so I didn't see what he did. A bunch of white bucket pieces fell to the ground around him though, I don't know.

When he moved, he started cleaning up pieces of bucket. But it looked like the bucket was still there. Well, some sort of white bucket shaped stuff was... Wow, I don't know... The bucket pieces went into a large pail in the corner. Next, Shysage pulled over an orange cord thing. Rummaging around in that thing with a bunch of drawers, he soon came over with a small back thing with what looked like something poking out of the end. He plugged it into that orange cord, and turned it on. It made a loud, high pitched whirring sound. Camille and I both looked at the same time. It sounded dangerous. Shysage turned it off, and he wasn't bleeding, so I think we concluded it was ok.

Shysage walked over, and kneeled in front of Camille. He sighed... "Camille you have a very special talent. Only right now, we really need your talent to try to resolve whatever is going on in Equestria. And honestly Camille, you are the only pony in Equestria who can help us right now..."

"Still trying to not cry, Camille said quietly "Shysage, how can I help?" And her emphasis was on the word "I". She didn't think she could help because she was just a young philly...

Shysage sighed again. "Camille, I need you to make a snow pony..."

"Shysage, I... Where is the snow?" Camille replied, clearly confused. Well, I was too.

Shysage looked at me and said quietly "Summer, I need you to change into a pony, and strike the same pose as that little statue."

I slowly got up, and did... that... Making sure there was room, I changed back into a pony, then stood myself back up on my hind legs. Balancing like that was very hard, I won't lie. Then I extended my wings like that statue...

Camille was smiling ear to ear. "It's our Summer!" she said proudly and with a squeak.

Shysage helped Camille up, and led her over to that white thing. It wasn't goo any more, I guess. Standing next to Camille, he picked up the black thing and turned it on. Camille backed up a step. Shysage poked the pointed end into the goo and slowly moved it around. He wrote Camille's name in the white stuff, just by moving the black thing around. "Camille, this works the same as your stick. You can carve anything you want out of this white block. Well, we really need you to make a small statue that looks just like Princess Luna. You can use Summer as your example, but remember Princess Luna has a Unicorn horn."

Shysage said this much, then just sighed. We couldn't really force Camille to do this. And if she didn't want to...

"Gimme that..." Camille said excitedly. Shysage explained that the tip on the end would seriously injure her if it touched her, so she had to be very careful. Camille's eyes were already fixed on that white chunk of stuff... Starting at the top, center, she was clearly trying to do the tip of the Unicorn horn. Camille was smiling...

Camille abruptly stopped. "Shysage, this will take forever..."

Shysage took the black thing, turned it off, walked over to the red thing of drawers, worked a minute, then came over with a much bigger poky thing coming out the end. "Camille, you must be very careful with this..." Shysage warned. He turned it back on, then carefully handed it back to Camille.

Camille got back to work... smiling... grinning... laughing...

Shysage had Filia hold the orange cord thing, and move it around if necessary to keep the cord to the noisy black thing free, so Camille could focus on her work. And Shysage rolled over a big, noisy vacuum, and held it close to where Camille was working. Camille pushed it playfully away often if it got in her way. But white dust was flying away furiously, and the vacuum thing caught most of it...

Camille started at the top... She carefully, majestically, skillfully, amazingly... She slowly made her way to the bottom. As she worked the white stuff, with the noisy black thing, an amazingly detailed statue of Princess Luna slowly emerged out of that featureless chunk of white. Shysage mentioned that Princess Luna's eyes needed to be closed, and she was laughing. Without even looking up, Camille laughed herself, and said "of course." Where large chunks needed to be removed, Camille would cut away around them, pull them off, and throw them backwards over her shoulder, laughing.. Camille would stop every so often to rest her arm. Shysage quickly grabbed the noisy black thing and turned it off. Maybe it needed to rest, too. Camille was so clearly enjoying this, and was also clearly so proud of her work. Ignoring everything else, she sort of danced around it, laughing. She ran up to Filia and Fiona and hugged them... She ran over to me, still a pony, and gently hugged me too. Camille is such a treasure... such a precious little girl... Camille got back to work when she wanted. "Gimme that thing" is what she usually said.

Two and a half hours later... That amazing statue of Princess Luna was all that remained of that featureless chunk... Wings, mane and tail, slight pony body, beautiful Unicorn horn... Camille asked for the first pointy thing "so she could smooth it out, and clean it up" she said laughing. Half an hour more, Camille was done. She almost threw the noisy black thing at Shysage, who caught the cord, turned it off, and carefully vacuumed over the statue, and all the other white stuff he could find. He vacuumed Camille off too, and she laughed and giggled the whole time. We knew what would happen next, so Shysage backed Filia away, and moved the vacuum.

Camille pranced around her Snow Pony yelling "Mommy... Mommy..." Then Camille began to cry... "If only my mom could see this..."

Shysage hugged her from the side, and said quietly "If we can arrange that, we will Camille. You have a very special gift, an amazing talent."

Fiona took a few pictures with her cell phone thing.

I changed back into a people, and joined a group hug. Filia, Fiona and Camille, with Shysage and I. But our hug had to be painfully short. Fiona said quietly "We need to get her home, sorry. I think this took way longer..."

I hugged Camille tightly "Precious Camille, thank you sooo much..." Filia and Fiona walked out the door with Camille, and they were gone. I couldn't help it, I started crying. "Shysage I miss our neighbors so..." Shysage and I hugged for a few minutes as I cried.

Still, Shysage said he had work to do. He got a few can looking things out of an old box, and started shaking them. They were soon making a lot of noise as he shook them; something inside was rattling around or something. He shook both cans a while. He said to himself "Royal Blue, that should do..." Then he, well I don't know, that little can was painting the statue of Princess Luna. And it was dark blue, just like she was. Shysage took his time, and painted the whole statue. When he was done, he sighed. "Probably take three coats..." whatever that meant. Between painting, Shysage and I sat next to each other, hugging... waiting for the paint to dry, Shysage said.

Right after Shysage had completed the second coat, Fiona came back, alone, clearly out of breath. "Shysage, I'm sorry... I saw through my Twin... Princess Twilight watched our Twins help Camille through the Portal on the Equestria end. Princess said quietly for them to take Camille home, but that she wanted to talk to them when they came back. Our Twins won't lie. She will know what we are doing."

