The task wasn’t easy for me at all nor was it for Shining Armor. We had to go to each door of the thirty dead royal guards. I remember watching a movie that showed two girls going to each door of the wives of the men who died in battle. The few differences were that the two of us weren’t women and in the movie that was a historical event there was over two hundred deaths. Maybe more.

But that’s what it was like here for the families only worse. I knew that the ponies here never faced death in this way before. The sun was now starting to set as it constantly would seem as it would go out. The sky was almost pitch black as would have been the streets if it wasn’t for Tia being strong. Each house we went to got worse than the last. It went from just shocked expressions to relentless sobbing. I would stay if they wanted me to or if they just seemed that they needed it.

But when we got to the house of the fallen royal guard who gave me the necklace he got from his wife “Farcry”. I let out a sigh as I took the necklace out of my pocket and looked at Shining Armor beside me.

“Well here’s the last one.....god I hate this so much. I thought that all the violence and torture would be gone. But I guess that won’t happen will it?” I asked aloud by accident.

“I don’t know, Jerry..... you can never be ready for this kind of thing can you?” he replied with a sigh. I just went forward and knocked on the hardwood door. I stepped back as it opened and we saw the mare Farcry. She had red long sleek mane and tail. Her coat was bright green and she seemed....to have been pregnant. Beside her was a young filly. She had short purple mane and tail along with her white coat. She had blue eyes just like her mom.

“Yes? Can I help you?” She asked me. This just made it harder for me to tell her the grim news. The other mares either didn’t have a child or did and wasn’t pregnant. But this....this would make it beyond my imagination. I knelt down to her size and held out my right hand that held the small necklace. When she saw it her eyes went wide.

“How....how did you get that? It belonged to my husband Argonia” She exclaimed.

“He asked me to give you this necklace before he...he..died.” I responded grimly. Farcrys eyes went wide with surprise and her eyes began to water up. I saw this and so did Shining Armor. That’s when the filly looked at us with curious eyes. I guess she couldn’t fully understand the situation of what was going on.

“Mommy....what does he mean daddy is dead?” She asked. That’s when Shining Armor got an idea to help with this situation. He stepped forward and took the filly away further into the house to try and explain to her what happened to her dad. I turned my attention back to Farcry. I crouched down to her side her head now lowered eyes closed tightly as she tried to keep her tears from escaping her eyes. This was hard for me to even see.

“I am so....so sorry for your lost. He sacrificed his life to save many others in the battle. If it wasn’t for him....then I wouldn’t be here nor would many others. To tell you the truth I wish it was me that died and not him.” I said trying my best to calm her down. She just nodded to understand that I was there and she heard what I said. A tear escaped her eyes and streamed down her face. I couldn’t take it anymore as I put my hand on her shoulder to show her that I would be there if she needed me for anything.

She looked up at me tears now streaming down her face and dripping off of her face and onto the ground. Then out of nowhere she lurched forward wrapping her forelegs around me tightly as she began to sob loudly into my shoulder. I just wrapped my arms around her gently and hugged her back doing my best to help her. Her tears quickly seeped through my plain white shirt and onto my shoulder.

“Shhhhh.....everything will be ok soon.....shhhhh” I said in the best soothing voice I could muster without losing it myself. I then knew that this is what Tia would’ve felt if I did die in the brief skirmish against the changelings. A part of me was....happy I was still alive while another part of me just felt...guilt for even living. I don’t know why I feel all these feelings but I just do.

I looked up and saw Shining Armor holding the poor filly as I could see her crying in his gentle embrace. He looked up at me his helmet off but armor still on. I could see in his eyes that he was feeling the same way I was.

It took a long time maybe a good few minutes, but Farcry finally calmed down from her crying. Either she actually calmed down or she had no more tears to shed. I gently pulled her away from the hug so I was looking at her in the eyes. They were now a little puffed up and had pink rings around them from her relentless sobbing. That’s when I realized I still had the necklas still in my right hand. That’s when I took it and put it around Farcrys neck so she could wear it and remember her dead husband.

“If you need anything at all just get a guard and contact me or Celestia. We don’t care what the situation may be we will help you. Ok?” I said. She just nodded closing her eyes tightly. Then after I let her go of my grasp she turned and made her way inside where Armor was taking care of the filly. The filly somehow had just fallen asleep on the couch beside him. Shining looked at Farcry, said a few words, got his helmet back on, and made his way back to me. That’s when I stood back up and closed the door behind Armor. We then made our way back to the castle. We said no words as we walked the only sound being my feet hitting the ground along with Armors hoofs on the ground. Halfway back is when he asked the first question.

“What now Jerry?” He asked. I knew what he meant.

“Honestly...I don’t know. I mean my only daughter was taken away in a fake attack. All I know is that Discord and the “Queen” want to make us weak and depressed. They may have made us so terrible that they could even have a changeling inside the castle walls for all I know. Keep an eye out Captain and have your sister along with her friends arrive here immediately. The last thing we need is another surprise attack and lose more ponies.” To my surprise when I finished what I was saying we were at the foot of the castle.

“Right away sir.” Armor said and he was off in full gallop. I just let out a sigh and made my way inside looking up to where the Changelings have attacked. The gaping hole still in the wall of the throne room.

I was now in the chambers I shared with my lover Tia. It was cleaned up by now Blackbells crib no longer in the room. I just assumed that it was taken away to help us cope with the kidnapping. All I could hope for was that she wasn’t gonna be harmed. We were to destroyed and surprised to organized an attack on the Changelings and discord. We didn’t even know where they were at! I just walked in and sat down on the queen sized bed. I looked to my right and saw the small blanket that Blackbell would use while she slept.

I grabbed it with my right hand and felt the soft fabric against my skin. That’s when everything caught up with me and I couldn’t hold back anymore. I was holding back all the pain,guilt, and the feeling it was my fault knowing full well that it would have shown the other guards and ponies that I was weak and couldn’t help them in their time of need. I closed my eyes tightly as tears began to stream down my face.

I didn’t even notice that Tia had opened the door and walked in closing it behind her. She walked over and sat down beside me as I continued to sob without control. I felt the bed sink a little beside me. That’s when I opened my eyes and looked up at Tia who was beside me. She put her right foreleg around me and pulled me in close. I just wrapped both my arms around her and held her tightly. Funny how things turn from me comforting Tia to her comforting me. I just continued to sob as she ran her hoof up and down my back giving me soothing noises. I knew that I no...we would have to get Blackbell back from Discord and Crystals. It was only a matter of time to when we would be able to save her.

Author's Note

Ok well i'm SO sorry for the wait you guys had to go through. I mean working on this fic and othrs it gets hard plus school and personal life.....anyways thanks again for reading the and helping spread the word. CYA NEXT TIME!