The cemetery was silent, as it should be. The solid marble headstones stood in rows, silent guardians to the fallen heroes beneath them. Not many ponies visited this particular cemetery, not many had the stomach for it, or the heart. Every so often a family would come and pay their respects, one family in particular came around like clockwork every year.
A sky blue pegasus trotted through the rows of silent guardians, she had walked this same path for the past nine years. Nine years hadn't made it any easier though, each step was accompanied with painful memories of where she was headed, memories she wished to forget yet hold onto at the same time. Each step made her vision blurry and made her heart skip a beat, this wasn't right, she shouldn't be here, none of these graves should be here. The load she was carrying on her back grew heavier with sentiment and memories as she went.
Not even the familiar hoof steps behind her could snap her out of her trance, even though they were reminders of her love, they were just as painful as any other memory. The two ponies had their heads down, they didn't like being here just as much as their mother did.
One of them, a young colt with a pale blue coat and a short sapphire mane, was the older of the two. He wore an Equestrian Air Force dress uniform, complete with hat and tie. Medals decorated the front of it, not his medals, never his. They were his father's. He wore them in his honor, in the hopes that one day he could be a fraction of the stallion his dad was. His gaze followed the ground, his wing was draped over the pony next to him, his little sister.
His little sister, a light pink mare with a messy purple mane, was fighting back tears. She had barely been a year old when her father passed away, stories and pictures were the only way she knew him, which made this annual trip that much worse for her. Her father, her daddy, had never known her, and she never knew him. But every year she came here, gave his grave a hug, and told her how much she missed him in between sobs.
The mare in the lead stopped, her destination was reached. A small, uniform white marble grave stood in front of her with five simple words on it.
Soarin
Loved husband and father.
That's all she could afford at the time, While the military did provide the plot, service, and headstone, she had to pay for the inscription. If she had enough, she would have written a novel on him, how sweet he was to her and the kids, how kind he was to everypony he met, and how his smile could light up a room. But she could only put those five simple words.
"Hey Soarin..." The mare took the small load from her back and set it down, then carefully sat down. "I...I miss you...but I suppose you know that by now. The kids miss you too.." The rainbow maned mare shifted uncomfortably, her magenta gaze looking right at the grave. "Junior joined the Air Force....just like you." The same magenta eyes were tearing up. "I-I tried to tell him not to...I...I told him I didn't want to lose him the same way I lost you.." Her head dropped and her sky blue hoof wiped a tear away. "But he is our son, so he did it anyways...to be just like you.." A half-chuckle half-sob escaped from her lips as more tears started to fall.
The young mare behind her stepped forward, wanting to comfort her mother. But her brother's hoof stopped her. Her magenta eyes looked up at his green ones pleadingly. "Dee, let her have her time. I know mom, she needs this...she needs this." The way he said it made it sound like he was trying to assure himself just as much as he was trying to assure her.
Soarin Junior knew that his mother was in pain, deep emotional pain during these moments. But he also knew that she needed to get it out, she needed to let out all of her pain, stress, and lost love in this one moment.
"S-Soarin...I miss you....so much." Rainbow's words were broken by sobs and sniffles. Her eyes now released a steady stream of tears. "Why...why you...of all the ponies in the world..." The fastest pony in Equestria, the element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash, broke. She jolted forward and hugged the headstone like a filly hugging her stuffed animal after a nightmare. She didn't want to let go, she couldn't at this point. This is where she wanted to be, next to Soarin, next to her love. Holding him in her hooves as if he would blow away if let go. "I love you.." The three words, whispered, meant more to her than anything else. They held every ounce of her soul in them, yearning for lover's ears to take them in and reciprocate them. Just once more.
"Mom..." She turned back and saw Junior pointing at the things she had brought with her. Her son had a point, it was time for the gifts she had brought. Reluctantly, and slowly, she let go of the tombstone. Her hoof reached out to the first item, the most important.
"R-Right...I completely forgot. Sorry....Happy Anniversary, Soarin..." She presented a painting to the grave, a painting that he had made all of those years ago, all of those memories ago. It was a simple picture, she was the subject. It was her laying on a cloud at sunset, beautifully and lovingly painted by Soarin. "I know you made it for me, but it belongs to you...just like my heart..." She sat the painting against the grave, then set some flowers against it. "I..I love you Soarin...never forget that..." She stood, then joined her kids.
As soon as she was next to him, Junior strode over to the grave, straightened his posture and gave a crisp salute. Then he relaxed. He always felt uncomfortable in this situation. His mother could launch into hour long conversation with the grave, he was different. It felt odd to be standing here, over his father's grave. He felt words weren't needed as long as he still respected his father and respected him every day. Therefore, he never spoke a single word, he simply saluted, gave a kind smile, and turned away. It's all that was needed.
Dee was up next, she approached the grave rather slowly. It was like going to a stranger's grave, but it felt inexplicably right being there. She didn't know this pony, she had only met him before she could remember anything, but she had been told enough to know that he deserved the respect he was given by everypony. The young mare quickly, quietly, gave the tombstone a light hug.
"I miss you daddy...more than anyone realizes. I miss getting to know you through you, not just stories about you..." Dee pulled a piece of paper from her saddlebag, and set it down against the painting. "Mom has been telling me what happened, how it all started...I've been writing about it...a lot. I might even get it published someday, who knows...that's the poem that opens it. Just for you and mom.....I...goodbye daddy. I'll see you next year..." No tears would come this time, she couldn't cry over him this year, perhaps she was over that, or perhaps she learned to celebrate his life instead of mourn his death....either way, she simply left him with the poem.
Love Conquers All
We know this to be true.
Few have the gall
Too see their love through.
Those who do
Know it to be cruel
The universe knew
Love to be the ultimate duel.
Not many believe
That once you are gone
The ones you leave,
Their love goes on.