Fiona started crying. And I did too, this whole thing seemed so unfair, to everypony... Shysage hugged Fiona, and said quietly "You girls are so brave. This is not your fault, we all tried as best as we could to remedy whatever is happening. You have our deepest appreciation."

Just then, Fiona's cell phone thing made a noise. Fiona pulled it out, looked, then sighed... "I gotta go..." and she was off running... On both sides of the Portal... The word was out (I heard a bleacher girl say that...) We didn't have much time...

"Shysage the world is insane... Even here..." I really didn't... I just cried as Shysage hugged me.

It was time for the third coat, and Shysage quickly had that done. Then he came and sat down next to me. "Summer, I don't remember, was the mane and tail on that little statue a different color, the lighter, nightmist blue Lu's mane and tail are? I just can't remember...." Well, we had not seen Cel's statue for very long anyway. I couldn't remember either. As the paint dried, Shysage and I, we just sat together on that bench. Well, we had something, anyway. Princess Celestia in the Past had tried to give us a statue. Well, thanks to a supremely talented pony in Equestria, we had at least that statue now. Whatever good...

For the next 20 or so minutes, Shysage and I just sat there. We had this statue. I think we both felt so emptied. The pain around us... We just sat there. Shysage had his arm around me, hugging me... I think we were both just dazed...

Shysage sighed, then got up. He touched the statue a few times, to make sure the paint was dry. Then he carefully picked the statue up, and the stool, and moved both out, just past the end of the storage unit, and into the sun. It was cold, but the sunlight would help the paint dry, Shysage mentioned. I stood next to the statue, because the sun felt wonderful. Shysage went back inside, and started rooting through boxes again, probably looking for some lighter colored blue paint.

Another car pulled up next to big blue, and stopped. Out stepped... Principal Celestia... I was ready to hug her, but her eyes clearly indicated that was not a good idea. She walked up to me.

She looked at the statue. "Well... well... well..." was all she said. It sounded like I was one of her little students...

Shysage walked up and said "Oh, hi, we..."

Principal Celestia reached a hand out and pushed Shysage back into the storage unit. Of course, Shysage didn't fight her. Then she quickly pulled the rolling door thing noisily down, and latched him inside.

I... I was crying right away. "Why are you--"

"Young lady, you had better take that statue and head to Canterlot"

I was speechless. What? "I have no clue where the Portal even is" I protested weakly.

"Get in..." Principal Celestia said roughly.

A few minutes later, the car stopped at the end of the long walkway leading to the front of CHS, to the huge statue whose support wall held the Portal.

Principal Celestia reached across in front of me, and opened my door for me. "Get going" she said sternly. Well, I didn't want to stay here with her, not now. Crying fiercely because I wanted my stallion, I climbed out of the car, being very careful with Camille's statue. I walked quickly down the walkway. I wasted no time. This was madness... I clutched Camille's statue tightly to my chest, and walked through the Portal wall.

Author's Note

'The Serpentine Labyrinth', from the Forever Today add-on to the OST for the Seekers of Adoulin expansion for FFXI, everything copyright by Square Enix.

Chapter 16, No Pathway Home

Once through the Portal and in Equestria, I noticed... The tune in the background was even louder[1]... Like I had hoped, I was still a people when I cleared the Equestria end of the Portal.

I had prepared for this on the way through. I reached for Camille's statue immediately, as soon as I could. But it wasn't there. Looking around frantically, I found it, suspended maybe a foot above the rug in front of the Portal in the Library. The purple glow... Princess Twilight had caught Camille's statue for me... I reached for the statue, and the magic eased away, and I pulled Camille's statue tightly to my chest again.

I looked up. I wanted to thank my amazing Princess... I really wanted to hug her. It had been months... Her look also suggested that was not a good idea. I froze...

"Summer, I thought..." Princess Twilight said this much, then stopped. There was pain etched in her voice. Then Princess closed her eyes, and lifted her head up slightly. "You had better take that to Canterlot." In a line, the rest of Princess' girls were at her side. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack... They all did the same thing Princess did, closed their eyes, and looked slightly up. Fluttershy was on the end, next to Applejack, facing the other way, sitting, crying buckets. I burst into tears, of course... My Sis, all our amazing friends... "Summer, just go" Princess all but demanded...

Before I moved, I spun up my Cutie Mark. I knew my pearl white Unicorn horn became visible, but I needed my wings. Holding on tightly to Camille's statue, I ran down the hall, down the steps, and took to the air, pulling quickly higher with my huge Phantom Alicorn wings. With both hands, I clutched Camille's statue tightly as I flew.

The sky was turning quickly lighter off to the east, it would be morning soon in Equestria. I had light for the trip, anyway. The land of Equestria swam quickly past as I flew. But, this wasn't, couldn't be a sight-seeing trip. I had to get Camille's statue to Canterlot, to Princess Celestia, to see if it would help stop this madness, and then maybe I could get my Stallion back. Everything hurt so much inside right now. I cried the whole way...

As the sun peeked across Equestria, I landed in the center of the large commons lawn in Canterlot. I guess they were expecting me. A huge crowd of guards were milling around on the Commons lawn, but they opened a large area for me as I landed. Well, Camille's statue of Princess Luna was in Canterlot, anyway. The music in the background lept even louder as my feet touched the ground...

I was going to walk to the Audience Hall, and try to find Cel. The guards didn't even give me that chance. They all converged on me, and formed a slowly shrinking perimeter, slowly crowding closer to me. My Phantom Alicorn form... My huge wings and Unicorn horn, that loud low rumble... The guards ignored all that. Somepony had told them I guess, that I would never use that on ponies... I couldn't... I wouldn't... So... I was powerless... I felt powerless... They slowly crowded closer. They started laughing... They all started laughing at me. That just crushed me... After all I had done to help... Dozens of guards were laughing scornfully at me, with more running up... I carefully set Camille's statue down on the ground, and turned back into the small, insignificant pony there biting laughter told me I was. Well, I put my front legs around Camille's statue. I needed to at least protect that, until somepony important came...

They started kicking me... They didn't kick me hard, at first. But it just got worse... and hurt worse... soon a lot worse... After a few minutes, I knew I had bruises... bleeding... They kept kicking me... laughing at me... Still, I moved forward to try to protect Camille's statue. They kicked me harder, and laughed louder. What in Equestria...

