The Wastelands Sacrifice to be

Funny how things happen to go from bad to worse these days. I just lost my safe haven, Moonlit Stables, due to the fact that I was waiting for my sister to come home. Of course, this runs into a whole other issue of sorts. She had crashed on her unaccompanied flight outside the vault and received amnesia from the crash as a memento of what not to do if she ever remembers it. Now I waited for her to recover the memories that I had, in hopes she would too remember. I could only laugh at my predicament with a cold, heartless chuckle as the blackened sky reminded me of my failure to my sister and my parents once more. Sorry mom and dad, I thought, I let her get hurt and I can't even help her.

With my mind filled, my shabby cave with linens clumped in a bed in a small alcove of the cave seemed just simply empty. I couldn't sleep if I wanted to, stuck with this damnable shroud of depressing thoughts and anger. Strange how my usual firey demeanor calmed once I realized I could do nothing but wait and watch, all the while sitting alone. I stood and went to leave until I saw the clouds again for what they truly were. Having the strangest feeling it would pour, my mind began to panick. I got worried with anticipation of the storm that was to come from the storm pegasi. I knew they did this to spurn the ponies alive down here in their cruel effort or maybe it was an accident. Either way it was bad for us all.

Immediately, I ran to get the boards that I made to rig over the cave entrance for safety from the storm. With luck, I could hold a fire tonight to stay warm while the winds and rain blew down the mountain past me harmlessly. As I began to retrieve boards from the back, a flickering green flame caught me off guard as I lifted a hoof at it as it glowed vibrant green with energy. A green blight phoenix flew into the cave hiding in the alcove from the winds and soon to be coming storm. I put my hoof down and shook my head as I just kept retrieving boards to put up to block the entrance from the storm to come.

When the work was done for, I found myself putting some scraps of wood and a piece of linen to light the wood pile. As I stepped back to my linen, the phoenix lit the small fire for me. I just smiled and nodded to her appreciatively at her efforts to keep me warm. The storm started shortly after as I jumped at the lightning strikes and thunder. I was afraid of these storms for a good reason as one took my father from me. My mother was taken by gun fire hidden in the thunder of the same storm. I could only remember that in lost thought, jumping at each flash of light or thunder strike sounding off.

Slowly the phoenix fell asleep at my side as it leaned on my main. Instantly filled with the warmth from the phoenix. My energy aura around my mane seemed to buzz as it warmed the inside of my armor. It helped me sleep somehow and I loved it for that. The warmth made me feel as if I was home, though I knew I was far from it. It was a good sleep, where I dreamt of flying with my sister before... No don't think of it. Too late, the skies darkened and she crashed into the ground with ponies surrounding her. I watched as she called to me for help. As I tried to fly to her ghost, it seemed to get farther and farther away. Please come back, I thought, I won’t let this happen. Misery was causing me to shake violently and wretch with tears. No, I thought, wake up now please!

I jumped awake to a screeching phoenix that was trying to wake me. She must have seen me move or heard me scream. My body just wretched as tears stained my face in droves. I was terrified of the scene that was before me in my dreams as I just shook uncontrollably. Crying out in pain, it was as if that was a warning. My body reacted as I looked at the boards. I pulled them down and looked back to the phoenix, “Come on… Um… Saphire, is that okay for a name? I need to check if something is really true.”

The phoenix just saw the rain had stopped but the lightning strikes were still a real threat. She just nodded and followed me. With her nod, I let myself fall off the mountainside. Catching myself last second before a large rock, I glided down to see the scene in my dreams. Except this time, there was a mere search party of four town ponies and most notably a blue pegasus pony. He was just sitting by something that shocked my systems like a strike of lightning to my heart.

There lay a small filly burnt by a lightning strike. Her wings and ears clearly bat-pony in origin. What I could not deny was the golden frame with a picture half burned. It was my parents and she with me burned out. I just felt the phoenix land on my rear as I walked towards the motionless body. I fell on my rump, making the phoenix land nearby on the ground. I just cried over her body as my mouth cover released and pulled back. With my sorrow overflowing me, I just kissed her forehead as a last goodbye.

I heard words spoken from the blue pegasus pony as he sat at my side, “She had said she had to find you… That you needed her. The storm made her remember something because she flew out before we could stop her. I’m sorry… I wish I could have done more to-“

“No… It is my fault… She deserved a better sister. I was not a sister to her but a guide to her death. If you wouldn’t mind, can I bury her in your graveyard? She deserves at least that from me,” I spoke with this tone that emulated all the worlds’ tears and sorrow. Truly this time, my heart was broken from this loss. I couldn’t believe this could have happened or why, Luna damn me, I had to watch her die in my dreams.

With a simple nod, he stepped back. He waved the others to leave ahead of us. He put a hoof on my shoulder, “In the end, she remembered you and all she was. I’m sorry for your loss. I’ll fly back with you…”

No words could come out as I merely picked her fallen form up. I looked to the phoenix, “Saphire… Please can you carry that in your claws?” With an obedient nod, she picked it up in her claws so it wouldn’t melt. I just took off, tears falling as I flew towards the town. The flight was long and my heart was shattered into a thousand fragments by now. Once town had come into sight, I let the sheriff guide me to the cemetery. He told me where to dig as we both dug for hours, her body wrapped beside us out of the hole. The task, once complete, of burying her was easy but still as depressing as I knew it to be.

