Missing

Aether’s POV

I awake the next morning to find Angel already out of bed, and not in the room. I get out of the bed; make it, and comb my mane and tail before leaving to find everyone downstairs all still eating breakfast.

“Good Morning” Angel smiled giving me my newspaper, and cup of coffee. She then walked back to the kitchen and proceeded to clean up from making the foals breakfast. I walked over to my chair and began reading my newspaper. The headline read “Remembering of the Attack on Canterlot. 20 years later.”

That’s why she was up so early, she was getting ready to fly to Canterlot. Today marked ten years since her parents were killed, and every year she always gets up super early to be able to fly to Canterlot to commemorate her parents. She wanted to follow in their footsteps but she didn’t want to have the foals worry if she was needed in battle, and if she were to face the same fate as her parents she didn’t want the foals to grow up without their mother. I’m glad once she finished basic training she went against joining the guard.

“Momma” Holly called to have her be taken out of her highchair because she was done eating her breakfast. Before Angel even had a chance to put down the sponge from wash up some dishes I was letting her out. Today is also the one day of the year where she is really sensitive; any little thing could set her off. She sent me a small, but warm smile, and I returned it. I could tell she was already upset.

“I can’t believe they have been gone twenty years. It seems like yesterday.” She whispered to herself as she hung her head.

“Hey, just think they are watching over you every day.” I wrapped my wing around her. She leaned into my embrace, and sighed,

“I just miss them so much. I mean just the other day Holly was asking about them. Oh look at the time, I have to get going.” She moved out of my embrace.

“Hey, why don’t we all go this year?”

“You mean take the kids?”

“Yeah, give them a chance to understand where their grandparents are.”

“Holly is too young; we will just take the two older ones they can understand better. Holly can spend the day with Grandma and Grandpa Mag.”

“Alright, Kids get ready we are leaving.”

“Really, where are we going Dad?” Lyla asked

“You two are coming with me and your mother to Canterlot, while little Holly spends her day with your grandparents.”

Lyla and Thomas got very excited, but Holly didn’t seem to care she sat on the floor and played with her bear. I walked over and picked her up and off we went.

We stopped at my parent’s house and dropped Holly off before making our long flight to Canterlot.

“Mom, can you tell us about Grandma, and Grandpa?”

Angelwings’ POV

“My mother and father were both in the royal guard long before I was born they did the same thing I did went into basic training their senior year of high school, but they chose to go into the royal guard. I didn’t because I was pregnant with you, Lyla.

My mother, Shimmering Moonlight was a unicorn, and she and my father, Cloudy Dreams who was a Pegasus, were like your father and I they were high school sweethearts who couldn’t wait to get married. After they were married they went into the royal guard which soon became their life. They protected, and defended Equestria. When Princess Celestia needed them they were there. They took this lifestyle very seriously. That was until I was born, when my mom learned she was having a foal she and dad took a leave from the guard until I was about two years old. I remember when they went to war for the first time. They kept telling me they loved me more than anything. I now understand why they did because they weren’t sure if they weren’t coming home. About 3 more time later when I was in fourth grade, I heard a lot of ruckus in their room one night and went to find them suiting up. My mother told me the Changelings were attacking Canterlot and the Princess needed them. Again I thought I would see them in a few months so as they showered me with ‘I love you’ and ‘you are the best thing that ever happened to us’ I really was thinking ‘okay mom, and dad see you soon.’  But a few months into my parent’s leave I got home from school one day only to receive a visit from my parent’s drill sergeant and my uncle. Then reality hit me. My parents weren’t coming home this time. I couldn’t take it. I think I cried for three days straight. It was a lot to put on a 9-year-old.  I then vowed to follow in my parent’s hoof steps and join the royal guard.”

By the time I was done we had reached Canterlot.

“Okay kids, I going to warn you now. There will be a time were you may cry, and want to leave, and there will be a time where I have to speak, so don’t be afraid if I start to cry.” I reminded my two oldest. They both nodded in reply and Aether gave me a supportive smile.

As we landed I was approached by many of my old royal guard brats (kids whose parents were in the military) Most of these ponies I knew pretty well and most of them I grew up with.

“Angelwings, it’s about time you show up” One of the stallions I grew up with Gleaming Comet slapped my shoulder.

“Lyla, Thomas, Aether. This is one of the ponies that I grew up with being a guard brat and all.” I laughed hitting Comet back on his shoulder. We continued walking through the crowd to get where my parents were. When we finally reached them, Princess Celestia was standing there.

“Princess” I bowed as did the rest of my family.

“Angelwings, you made it.” She stood with authority.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world Princess” I stood up.

“Now that you and your family have arrived we can begin.” The Princess gestured me to follow her. I told Aether to take the kids to the crowd of other families who were affected by the attack.

“Fillys, and Gentlecolts, We are gathered here today to remember those who fought twenty years ago when Canterlot was attacked. Many lives were lost, and that what brings us together here today. We stand here remembering those brave soldiers who were lost in the battle. They were fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, friends, brothers, sisters. Each and every one of them fought hard and brave to protect this city. I for one will be forever grateful that these ponies risked their lives to fight, and protect our city. “

Celestia began with her opening speech before having the first child of each family come up to receive a piece of their parents, who had died in the battles, Amor. When Celestia reached me I was given my mom’s chest plate, and my dad’s helmet. Both of they had the hole which was their fatal wounds. I could barely keep my composure as we each had to say something about our parents, and how life has been different since they have been gone.

I listened to each of the mares and stallions explained how hard it was to cope with their parents being gone at first and how their lives had changed dramatically since their deaths. When it came time for me to speak I looked out into the crowd and saw Aether, and the two kids watching me intently all of them giving supportive smiles, Lyla even laughed a little.

“It’s been 20 years since I came home from school one day, and received a visit from Sergeant Hard Weather, my mother and father’s drill sergeant, and my Uncle Soarin. I was only 9 years old at the time. I was living in Los Pegasus, and was in the middle of my fourth grade year. I was forced to move to Ponyville with my uncle. Which is where I met my wonderful husband, Aether Mag” I smiled down at Aether.

“In those 20 years my life has changed dramatically, I have been through the basic training to join the royal guard, and was waiting for my kids to be a little older before taking on the lifestyle as a royal guard myself. To follow in my parent’s hoof steps and protect our beautiful nation. I have here today my mother’s chest plate and my father’s helmet both of which display their fatal wounds from their final battle. My Parents were great soldiers they took this lifestyle very seriously; it may be twenty years since the battle but it feels like it was just yesterday.”

I step off the podium and join Aether and our kids in the crowd. I look up into the sky knowing my parents were up there along with many other ponies whose lives were lost in the battle knowing they were watching over every pony.