The crowd of guards were all very close, all much bigger that I was, taking turns kicking me... Everything hurt... A few of them even began lifting their front legs and kicking my head. I... I tried to duck... So many hooves... Everything hurt much worse...

I heard the distinct sound of something breaking. I knew what it was right away... Camille's statue... I was done... There was absolutely nothing more I could to to protect that... to try and help fix... I screamed, and just laid over on my side. They let me roll on my side, but kept kicking... laughing even more...

I remembered that point where, when we first walked up to Cel in the Past, she was facing a world full of dispair and hopelessness. Shysage and I both re-accepted whatever we needed to do, to sacrifice, for Cel and Lu. Moms and dads are supposed to do that. For that very reason, I simply gave up at that point. I was surely a bloody mess, on my side as they kept kicking me, and Camille's statue was broken. I had nothing left. From here on out, I would just accept whatever Cel demanded of me... I stopped thinking. I tried to stop feeling, and just prepeared myself for whatever the outcome had to be... They kept kicking me...

A voice cried out frantically "Stop!" It was Cel, clearly upset, and the guards backed off substantially as Princess Celestia of Equestria walked up. Well, the guards weren't kicking me anymore, anyway. But, I didn't care. My eyes were shut tight, and my body ached all over, covered with bloody bruises. I... just wanted my Shysage. And whatever else had to happen, well, whatever.

After maybe a minute of silence, Cel said this. "Well... well... well..." and it sounded just like her Twin, Principal Celestia; she had said the same thing...

After another minute of silence, Cel, talking to one of the guards I guess, said "Please summon our new Interior Affairs Minister, and ask Princess Luna to let Vice-Principal Luna know that Shysage's Mare requires his presence in Canterlot."

It was quiet after that. I don't think anypony moved, or anything. Well, I could feel blood trickling down my face and back, and everything still hurt, but beside that...

I heard another pony walk up. I think he ended up standing next to Princess Celestia. He gasped quietly too. I simply did not care. It sounded like they were having Shysage come here, and that was all I cared about anymore. I needed my Stallion, right now especially.

I think the Portal helped us out. Shysage landed nearby maybe ten minutes later. He is bigger than I... He caused at least a few grunts as he quickly pushed himself through guards. "Oh Summer..." he said lovingly, as he laid on his belly along my back, and began to lick blood off my face. My stallion was back. I began to cry softly... He did too...

Princess Celestia started again.

"Well, well, well...

"Caught red-handed...

"Nopony is above the law, not even you two."

Another pony walked up, and quickly gasped. It was Lu, well Princess Luna.

"Mom..." Lu was certainly pained to see me like this.

"Sister!" Lu said loudly with just a hint of scolding in her voice.

Then Lu ran quickly off, away, I don't know.

This made zero sense to me, so I just ignored the whole thing. And, honestly, I just didn't care. Cel could throw us back in the dungeon if she wanted to, and Shysage and I would stay there together until we died, whatever...

But I think Shysage quickly thought through exactly what was going on. He didn't address Princess Celestia at all. He looked up at the "new Interior Affairs Minister", and said quietly

"So, we are common thieves now?"

I gasped... The interior affairs minister was the Unicorn stallion that had kicked Shysage across the Canterlot Library lobby... that had helped Cel throw us in that dungeon... that would dump Equestria into anarchy, years in the future... I could tell the minute he started to talk...

With a clearly triumphant air, that monster said arrogantly to Shysage "You heard Princess Celestia, nopony is above the law."

Shysage wasn't done, and responded immediately, also without any anger or malice . "And that was grounds for starving us to death in the dungeon over a bitter cold winter?"

The interior affairs monster again answered triumphantly, right away. "I told you that you would pay for what you said."

I guess it took a while, but what Shysage said finally registered with Princess Celestia. She gasped, then said "Wait... What happened?"

Another pony ran quickly up. Shysage had licked the blood from my eyes, it was Lu, Princess Luna. She was carrying... a small blue statue of herself... Lu was clearly upset, and plopped her statue down hard on the ground, right next to Camille's statue. The force of that broke the right wing off Lu's statue... at exactly the same spot as the guard's kick had broken the same wing off Camille's statue. The two statues were right next to each other, and looked identical, each having their right wing broken off at exactly the same spot, in the same way, and the broken wing for both was laying exactly the same way in the grass... Parallel worlds...

...

The interior affairs monster gasped loudly...

...

Princess Celestia, looking at both statues... She said weakly, probably to the interior affairs monster "...but... you said..."

Then she began to cry softly...

...

Shysage asked me if I could fly. I said yes, so he bolted quickly through the guards and was in the air.

I got up as a bleeding pony, then immediately changed into a people, and spun up my Cutie Mark. I launched quickly into the air from that spot, leaving two broken statues of Princess Luna in the grass. I was still bleeding, not a lot, but my beautiful Equestria Girls world clothes would surely be stained from this...

...

The interior affairs monster said quickly "Princess, they are getting away. Should we send the guards?

Princess Celestia was crying... "No..." I heard her say. Then louder "No... no... no... no... no..."

I was too far away to hear anything more.

...

I remembered where on the Commons lawn I had built a fire ring with Phantom Alicorn boulders, to hopefully make a lasting impression, during our last trip to the Past to help Cel. From the air, I rebuilt that ring right then, in exactly the same spot. And finally, I dropped a rock down onto the walkway in front of the large doors to the Audience Hall.

Then I flew away...

I don't know what happened in Canterlot after that.

...

I caught up to Shysage easily as the Phantom Alicorn. I didn't even need to ask where he was going. I knew where he would go. There was only one place he could go, and I found him easily as he headed there. Our sanctuary... I changed back into a pony, still bleeding, and we went together. And we flew a long way around the only other city in our path...

Shysage only said this as we flew... "That vile pony told Cel we stole her Princess Luna statue. Of course Cel was hurt... And that is why..." Shysage couldn't finish, and cried. So much reeling... on both sides of the Portal... We both cried. And, seeing two Princess Luna statues, I had already realized that.

Still, Shysage and I harbored no anger at Princess Celestia. She was just doing her job, trying to protect Equestria... Someone high up in her governing staff, had brutally abused his position for his own ends... Princess Celestia had been lied to...

...

We soon landed outside our tree sanctuary, a huge circle of redwood trees, each one so very high. Walking quickly inside the ring of trees, we found Filia, Fiona, Shyna, my sister Fluttershy... and our Ariel Dawn, sitting together on that little hill in the center. They were probably waiting for us. We were all quickly hugging, crying loudly together...