I sat and looked at the full moon seemed to shine through the thick clouds for once in a long time. My tears fell in what seemed like oceans. My vision blurred but knowing the phoenix as I saw it land on the ground beside me. It nuzzled my hoof as it just seemed as upset as I was. With the hopes of my life dashed in one lightning strike, I set the photo frame from Saphire beside her grave cross. I turned and left as other ponies let me pass, knowing that I must be in immense pain and sorrow. Saphire followed me and sat on my rear as a comfort I desperately needed.

Leaving was hard to do, knowing she was buried here. I saw the same blue pegasus in front of me as he seemed as upset as I was. He saw me stop before him as he hugged me, “Leaving won’t solve anything, little pony. You have to do right by her as well as I do… Come with me.” He led me to this small tin-like house. Opening the door for me, I saw this small room with a bed, small library and what seemed to be drawings of these elements. Not just any elements, I thought, the elements of harmony. I knew of them from the vault library, though most neglected to read those but me.

His voice was full of sorrow and yet it had a glimmer of hope in it, “These drawings… You know them, right? You have to. I’m trying to find the wielders of these elements. I know who I am already. Loyalty at your service.” He bowed to me trying to make me feel better, “You, my dear lady, have just shown me something I can’t quite explain. You had shown the rays of the moon through to the earth as your sorrow overwhelmed you. I was curious but I think I may have a theory on you. For now, I wanted to ask your help to find the other elements of harmony. Together we can save all of Equestria and hopefully cure the insane and bloodthirsty.”

I nodded to him as understood his words. That wasn’t the first time the moon had shown me its beautiful rays or visions like that. Maybe there may be something to it. For now I knew my job was to help him. I raised a hoof to shake, “My name is Cryo Knight. I would love to help you save this land. It would be what she would want me to do with my efforts. Your name?”

“Sheriff Apple Miles. Pleased to meet you finally Cryo Knight. This is going to be a beautiful friendship, I can tell already,” he kissed my hoof as I just seemed to shake off some embarrassment. He smiled and looked at me, “You should give your last goodbyes to your sister. We won’t be seeing this town anytime soon.”

I just nodded and bowed a head in thanks. I walked out as the familiar phoenix called to me in her shrill cry. She landed on my rump and seemed to change to a sea-foam color now. My energy in my suit must be changing her blue. She went with me regardless to Little Mech’s grave one last time. The words were hard to say or even think out without crying an ocean but I had to say them regardless.

My words were from the heart as they should have been and were, "Little Mech, I should have taken you flying that day. I should have protected you as Mother and Father would have wanted. You came for me when I needed you that day in the workshop and then during the storm. My first mistake cost me my sister only temporarily and now my second really has cost my beloved sister her life. I have wronged you so many times by not staying and just killing those who had nothing to do with this."

“I came to tell you the sorry you so rightfully deserve this day. I wanted to tell you in the flesh but Celestia blind me, I can't. Because you're gone forever, in which, I just can't imagine that such a bright light was snuffed from this world. You were the true embodiment of kindness and love to me. But for you, I will strive to be the best chance Equestria has to save it from itself. If not, then I would have let you die for nothing. You came to me knowing the danger, all to make sure I could get through one storm without fear. So help me do the same, my little Mech, for Equestria. Help me, in spirit, to save Equestria and its residents. I'm sorry I wasn’t there and goodbye to a great sister that I never got to see grow up."

Tears flowed from my eyes in an insurmountable quantity. To the point in which, I could not see anymore except for the tears I shed for her. I said my goodbye, I thought, so why do I feel so sad and empty. I see the purpose, for once in my life, to do better but it feels so far away compared to this. This, the longest day I have ever been through in my life. I felt a hoof on my shoulder as the Sheriff tried to comfort me.

He spoke solemnly and respectably, "She wouldn't listen to me when I told her to stay. I told her you were a grown mare and you could handle yourself. When I searched for her though, she still held that frame with the picture burned up a bit when she was long gone. That philly is one to be proud of and to look up to. It’s a wonder how she got that way but when I met you I know how. She had a great role model to look up to, even if her role model had some hiccups along the way."

His words only caused my silent cries to become audible as he took me in his hoof. He held me like that for a long time while I cried for the longest time over the thing I cherished so much lost to me. I'm sorry, I thought, you deserved a better role model little sister. Rest in peace, my little Mech. You deserve it far more than I do and far more than I will ever deserve. Why did you die and not me, Little Mech? Take me with you, was all I could think as I cried all of my sorrow and regret into the Sheriff's chest with his hooves around my back.

Even Apple Miles cried, tears falling onto the back of my neck. He was just as upset as I was over the loss. She must have been as bright a light for this town as she was for me back in the vault. I accepted this all as the moment lasted. After the tears had dried up, I looked at Miles, “We should rest up. If we’re to look for these elements, we need to sleep. Personally I’d rather not go home to my cave tonight. Can I stay with you for tonight?”

He led me to his place as I saw Saphire stay on my rump. She slept just by the fire, keeping it going for us. That night we drank to Little Mech’s influence on our lives. We spoke of her that night until eventually I fell asleep while lying beside him. He simply let it go as he rested his head beside mine and rested a hoof on my back. He really was a wonderful pony. So for this, I owed him. Tomorrow, we would search for the elements of harmony.