Lost Summer

Spike wrapped his claws tightly around the top rung of the rolling ladder while Twilight floated a heap of books onto the top of the shelving unit, just above his head.

“I’m pretty sure all of these go up there,” yelled Twilight from the ground. “I'll just be over reorganizing theoretical physics.”

“Okay,” he grunted, extending a wobbly arm to grab a book from the pile.

Twilight floated two columns of books to the library table. She set them down just as Applejack, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle entered the room.

“Twilight, we got somethin’ we gotta tell ya,” began Applejack. She turned to Sweetie Belle. “Do the thing, Sweetie.”

Without preamble, the filly touched her horn on command. “Frostbane.” a magical aura swept over her body, returning her features to her natural form.

Twilight gasped as the light faded. “Wait a minute, I've seen this before. You look like a Kirin now,” she marveled.

Sweetie was relieved when she didn't have to explain that part at least. “I'm half Kirin.”

“You've seen this before?” shrugged Applejack.

“Well, in books. I didn't think they actually existed. I have so many questions about this,” she murmured, walking around the filly to check her from all sides.

“Why don't we start with how Rarity done run off,” suggested Applejack urgently.

Her eyes shot back to the farmer. “What do you mean?”

“Rarity didn't go back to Manehattan,” began Sweetie, bluntly. “She went on a secret mission. The attack that put my mom and dad in the hospital was done by a group of Kirin who were trying to kidnap Rarity who’s actually a full Kirin princess… Which kind of explains a lot. My mom, who's also full Kirin, stole her and came to Equestria when she was just a baby. Now that she knows this she's on this journey trying to figure out who she is and who's trying to kidnap her and why.”

Twilight exhaled. “So she just went on this journey to find the Kirin by herself.”

“Yeah,” she nodded simply.

Suddenly there came a thud from somewhere amongst the stacks. The three of them looked over in confusion. Eventually Spike emerged, holding his shoulder and biting his lip as if holding in a swear. But he shuffled up to them calmly and raised a claw in measured thought.

“Um, Sweetie, it sounded like you just said that Rarity isn't actually safe in Manehattan with her parents but instead went to some mysterious place alone, looking for whoever tried to kidnap her which essentially makes her missing. Is that right?”

“Yeah, basically but also we're Kirin,” she added, waggling her tail.

That significant detail, though it was on full display right before him, had failed to penetrate Spike’s mind in the slightest. He nodded absently as if he were carefully gestating on this whole new development before abruptly grabbing his own face in terror and letting out a shriek that split the air.

“We gotta go now, Twilight,” he wailed, shaking her by the forelegs. “It might already be too late!”

“Go where? We don't know where we're going?”

“I'll pack the suitcases,” he raved, running for the door.

Twilight caught him in her magic and floated him back to them, his legs bicycling inertly in the air.

“I'm gonna need more explanation but I'm calling an emergency meeting to tell everyone,” she declared.

Sweetie groaned. “Ugh, does that mean I have to tell the same story again?” - - -

“And that is where Rarity actually went,” concluded Sweetie. “Any more questions?”

She looked desperately to Twilight, hoping she'd wrest control of the discourse but she was still thoroughly distracted, busily poring over a pile of tomes around her seat. Sweetie tapped her hoof on the podium, wondering how she’d become the keynote speaker of an emergency element meeting.

Spike raised his hand.

“Yes Spike,” she sighed.

“Why?” he sobbed melodramatically.

The company turned to glower in exhaustion at the corner of the map room where the dragon had sat weeping for the duration.

“Why would she do this? She didn't even say goodbye!”

Sweetie rolled her eyes. “Because she knew you would react this way. She knew all of you would react this way. She wanted to go and didn’t want anyone trying to stop her, including me.”

“Just seems completely irresponsible,” grunted Applejack.

“Fluttershy raised her hoof.”

“Uh, Fluttershy?”

“Where do the Kirin live?”

“We don't know,” Twilight finally interjected, slapping another book shut. “I've looked through virtually every book I have about it. There's no conclusive description of their exact location. It's all vague whimsical imagery, deep in the forest or under a mountain. One outlier even says they're a subterranean colony. This is the reason everypony always thought they were just legends.”