Fluttershy's eyes were open now, but she said this. "I knew you didn't... couldn't have done what they were saying... There is just no way..."

But I thought... What about the rest of our friends? How could they not... And for us to just disappear for months... They didn't want us?

...

A single evil monster...
...clearly with an axe to grind...
...had dropped a subtle lie at a vulnerable time...
...and everything we had treasured was swept away...

"WASN'T TRUE FRIENDSHP IMPORTANT HERE ANY MORE?" In pain, I cried this out as we wept together...

A life so full of such amazing treasures...

...Swept away by this monster...

...He could not have hurt us more...

...

We just cried...

...

We knew of no pathway home... We had no clue how to...

We knew of no way to get back what we had come to treasure... and had now lost...

It had all been swept away...

...

The music in the background had changed... Faded memories... I guess that was all we had now...[2]

Author's Note

'The Serpentine Labyrinth', from the Forever Today add-on to the OST for the Seekers of Adoulin expansion for FFXI, everything copyright by Square Enix.
"Faded Memories", the Empty zone BGM from the "Chains of Promethia" expansion for FFXI, copyright by Square Enix.

Chapter 18, Grim Prospects

I remember seeing this. Whether in a dream or not I cannot tell.

My view started at a 50 foot high angle view and showed a mostly clear expanse of the endless cloud-bank that is Cloudsdale.

Zooming in, my view homed in on a very young, light yellow pegasus with pink hair named Fluttershy. As my view got closer, it was clear she was very upset, and may have been crying. Fluttershy was just sitting there, frowning, staring down.

After about a minute, an older, but also young pony walked up. This was Fluttershy's older sister Summer Rain, with a light tan coat, blue eyes, and faded gold mane and tail.

As Summer moved closer to her sister, Fluttershy looked up, her face still etched with pain. Summer Rain walked slowly up to her sad sister, and sat down. Summer pulled some sort of object from her bag, placed it carefully on the cloud-top in front of Fluttershy. Next, Summer carefully pulled away the top and sides of the object to reveal a large yellow butterfly. Fluttershy's eyes grew instantly huge, and she stared at it with wonder while her mouth opened wide in amazement.

The butterfly slowly opened and closed its paper thin wings a few times then abruptly flew up into the air.

Fluttershy and her sister then squealed with delight as they darted around trying to hover as close to it as they could, laughing and darting and yelling and laughing some more. After about 10 minutes of this, the butterfly dove over the edge of Cloudsdale, and fluttered back to it's home below. Both ponies sat down at the edge trying to catch their breath, as the butterfly faded into the distance below.

Even before the chase was over, all color drained from my view and then it grew very dim. I next got the impression that I was moving very quickly straight away from the two girls, as they shrank smaller and smaller until they could no longer be seen. At this, it appeared that I passed under a large, dark 'arch-way' of some sort, and then the view faded to pitch black.

A very low faint rumbling became barely audible at this point.

...

1 minute...

...

5 minutes... The low rumbling was slowly fading away...

...

10 minutes...

...

I waited...

...

Without warning, I jolted quickly up in bed, and sat, breathing rapidly...

"Summer, no... Your amazing story absolutely can't be over yet!" I am pretty sure I yelled this. Of course, no answer came. I started crying, quietly, hoping to wake nobody else around me...

I soon fell back to sleep... Hours...

Without warning, a hideous roar, followed by the midnight vision of a huge, orange, glowing, angry dog like monster with two heads, twice as tall as the nearby trees... His roar sent chills... But he roared as if having been slain, then he knelt down on his two front legs, tensed his whole body, then exploded, sending shards of red-hot rock like bullets in all directions... I quickly noticed two insignificant, light colored ponies, running quickly away with all their might... Blackness returned, and I realized I might never know... But as if on cue, the following letters came slowly across my field of view, out of the blackness... The letters were white with brilliant gold trim, and were only visible near the center of my field of view, then trailed away as they passed... "CSR Princess"

I woke with a start... What did this even mean... It was a while before I could even lay down again... But I did finally fall back asleep...

Blasting into my slumber... A huge pony hoof, crashing down hard on... a... pearl white Unicorn's horn, breaking most of it cleanly away... A scream shattered the darkness as a... person... a young woman... head forced harshly down on a black marble slab, cried out in agony as the deed was done... How could one survive pain so great?

A vile voice of absolute wickedness...

"Death is too good for you..."

The hoof still standing on the broken... The hoof was picked up and simply waved, as the broken horn rolled slowly away...

"Abandonment... YES!" then "BEGONE!"

As I watched in horror, two maybe three small somethings spun mercilessly away into the blackness at vastly different angles and speeds...

Gliding slowly in from the right... Disappearing into the blackness off to the left... "CSR Maude"

I woke up crying... I was afraid to even try to go back to sleep...

Abandoned

We had quietly shoved our way out of that freezing jail cell on the first not quite freezing day, well night of spring. We flew to our sanctuary, right into other's reeling pain... From there we slipped to the Portal and went to the Past, and ended up helping Cel again. Well, Princess Celestia; maybe we can call her Cel in the Past, I don't know. But Cel tried to help us, and she gave us a cherished small statue of her beloved sister, whom she had to banish away for a long time... When we came back from the Past; we had been gone from Equestria present mere seconds. But that statue of Lu that Cel thought would help... It didn't come with us. I guess the portal didn't allow that... But we were surrounded by younger friends who stood to lose a lot of we just stood there. We immediately went through the Portal to the Equestria Girls world.

After more reeling pain there, our younger friends in the Equestria Girls world also worked with our younger friends in Equestria... Our amazing neighber Dawn, well her daughter Camille was a natural born... well she could do amazing sculptures in snow. With a little coaxing and the right tools in Shysage's storage unit, this cute, talented pony Camille, as a people, exactly reproduced the statue that Cel had tried to give us in the past. While our younger friends helped Camille get back to Dawn (in Equestria), Shysage added the final touch, the dark blue paint that exactly matched Princess Luna's dark blue pony coat color. We hoped this would help whatever was going on. Cel in the Past thought it might... In the process of doing that, Principal Celestia accosted us, locked Shysage up in that storage unit, and sent me to Canterlot, alone, with the statue. This made no sense to me; that is where Shysage and I would have gone, anyway.

