"Where are we going?" I asked Midnight and Bluesky as we made our way through the territory north of Junction Town, it had only been a few days since we arrived and I wasn't quite sure what was going on here.
"There's something we have to do," Midnight said, a tone of sadness in her voice. "An old tradition we follow, from long ago."
I didn't quite know what to say to that, I looked at Bluesky, the usually jovial Pegasus was as somber as our companion. I wasn't quite sure what was going on, but I followed them more out of curiosity than anything else.
What was strange was that we weren't the only Ponies we had seen on the trip. There were ponies dressed in rough armor, Applejack's Rangers, Ghouls, I swear I even saw a pony dressed in the armor of the Crimson Empire and a Pegasus in some sort of insect like armor that I had never seen before.
When I asked Midnight, she told me that I would understand soon enough, that this was one time of year when all conflict was put on hold out of respect.
"We're almost there," Bluesky said. "I haven't been here in years..."
"Me neither," Midnight said. "I haven't had a chance to visit since the war began."
As we approached our destination, I wasn't sure what to make of it. It was a massive wall with ponies gathered around it. I looked up and was surprised to see words written into the wall above us:
"IN MEMORY OF THOSE
THAT DIED IN THE SERVICE
OF EQUESTRIA.
MAY WE NEVER FORGET."
"Its a memorial to the fallen," I said in realization and Midnight nodded.
"Long ago, after some long forgotten war, Princess Celestia enchanted this place so that it could memorialize the soldiers who died in her service," Midnight said. "Since then, in times of conflict names and memories of those who have been lost in battle brought here on the same day every year."
"The Day of Remembrance," Bluesky said with a nod. "All the factions in the Wasteland respect it, and bring them here."
"I understand," I said with a nod as I approached the wall, placing a hoof against it as Midnight's horn glowed, I assumed she was adding to the wall the lives that had been lost in the battles we had fought in.
I was surprised when the wall began to react to my touch and an image of a Unicorn mare with golden fur and a black mane and tail. I wasn't sure what was going on, so I looked over at Midnight.
"Sometimes when a family member touches it, it reacts like this, its normal," Midnight said and Bluesky nodded.
"Okay," I said in understanding, this must be one of my ancestors.
"I'm Lieutenant Gold Leaf with the Second Equestrian Medical Division," the mare said, her voice was kind and compassionate. "I started my career as a nurse in Neigh Orleans, but when the war with the Zebras began, I had to come to help my country. My sister and her husband don't quite understand, but Equestria needs to be defended. I'm not a fighter, but I just want to help as best I can."
I understood where Gold Leaf was coming from, she was really a lot like me, she was just a mare that wanted to help and got drawn into a conflict. I could relate to that, and the fact that she had clearly died in that conflict saddened me.
"My brother Haze recently got married, they're going to have a foal soon, they don't really understand why I had to go. Neither of them ever particularly understood the war or believed in it, honestly I don't think I ever really did either. I don't regret my decision to fight this war, sometimes I do regret not having foals though. I hope that Haze and his wife will be happy together, maybe I'll get to meet my niece or nephew soon, I just hope this war will be over soon to keep them safe..."
I sighed, I knew how this had ended, Gold Leaf had clearly died in battle, and I doubted I'd ever really know how. I wondered if there was any other members of my family in here, but I doubted it.
"Are you okay Ruby?" Midnight asked as the image of Gold Leaf vanished.
"Yeah..." I said sadly as I lowered my hoof. "I just, wasn't really expecting that, how does it work?"
"Its mostly from letters and other things from the ponies," Midnight said. "Its not really anything except for the memories of the pony that put them in here mixed with that."
I nodded in understanding, I looked at Midnight and wondered if there was anypony from her family that would speak to her. I didn't know much about the Ranger Colonel's family, but I wasn't about to pry.
I was surprised when I looked over at Bluesky and saw her listening to an off white Pegasus mare with a blue mane and tail and a blue Pegasus stallion. I didn't want to pry, so I just watched my marefriend listen.
I wondered who they were, maybe they were her parents, there was certainly a family resemblance. When they faded Bluesky looked over me, she was crying.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I hugged her gently.
"I'm fine... I just miss them a whole lot sometimes..." she admitted as she hugged back and wrapped her wings around me. "How about you?"
"I'm fine," I said softly as the two of us just hugged for a long time. "I love you Bluesky."
"I love you too Ruby," she said with a smile and nuzzled me gently. "Come on, lets get back to Junction Town."
I smiled and nodded and we looked at the other ponies gathered. There were many doing the same things we did, I gave them a nod of respect, even the Imperial officer I saw. This was truly a place that deserved to be in peace.
I would never forget the fallen. The war for Equestria would continue tomorrow, but for day we would all have a day of peace to remember the dead.
Author's Note
Never forget those who have sacrificed their lives for their country.