Pinkie screwed up her face and gave a big shrug. “Well, now what? We need to do something but it doesn't sound like we can do much about it if we don't even know where she went.”

Twilight stood up. “There’s one pony… creature who knows. I’m going to put the research on hold for now. Rainbow, you and I are flying to Manehattan. We're going to pay Cookie Crumbles a visit.” - - -

The journey to wherever they were going was fraught with disorienting blindness and sustained weightlessness punctuated with collisions with trees. It was almost a relief to Winter when her captors finally sat her in a chair. They cut her ligatures to free her limbs but tied her in place by the barrel. Suddenly the bag and gag whipped away, allowing her to see the interior of a ramshackle cottage and the smiling ice Kirin from the store who called herself Permafrost.

“Who are you and what do you want?” she whimpered.

“You don't recognize me?” asked Autumn, dipping back into character. She took a step back and began to shake like a dog. White powder puffed into the air as Autumn's true colors became more vivid. She stopped abruptly with a cough. “What about now?" she asked in her regular voice.

Winter's eye grew huge with terror. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes.”

Winter squirmed in her chair and shrieked at the top of her lungs prompting Autumn and Rarity to cover their ears.

Autumn grabbed the cast iron skillet and floated it to a cocked position above Winter's face which she only noticed after stopping to take a breath.

“Okay, that was really loud in my ears so let's not do it again. No one can hear you all the way out here anyway.”

The claim was mostly true. It would be nice to not have fizzle walking in on the interrogation, spinning around with saucer eyes and leaving.

It was then that Rarity drifted into view from behind.

“You. Are you the one who freed Autumn?”

“I am.”

“Who are you?”

Rarity sat in the chair beside Autumn who continued to stand. “I’m Summer Storm, the one you've been searching for. We're the princesses your mother pushed off of the throne.”

“And it's payback time,” added Autumn with a malicious guffaw.

“To a degree but really we just want to talk. I hope it won't require a frying pan.”

Winter furrowed her brow. “Pushed off the… You were never on the throne.”

“No but I would be.”

“But that’s not our fault. It's because your parents sent you into hiding for years.”

Rarity blinked. “Is that what your mother told you happened? I guess that's not surprising. I’ll just have to take this opportunity to educate you on what really happened. Once upon a time, about twenty five years ago, which I suspect is before you were even born, I was a little newborn lightning foal living in Sky's Edge Castle. It didn't last long though. One night an ice assassin by the name of Diamond Dust snuck into the castle. She was under orders from Princess Windchill to assassinate the new lightning princess asleep in her crib and frame the fire Kirin for it.”

“No,” Winter shook her head in denial.

“When she got there, she found that she couldn't bring herself to do it but neither could she ignore her orders and go home. So she took the baby and ran. I've been living my life thinking I was a pony for over two decades until a Kirin search party tried to abduct me and my mother had to finally tell me the truth. That's why I'm here. That attack put my parents in the hospital; it almost killed them.”

“You were raised by… an ice Kirin? My mom wouldn't have given an order like that.”

“She put a chain on my neck and kept me as a pet for two years,” blurted Autumn indignantly.

Winter's eyes landed on the floor. “Yeah but- but that wasn't… that bad.”

Autumn brought the skillet down on the table with a resounding crash, making Winter’s whole body flinch in fear.

“I mean compared to trying to kill a foal,” she amended. “Please, keeping you like that wasn't my idea.”

Autumn got up in her face. “But it's your project, isn't it? Isn't it?”

“We'll yes, kind of. It used to be.”

“What does that mean?” she snarled.

Rarity tapped Autumn on the flank when she saw Winter getting close to tears.

“I'm the one who rediscovered the temple after translating a lot of ancient ice clan books.”

“Then you're the perfect Kirin to tell us all about the temple and the crystal,” argued Rarity evenly. “I mean if we're going to be part of this ritual we should know the full story of why, don't you think?”