Aside from guards who refused to protect me from each other, we learned that a vile liar of a Unicorn stallion had told Princess Celestia that Shysage and I, we had stolen her cherished Princess Luna statue... Cel evidently believed him, and that... Princess Luna quickly retrieved the real princess Luna statue from her closet, and that should have fixed everything, but it just seemed to leave everything horribly broken... Shysage and I just left... We flew back to our tree sanctuary, cried with some of our friends, family, then they left...

I think the weather didn't like us either. And we were so far beyond crying any more... And my sister Fluttershy's suggestion that everything would be ok... Well, everything just hurt... But our first night after everything, well, exploded... We were back at our tree sanctuary. We weren't in that freezing jail cell, but it was quickly getting very cold. Maybe winter wasn't quite done yet... And we had a hard time finding a not so freezing spot. We asked our daughter Ariel if she wanted to go and spend the night with Shyna at Fluttershy's Cottage. They were such close friends, like adopted sisters. Ariel cried, but felt that was best. We hugged, then she was gone. She surely knew the way. And the guards wouldn't arrest her on sight, as far as we knew.

That first night there was horrible, and very cold. It was windy, and we found that maybe our jail cell of forgetting had afforded a certain amount of shielding from the wind. Shysage had me curl up next to one of the trees on the side away from the wind, and he curled himself around me. That kept me warm, but he was cold all night. Shysage was protecting his Mare... I love him so... At least it was sunny and clear the next day, and the first warm spot of direct sunlight couldn't happen soon enough, but it did. On the top of that little hill, directly in the middle of that large ring of huge trees... The sun wasn't mad at us, at least. Shysage tried to say something, and ended up just crying quietly. But I felt what he... Abandoned... Even after that horrible lie was shown for what it was... We were still abandoned... Abandoned by our precious friends... Abandoned by most of our family... Abandoned by Equestria it seemed... This gnawing heartbreak followed us everywhere, just like that same doleful tune(1)...

But a few days later... After a few more windy, freezing cold nights, it seemed like winter was mostly done. One morning, Shysage and I walked carefully, slowly towards Ponyville, but far around to the east. We stopped in that meadow to the east that we used to... I had changed into my phantom pony (dark blue and no Cutie Mark) form to try to... well, we still really didn't know anything... We laid down side by side on that hill, and just sat there in stunned silence, looking out across the meadow like we had so many times... Maybe we should just let somepony important throw us back into jail and die there. We were alive now, but with no friends... That realization did make us both cry for a little while. Then we were cried out again, I guess...

But we came back because I wanted to at least try to thank Camille for her unique artistic abilities, and using them to try to help Shysage and I. I wanted to thank Dawn especially for letting her daughter actually come to the Equestria Girls world. My daughter, alone, lost in the Equestria Girls world... That would absolutely decimate me... Leaving Shysage right there on that little hill, I walked slowly to Dawn's house. Why was this so hard... Well, I remember Shysage chasing me down this same road, on the way to the lake so we could... That happened a few times... Not any more, I guess... I had to stop that thought...

The guard outside the Canterlot Recorder's residence eyed me suspiciously as I knocked on Dawn's door. I was dark blue, and Dawn didn't know who I was, so I asked quietly if we could go inside. Once there, I changed back into my white and gold, and I cried loudly for a while with Dawn and Camille... Well, if the guard heard that (which he probably did) let him report three crying mares to his superiors... Whatever... Friendship is magic, and somehow, someone had let that be horribly broken. Well, I was pretty sure we could thank that liar Unicorn stallion in Canterlot for this. He hated Shysage and I, not because of who we were, but for what Shysage and I have chosen to stand for... This was all so wrong, for us to have to still have to tip-toe around... I was there for hours, crying with our amazing neighbor Dawn and her little treasure Camille. Shysage just waited patiently on that small hill in the east meadow, although I did hope that the Portal wouldn't suddenly take him off to the Past. That had happened before...

I love Shysage so much... Without him near, I absolutely WOULD be abandoned...

Author's Note

"Faded Memories", background music for the Empty zones of FFXI, from the "Chains of Promathia" expansion for FFXI. Of course, the tune, the zones, the game is all copyright Square Enix. FFXI is still an amazing game.

Chapter 1, Snow Pony

Well, it was the middle of winter and very cold. I mean very cold. It had snowed a lot the night before. Shysage and I had spent a little while outside that night watching the snow fall. The hushed quiet... Snow flakes make almost no noise as they settle into the already fallen snow. That blanket of endless white, and with the moon peeking through the clouds... It was very beautiful, so serenely quiet and calm(1). But it was also very cold. I think I said that. Neither Shysage nor I like the cold, the winter. We tolerate it, and make do as best as we can, waiting until we can fly again in the spring, I guess.

Ariel had spent the night at Fluttershy's. This happened often. Shyna was Ariel's best friend after all, and Shyna was Fluttershy's adopted sister, and both Ariel and Shyna knew old pony, and well, that was all fine. That left Shysage and I together and alone last night. It was cold, but we snuggled together on the rug in front of the fireplace, soaking up the warmth of the fire, and just enjoyed our time together. Well, it was a full moon last night. The cold didn't make too much difference.

I think Shysage and I slept in the next morning, but we were both awake. Shysage had just gotten up and turned into a people long enough to throw some more wood on the low fire, then he got his "pony coat back on" he said, as he turned back into a pony, and he was back next to me facing the fire again. We were just relaxing together, waiting for our house to warm up some as the fire built back up. As my Stallion returned to his spot right next to me, I was marvelling again that our love, our devotion to each other was just growing over time. Based on what I saw around me, that didn't seem normal. Still, I didn't want what we shared to ever end. I love Shysage so much... I laid my head back against his, sighed, then told him that.

We could have relaxed there on the rug in front of the fire all day. It was so nice and warm... And our Canterlot Recorder tasks were all caught up. And it was too cold for any outside chores. Shysage chuckled and said quietly, lovingly "Well, Mare, it looks like you are stuck with me under foot today." I smiled and just sighed. That was never a problem for me, for us. We were seldom even apart unless something was seriously wrong. But I was thinking about making us some breakfast. I had been practicing, but I was still not very good at this cooking thing. Oat stew was the easiest to make. Shysage never complained, and always said it was very good. I would probably make that, which would get us back here, together on this rug, fairly quickly. But I was in no hurry to even get up. Like a nice warm blanket that you didn't ever want to leave, I just snuggled more closely to my world, my life... my Stallion...

...

It sounded like a hoof knocked loudly against the front door a few times. I don't think it startled either of us. Although, I did think "Now what..." Shysage took his time, got up, climbed under his pony coat, then opened the front door.

It was Camille, our neighbor Dawn Flower's daughter. Camille was grinning ear to ear. In her melodiously squeaky voice, she said very quickly "Shysage, Shysage, quick, you gotta come... I want to make my mom a Snow Pony as a surprise. Can you and Summer come help me? Pleeeaaaassseee?" Camille is so cute. At maybe three years old she is full grown, but she is still so much a kid at heart. After getting this much out, she jumped up and down excitedly, turning a complete circle as she did. And with her magic she was holding up her special stick -- it moved around and went everywhere that she did.

Shysage quickly said what we both felt "Camille, Summer and I will be out in a minute." I was already climbing under my coat. Still, this would not be the easiest of tasks, especially for Shysage. He would probably be a people the whole time, and our Equestria Girls clothing was not really intended to handle the deep of winter. Shysage kept meaning to ask Equestria Girls Rarity for a Parka, he called it, just for times like this. Well, his white sweatshirt would have to do today.

Shysage tried to describe a Snow Man to me once. They sound so pudgy, so... like blobs stacked on blobs. Snow Ponies are so much different. Well, it is usually just Unicorns that can make them anyway. Carving snow with a hoof is not very effective. Here in Equestria, most ponies roll snow together until you get a huge roll that is big enough to contain the overall size of the pony, then you start carving, shaping. Shysage handles it differently, mainly because he wants to accelerate the process so he doesn't get frost-bite, whatever that is. He actually builds the basic pony body up using smaller chunks of snow. It is still trickly, and it is not uncommon for the whole thing to crash to the ground. Camille laughs wildly when that happens. I just cringe. I wish Shysage had gloves at least. Yes, we had helped Camille do this before. It was sort of a winter tradition, Shysage called it.

Maybe an hour later, the roughed-in pony body was built, and Camille stepped forward with her favorite stick. The bulk of Shysage's work was done, and he stood next to me, hands in his pockets trying to thaw out, he said. He was shivering. At least it wasn't windy; it was cold, but the sun was shining nicely.

Camille quickly got to work with her stick, carving, shaping... Occasionally she needed snow added to a spot, and Shysage would carefully take care of that. What makes this so amazing... This is one of Camille's gifts. Shysage said that in the Equestria Girls world she could make a very good living doing sculptures(?). Camille is really that good. The Snow Pony took shape smoothly, quickly, almost effortlessly. Camille worked from nose to tail with that stick, and we could always tell those areas she had not yet worked. Chunky snow to articulate, detailed pony, we could always tell exactly where she was in her work. And the finished Snow Pony looked exactly like Camille's mom Dawn Flower... Actually watching Camille at work doing this is breathtaking... From a rough pony shape to an exquisitely detailed sculpture of her mom, in maybe 20 minutes... Granted, it was snow, but still. It was amazing...

The first time we built a Snow Pony, Camille was very young, and we found her outside, frolicing in the snow. Shysage suggested the Snow Pony, built it, then did some crude forming. Camille was amazed, and ran in to get her mom. The next winter, Camille grabbed a stick with her magic and took over...

Since then, we could always tell when Camille was done. She pranced around her Snow Pony yelling "Mommy... Mommy..." Dawn came out and just cried. Dawn's gift is making the most amazing, beautiful flower arrangements out of just about anything, so I think she had some idea of her daughter's artistic abilities. It was just not clear how to translate that into Equestria. It doesn't snow all the time. Dawn knew Camille's Snow Pony looked amazingly, exactly like Dawn herself. But it would melt... Dawn and Camille hugged and cried together. Camille broke away long enough to run over and get hugs from Shysage (as a people) and me, still a pony. Camille whispered "Thank you sooooo much!" We left Dawn and Camille crying and hugging in front of their Snow Pony.

Shysage and I went back into the Canterlot Recorder's house. Shysage threw more wood on the fire, then turned back into a pony, and was on his belly on the rug. I laid right next to him, hoping to help warm him up. Between me and the fire, his shivering soon subsided. We just relaxed together there on the rug for a while.

...

We heard what sounded like a hoof on the door again. We weren't startled; Shysage was pretty sure Camille wanted a little more help. He got up, and changed into a people right away, then he walked over to the door and opened it. I was not even up yet.

Shysage found himself looking slightly down at two of the guards from Princess Twilight's Castle. Both guards looked up at him, stunned. When they recovered, one of them said tersely "We are looking for Shysage and Summer Rain." Shysage smiled, said "just a moment", then he closed the front door. "I think they want us, Summer" he said quietly, then he threw himself forward and turned back into a pony. The music in the background changed immediately(2)...

Shysage and I walked together to the door to see what they wanted, and Shysage opened it. Shysage said quietly "Can I help you?"

"Are you Shysage and Summer Rain?" the question came tersely back from one of the guards.

"Yes?" Shysage answered for both of us.

"Come with us" he said gruffly. We followed the one doing the talking, but the one behind us -- he had his spear drawn!

"Shysage, what..." I tried to say.

"SILENCE!" the guard behind us quickly yelled.

Snow on the ground, Shysage was concerned "Can we get our coats--"

"MOVE!" the one at the back with the spear yelled.

Six other guards soon joined us, three more in front, and three more spears behind us.

We walked calmly through town. Four guards in front of us, and four spears behind us. "Stand clear" they kept yelling, not that anypony even wanted... Most of the ponies we passed gasped loudly. It might have been Rarity that ran quickly away, I don't know. At first we weren't too concerned. It must be some kind of mistake. Our precious Princess Twilight would take care of it.

We headed towards Princess Twilight's Castle, but we didn't go in. And nopony came out. Four more guards joined us; two of them pulled their spears and were behind us. Twelve of Equestria's guards escorted us to a waiting Air Coach, and all their spears came out once we were there...

"GET IN" one of the guards yelled roughly.

We got in.

The Air Coach took quickly off, and headed away... from... Ponyville...

The flight was cold... very cold... And we didn't have our coats... As he had done in the past, Shysage got out of his harness and moved in front of me to try to block the flow of the icy wind blowing past. The pulling Pegasi yelled at him to move back, but Shysage ignored them. They couldn't do anything about it anyway, and didn't seem to care that we were both freezing.