Winter sighed. “Ugh… Well, a long time ago the three Kirin clans were naturally friendly toward one another. In fact they were so close that they built a common area between the cities in the place we now call the Buffer Zone where no one goes. It was a big plaza where Kirin from every city would come to commune, trade and play games. Some time soon after its construction the lightning Kirin discovered a huge and unique tri-pointed crystal in their mines. Seeing it as a good omen, the lightning princess gifted it to the plaza and dubbed it the Unity Crystal. It was a stone described as having its own soul. The other cities sent artists, architects and laborers to construct a temple at the center of the plaza to house the crystal.”

“That sounds like such an unbelievably beautiful gesture,” gushed Rarity, imagining the vibrant scene of harmony and love.

“Yeah, I had a hard time believing it myself. Anyway, when the temple was finished, they commemorated it with, what translates literally as, a Unity Festival. The festival became an annual celebration. Kirin from all three cities would gather in the plaza and the princesses would touch the crystal to reaffirm their unity and kinship.”

Rarity put a hoof to her chin. “But wait, is it simply a symbolic gesture of good will or is there magic involved?”

“Of course there’s magic. The crystal has an enchanting aura. When you awaken it, it imposes a reflection of the princesses’ true nature and values on all Kirin. Whatever that ends up being is how their subjects will behave and what they will strive for.”

Autumn screwed up her face in thought. “So this is a festival where all the Kirin go to surrender their free will to whatever agenda their princesses dish out to them?”

Winter frowned at her phrasing. “It could be. It could be a lot of things but that's not how it was intended to work. The power activates when three princesses come together in implicit benevolence. The only way you can get the kind of results you're talking about is if they all three conspire to oppress or… another party hijacks it and imposes their own will.”

“And that's where your mother comes in.” mused Rarity.

Winter looked down at the floor. “Well, I guess. She does have a plan for the crystal as you know. She's going to give us true unity. Not like what we've been seeing.”

“Pfft,” scoffed Autumn dismissively. “She's going to get all Kirin to fall in line behind her as a centerpiece.”

“But having a powerful figure and central focus to rally around is an important part of unifying a body.”

“So are commonalities and shared goals,” countered Rarity. “The scene you described of the old Kirin society seems wonderful by any standard; why not just try for that? You know, it's just the three of us here. Conceivably we could go to the temple right now and complete the unity ritual the way we want.”

Winter shook her head with panic. “Mother would be so cross with me if I allowed her plan to be ruined.”

“But your mother shouldn't even be part of the equation,” posed Rarity. “Maybe she's in charge of everything and everyone through her own maneuvering but the crystal only recognizes your authority. Am I wrong? Doesn't that make it seem like this is something that should be left up to your discretion?”

“But she’s the queen and my mom.”

“We’re talking about the lives and wellbeing of all Kirin here. That's a big responsibility and arguably the most important thing there is. Are you saying that the past world you described is a worse vision for our future than what your mother has in store?”

Winter bit her lip and looked away. “Um, well… They’re different but she’s the queen so-”

“You’re missing the point. Which idea is better?”

“I… I like the old one better,” she admitted timidly. “But don’t tell her I said that. I knew that if we could somehow find all the princesses and activate the crystal, we could be heroes. We could fix everything. I was so excited when I told mother about the Unity Crystal. The world I read about seemed like such a fantastical dream, a mythical utopia with so much less fighting. She was skeptical of my research but when we went out there and saw the old temple and the crystal that glowed from my touch, she became just as obsessed as me and I was so happy until I realized she wasn't seeing the same potential in it that I did.”

“Sounds like your mother has blinders on when it comes to seeing new solutions.”

“We might disagree on solutions but no matter which way you believe or what you know about the Unity Festival, everyone agrees that the Kirin have been lost for a long time.”

“Yes but why? What happened?”

Winter shrugged. “I don't know. A regime change? New laws because something happened? I still haven’t found any answers. Whatever it was, Kirin stopped celebrating and then stopped coming to the plaza and eventually forgot about it entirely. And now things are like this.”

“Hold on,” interjected Autumn. “Kirin found harmony before the crystal was even around, shouldn't they be able to find a way back to those happy days without it?”

“Yes but look at how entrenched they are now in their isolation and prejudices,” argued Rarity. “Individually they yearn for something like that but it takes all of us making a commitment to move forward to change our society. We all have to open our hearts to the idea and to do that we all need a collective moment to stop and think. If that is what the crystal can give us, we should do it.”