"Shysage, what--" I tried to ask Shysage again.

"SILENCE!" came the quick reply...

We were both almost frozen when the Air Coach landed in the commons lawn in Canterlot. Eight more guards this time, four with spears drawn behind us. I didn't know we were so dangerous... Off in the distance, Shining Armor watched all this then turned and walked off.

But I also thought I saw Orbsah Tnuoc, the Keeper of Equestria, towards the center of the commons lawn as we landed. Standing there, aloof, then he closed his eyes, turned his head away... He was quickly gone. I don't know...

Soon walking towards the Audience Hall, I thought "Surely Cel and..." But we didn't go in, and nopony came out. Minutes later, we were in a jail cell in the jail block under the back end of the Audience Hall. They didn't throw us in, but it felt like they wanted to. The door shut with a loud bang, and was quickly locked. After that, the eight guards walked down the jail block hall and were gone. It was quiet.

"Shysage, what is going on?" I asked quietly, and I couldn't stop the tears that were flowing.

Shysage hugged me tightly and as close as he could. "I have no idea..."

All we could do was wait...

Author's Note

(1) 'The Divine' from the 'Forever Today' OST Add-on for the 'Seakers of Adoulin' expansion for FFXI, everything copyright by Square Enix. This tune plays quietly in the snowbound Kahmir Drifts zone.
(2) 'Faded Memories' from the OST for the 'Chains of Promethia' expansion for FFXI, everything copyright by Square Enix.

Chapter 6, Not Even Family

Shysage and I, we knew exactly where our sanctuary was, even by the light of a full moon. We went clear around the only town near our path, and approached the trees from a much different direction. This place has always been such a refuge to us, a place of serene peace, for over a millennia. And we could see it from miles away. Now some fifty huge redwood trees, arranged in a perfect circle, with a ring of lush ferns under the trees, and a miniature meadow of amazing grass in the center. Once inside, it seemed like a world all by itself. From the air, it looked the same as the last time we were here, even in the moonlight...

I think my sister Fluttershy and our daughter Ariel were the only other ponies who even knew about this. Shyna probably knew too. Still, it had been three months and a long cold winter since we were ripped from Ponyville at spear point, stripped of, well, everything, then thrown into the dungeon of forgetting in Canterlot. And it was early morning... Well, at least we would be alone and by ourselves now. And, hopefully, we could recover enough to try to decide how best to respond, what we could even do, if anything, about this nightmare. Well, maybe it was just our nightmare, we didn't know... But hopefully we could do what we felt we should do before Equestria came here looking for us. Shysage hoped we had a few days, anyway. And just maybe, some night when the moon was still high...

We landed calmly at the edge on the far side of that circle of huge trees. We both sighed together as soon as we landed; we felt that same peace right away. At least that hadn't changed. We made our way quickly up to a break in the circle between two trees. It would be a long time before anypony fou--

Clearing the perimeter of trees, and stepping inside the circle, I heard immediately... My sister Fluttershy was crying loudly. I ran...

Fluttershy, Shyna, our Ariel... Shysage and I... We all hugged tightly, and cried loudly for an hour at least... Nopony tried to say anything. There was really nothing to say... We just cried... Three months... Not even family could... Seeing, feeling the pain around us, not just ours... I think Shysage's words for this fit...

It was clear after that hour that we all needed to talk some, so we worked on calming down. My sister Futtershy spoke first, and said timidly, quietly, sniffling "Princess Twilight told us girls we needed to tell her if we see either of you... So... I'm not opening my eyes..." She still had them tightly shut. I just moved right next to her, and hugged her tightly. Fluttershy started crying again, and I guess we all did... Another hour...

As the sky off to the east began to brighten, I guess we all realized... We needed to calm down, so we did. I had no intention of asking who or what, especially with my sensitive sister around. Fluttershy would want to tell me everything I asked, then feel terrible if she had promised not too. Or she would feel terrible, and just not say anything. We found out later that something like this was the case, so this approach worked well. I just hugged my hurting Sis...

Evidently Shyna had to make no such promises, and felt differently; she quickly voiced that. "For the record, I think some grown-up ponies are being so dumb..." She said this quietly, and I knew Fluttershy was not happy either; she just sighed. Still, this was the end of Shyna's venting, I don't know.

Ariel just said quietly "Mom... dad...." like the hurting child she was... Shysage hugged her tightly as she cried. She never really stopped.

But Shyna wasn't done talking. "Shysage, do you have a plan?"

Shysage thought briefly, then got the word "Well..." out.

I answered at the same time. "We need to use the Portal to go back in time, to see if we can clean this mess up."

Shysage said calmly "Yes, that is our plan."

Shyna was clearly thinking. Then she said "I think I can get Filia and Fiona to help us get you in there..." She thought a minute, then added quietly "Ari, I know you want to help, but ponies will just know if you..." Ariel was still crying quietly as Shysage hugged her. I guess he was too.

It was quiet a minute, then my timid sister... "Princess and all her girls are coming to my house for dinner, not tonight, but tomorrow night." Fluttershy said this quietly, and clearly to herself, or to nopony in particular... After a brief pause... "I will probably cry a lot, but then I always cry al..." I just hugged her tightly, as she cried quietly on my shoulder.

And our daughter... Ariel just kept crying quietly on Shysage's shoulder. I guessed that our Ari also cried a lot now... Still, "I want to help too..." Ari said through her tears.

But Shyna picked the information up quickly. "Ok, so I'll talk to Filia and Fiona, and we will see about getting you both to the Portal tomorrow evening during dinner at the Cottage. You probably won't have much time though. And we need to make sure nopony important (said with a slight sneer) sees you. I'll try to help with that, too."

Well, it was a plan anyway. I think Shysage and I both realized that there was a possibility, at least, that we might get stuck in the Past. We didn't mention that, but that was surely better than risking getting the ponies we love... our family, in big trouble, every second... just because we were near them. We would just have to see how that all worked out. Having help getting to the Portal would be a big plus.

Without opening her eyes, Fluttershy said quietly "I think we need to go."

Ariel had no intention of leaving just yet, and I guess Shysage realized that. "Fluttershy and Shyna, you both can go ahead. We will send Ari along in a while." Ok, so maybe Shysage wanted Ari to stay here, too. I could tell by how he said...