Autumn nodded tentatively.

“Winter, the momentum of change moves swiftest from the top down. I know you’re not the top top but you have the influence to make real change right now.”

“You’re just going to force me to help you though, aren’t you?” she accused. “That’s the whole reason you kidnapped me.”

The question gave Rarity pause. She'd been thinking like her mother this whole journey, trying to adapt and problem solve as she would. It had served her well thus far, or so she thought. Cookie's wisdom had its strengths but was she still the right tool for this job. What would Twilight do in this situation? Rarity stared at winter who returned an expectant gaze.

“No,” she finally replied. “We’re not going to do that.” She stood up and maneuvered behind her. Then she began to pick at the restraint on Winter's horn. “If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to do it and you are free to go back home right now if you wish.”

Simultaneously the jaws of both other princesses hit the floor.

“I- I can?” she blinked.

“Yes.” Rarity flicked the unlocked horn cuff to the floor.

“What?” blurted Autumn.

“This is where our visions for the Kirin diverge,” explained Rarity. She drew a floating knife up the back of the rope coils, splitting them all neatly before brushing the bonds away. “We are about creating a free coalition to lead us into the future, not a conscripted chain gang. I know it leaves us at a disadvantage but this basic fact is irreconcilable: You can force someone to do anything but grow.”

“But…”

Winter stood up bewildered and ambled dazedly toward the door.

“It was nice meeting you though. We wish you the best.”

“No we don’t,” muttered Autumn in abject shock.

“Just know that if you ever see us again we'll be in shackles.”

Winter opened the door with her magic and cast a confused glance at them before departing without another word. The door latched quietly behind her.

Rarity exhaled and took a seat once more, pulling up to the table.

Autumn stared in disbelief at the door. “Great… All that work. We actually managed to kidnap a princess and you just let her walk. She knows what we look like and where we’re hiding now too and she's gonna snitch to her mom like an obedient little daughter. What's our plan now? You said you wanted to avoid bloodshed. That was our best move. If we can't come up with something quick, I'm just gonna go back out there and destroy that crystal. We'll be wanted criminals but at least Equinox won't have a real use for us anymore and I can have the smug satisfaction of ruining her plans.”

“We're not doing that.”

“Then what are we doing?” She plopped down in the other chair across the table.

“Waiting.”

“For?”

Rarity's head tilted back as she looked into the rafters. “Remember when I convinced you to give me a chance despite being from the lightning clan?”

“Yeah.”

“How do you feel about me right now?”

“Frustrated,” she growled.

“Is it because I'm lighting?”

“No. It's because I question your decision making.”

“Then that's growth and we should celebrate it.” She looked back down and began to trace a knot in the wood of the table. “The thing is that we can spin our wheels threatening and forcing our way to the goal like every other leader has since the Unity Crystal was forgotten but in the end we’re just building on sand and our efforts and successes will be just as fleeting as your powdered disguise. That's why Kirin have been trapped in this cycle for so long. Real change can only happen if we give everyone a chance and expect the best from them.”

Autumn creased her forehead. “Okay great but what's the plan?”

Rarity opened her mouth but paused when she heard a sound. The two turned suddenly to look as the door cracked open, only enough to see an eye peering back at them from the outside.

“Yes?” inquired Rarity curiously. “Did you need something?”

For a few moments the eye said nothing, just scanned the floor, lashes batting with indecision. Eventually the gap creaked wide enough to see Winter Wind. She stood there trying to muster as much dignity as she could.

“Um… Are you… still wanting to do the crystal thing?”

Autumn scoffed at the absurdity of the moment.

“Yes,” answered Rarity. “Did you want to help us out with that?”

“Yes.” She stepped inside and closed the door.

Rarity smiled. “I knew you couldn’t just walk away from us. I could see in your eyes that you were truly passionate about this but you were also afraid. You wanted us to force you to do it, didn’t you? So you’d be absolved of doing anything rebellious.”

“Well... yes,” she admitted.

“That’s why I let you go. Now, instead of just doing what you’re told or being coerced into doing something, you made your own decision, found the courage you needed to come back and voluntarily be part of the change and that’s exactly what we need.”