We all hugged together, and Shyna said quietly "We will be back tonight around midnight. That's when we usually come."

I pulled away long enough to hug just Shyna. "Shyna, thanks for helping us."

Shyna started crying again... "Summer, you gave your life to rescue... I just can't..." We all cried together some more. Then Fluttershy and Shyna pulled themselves away, and were soon flying back to Fluttershy's Cottage.

For the next hour, we cried with our hurting daughter. She only spoke once. "Mom, they made me promise... It is so dumb..."

Shysage... He loves Ariel so, and he said what she needed to hear. "Ari, it's ok, don't tell us anything. We will know what to do. It will work out."

Well, Ari knew where we were, and didn't wait any longer. We all talked to our true friend in the sky about this 'mess'. This was a family issue. This was our family. Since Ari was very young, this is what we did with problems, we talked to true friend. We did that together as the sun rose that morning, then we cried together some more.

And Ari clearly wanted to stay with us here today. Shysage and I, we didn't know. But I absolutely could not blame her. Still, her absence would seem rather conspicuous...

Shysage took a more reasoned approach. "Ari, tell us about a normal day for you now..."

This was hard for Ari, but she tried to explain. And it was clear as she did, that some things she had already promised to not say, and so could not tell us... What a twist... Of course, we did not badger her for more. We didn't need that. We didn't need to put our daughter through that...

"They won't even let me near our house..." (Ari probably meant the Canterlot Recorder's house. Well, it wasn't really ours anyway, and after what Princess Celestia had said...") "It is heavily guarded, and all that is really freaking Dawn and Camille out... And they haven't told her... Nopony has told her... or anypony... anything...

"And they are treating me like somepony's little foal... I have to stay at either the castle or Fluttershy's cottage... I guess the cottage isn't bad, at least I can be myself... And, I love my fam..."

We all hugged together a little while.

"I think Princess Twilight has been told to keep a close eye on me or something. It's like I need to ask her before..."

We all hugged and cried together a little while more. But I guess Shysage had heard enough. "Precious daughter, we will need your help as we see what we can do about this. I know it will be hard, but you absolutely have to try to act as normal as you can, even if you don't like what is going on..."

"I know dad... It just hurts so much... This is so unfair... to everypony..." Ari is such a smart mare...

We all hugged together a little more.

Then Ari tried to calm down. "At least you are both ok. I didn't even know that until last night..." Ariel started crying, but continued. "I will cry a lot today, but I guess I always cry a lot now, so that should be fine..."

We hugged a little more, then our daughter, by herself, crying, walked to the edge of the circle of trees, and was soon flying back to Fluttershy's Cottage... by herself...

After Ari was out of sight... "This is rediculous" I thought to myself...

"This is rediculous" Shysage said quietly as we were quickly hugging, crying...

I think Shysage and I are, more and more, able to sense each other arriving at the same conclusions, without even having to ask or discuss. We were quickly outside the circle of trees, then up in the morning sky, flying away from our sanctuary, away from... family...

Still, while we were flying... "Shysage, what do you think we will be able to do in the Past? Do you have any ideas?"

Shysage almost started crying, but tried to answer. "Well, I don't even know where, or even when in the Past we will arrive. The Portal Beacon has usually been our cue to... And we don't even have access... We could end up going back at the worst possible time, and be forced to go into hiding there... It just seems the best..."

Well, we were on the same page. Travelling to the Past was only slightly better than staying here, constantly on the run... as far as we could tell...

We flew west for about an hour, then looked for a lake. It was fortunately another warm day. We found a small lake soon enough, and were quickly eating, drinking... After maybe thirty minutes, I realized Shysage was no longer near me. I looked around and quickly found him. He had found a slight hill, and was sitting, looking at the lake, head down, crying softly. I knew why, sat next to him and hugged him, and quickly put his concerns to rest. Softly... "Shysage, we are reeling, our family is reeling. I know you want to take care of me, but now is just not the time. It's ok. We are both too hurt inside... We need to deal with whatever is going on right now." I paused briefly, then added softly "But I still could use a bath..."

Well, we both took a long bath, together, and were soon laying on our sides, facing each other, hugging, crying. We were both hurting. But we had each other.

After a while, we decided to find a fairly thick tree, and we spent the day on our bellies, right next to each other, under that tree. We wanted to make sure that anypony flying overhead would not be able to see us. I guess we were in hiding... Maybe we needed to get used to that...

We napped most of that day, waking up near dusk. The moon was already climbing to replace the sun, so we wandered back to the lake, ate and drank a lot, then returned to our hiding place. We spent a while rubbing noses, and this felt so nice, but was mostly just amazingly comforting. "Oh, how desperately we needed each other right now." I sighed as I thought this.

"I desperately need you, Mare..." Shysage said quietly.

As the sky faded, and the stars twinkled brightly, we made our way slowly back to our sanctuary, and were quickly inside, at the top of that small hill in the center, on our bellies together, facing the only nearby town, waiting... for family...

We talked to true friend...

We didn't have to wait long for our family. Ariel expertly landed in the grass on the inside of this ring of trees, and was quickly hugging, crying with us. Out of the corner of my eye... Shyna was walking slowly up... My sister Fluttershy had some of Shyna's tail in her mouth; Sis was following Shyna... Her eyes were shut tight...

Yes... This is rediculous...

Chapter 17, Trending Down

We cried together the rest of that day... This cry was terrible... It reminded me of Cel's quiet, helpless cry when we first arrived back in the Past this time... It was the pain of hopelessness... We knew of no way to get back... Crying while hopeless... That was all we could do...

...

As the sun settled towards the much smaller trees off in the distance, my sister Fluttershy, still sniffling "Shyna and I need to go back, I think..."

Fiona added quietly "We should go, too... Princess Twilight..."

Walking off, my sister said quietly "You know where to find me sis, I think it will be ok..." Then the four of them were gone, making the maybe hour and a half trip, walking back to... Ponyville...

As soon as I knew they were out of... "Ok? How in Equestria can this be called OK?" I... shouted this... We just cried more... Well, Shysage, our Ariel and myself... I guess that was all we had left...

The rest... That just seemed so...

We absolutely knew friendship is magic. But, this... How could...

Maybe the bullies had actually won...

...

Faded memories (1)... That would have to do... That was all...

Author's Note

"Faded Memories", the Empty zone BGM from the "Chains of Promethia" expansion for FFXI, copyright by Square Enix.