Ceremony of Remembrance
Princess Celestia stared out across the countryside as her carriage flew through the skies. Concentric rings of cloud radiated outwards from Canterlot as far as the eye could see, symbolizing the capital as the lynchpin of the nation, the bedrock that united them all. They had long passed the crowds gathering in the streets for impromptu events, and the hordes of ponies visiting the graveyards to pay their respects. Today was a day of mourning, of remembrance, and of respect. It was always a somber day, but this one was worse than usual.
The carriage tilted forward as they began their descent, and Celestia's heart quickened. It was almost time, and she still wasn't ready. She never would be. Nopony could be ready to deliver this kind of news. She hated delivering news. It was never good news if she had to deliver it personally.
Her entourage settled on a dirt road outside of a simple cottage on the outskirts of town. Celestia took a deep breath and tried to work the jitters out of her voice. She had done this many, many times. So many times she had lost count a thousand lifetimes ago, but it never got any easier. No amount of practice or experience could calm her heart as it beat against her chest. The carriage door opened and she stepped out, cold dirt crunching beneath her golden horseshoes. She wished this was just a dream, a nightmare she could wake up from, but it never was.
If only Luna were here.
Celestia walked forward, stepping onto the cobblestone path that led to the front door. They didn't have much in the way of neighbors, but a few ponies that happened to be passing by started whispering among themselves. Nopony wanted the Princess to visit them with a white-hooded soldier at her side. The Princess wouldn’t either.
She stopped in front of the entrance and sat on her haunches before raising a hoof to the doorframe. For the briefest of moments, too quickly for anypony to notice, she hesitated, but a thousand years of discipline forced her hoof forward, and she rapped on the wooden door. One, two, three, four times. Always four knocks, no more, no less.
A middle-aged mare opened the door. She saw Celestia first, but as her gaze traveled downward towards Celestia's companion, her ears went flat against her head and she took a small step backwards. She already knew what this was about.
"Is this the residence of Miss Pumpernickel and Mr. Victual?" asked the Princess.
The mare stared at her in disbelief. Heavens above, her eyes were already watering. Celestia was suddenly grateful she had so much practice keeping a neutral expression.
"Honeyyyyyyyyy," the mare called back into the house, "the Princess is here!"
An older stallion trotted towards the front door. "What's going—Oh no." He sat down beside his wife and wrapped his hooves around her.
"Y-yes, I'm Miss P-Pumpernickel and this is my h-husband." Miss Pumpernickel sniffed and looked up at Celestia.
"It is my solemn duty to inform you that your son was killed in action yesterday while patrolling the Badlands, at oh three hundred hours on April third, 628.”
The couple gasped, but Celestia continued unabated. “They were ambushed by three adolescent dragons in the middle of the night, and several soldiers were incapacitated. The rest of their squad pushed them back long enough to begin evacuation of the wounded, but during the retreat your son was injured. He chose by his own free will to hold off the dragons to allow his fellow soldiers time to escape. He succeeded in slaying one of the dragons before he perished, which persuaded the others to cease their pursuit. Your son's sacrifice saved countless lives and he will be posthumously awarded the Solar Cross, our nation's highest military honor, to commemorate his actions. As Imperator of the Equestrian Army, I extend to you my deepest sympathy in your great loss."
The poor mare had already started sobbing into her hooves before Celestia had finished, and her husband held her tightly, tears pouring down his cheeks. Nevertheless, Celestia continued the ritual, magically removing her crown and placing it in front of her hooves as she bowed her head in deference to the grieving couple.
After taking a minute to steel herself for what came next, she spoke up. "May I come in?"
"O-of course," choked out Miss Pumpernickel, who led them inside.
Celestia left her crown at the door, being careful to avoid hitting the ceiling. She turned around and gestured towards the lone pegasus soldier still sitting on the cobblestone path. "This is Water Ripple. She was the last one to speak to your son before he died. If it's alright with you, she would like to join us."
Miss Pumpernickel nodded. "Of course! P-please, come in."
They gathered in the living room, and Miss Pumpernickel put some tea on the stove. Long ago, Celestia tried to make the tea herself, until one of her advisors pointed out that making tea was just as much a coping mechanism for her little ponies as it was for her. As they waited for the water to boil, Water Ripple introduced herself.
"I was sleeping near your son when the guards shouted a warning. We had only a few moments before they attacked the other side of camp, injuring several soldiers. We both joined the guards to drive the dragons back, and your son was one of our best. Together we delayed them long enough for our medic to stabilize our wounded."
Her gaze fell towards the ground, and Celestia focused very hard on the intricate patterns engraved on the teacup in front of her. "I was called back to help evacuate our crippled squadmates towards the forest. Our soldiers were brave, but without half the squad they couldn’t hold them back for long. I was laying down the last of our wounded when I heard the retreat, and flew back as quickly as I could…"
Her voice hitched, and Celestia could already tell she was struggling to continue. Just this morning she had insisted on coming, saying she had a duty to fulfill, but nopony could simply bury their emotions. It was something Celestia knew all too well as she laid a slightly trembling wing across Water Ripple’s back.
"B-b-but just as I returned, one of the dragons slashed him. I rejoined the fight to try to hold them off, but with his injury, we were outmatched. M-maybe if I had j-just gotten there sooner I could have—"
"Shhhhh, it’s okay," Celestia assured her, gently stroking her mane. The entire squad had been second-guessing themselves since yesterday. They weren’t the only ones.
Water Ripple swallowed and continued. "He told us to leave him. We didn’t, but then he motioned towards the injured one, and I knew… it was our only way out. The dragons were right on top of us and we wouldn’t be able to get away safely without a distraction. I’ll never forget when he looked at me. He was s-so s-scared. He t-told me, ‘Remember what I said,’ before he l-lunged at them."
Water Ripple finally broke down, sobbing quietly as the teapot began to whistle. Celestia focused on comforting her soldier, resisting the urge to get the tea herself. A moment later, Miss Pumpernickel wiped her eyes and went to fetch the tea. Celestia pondered if her gentle strokes of Water Ripple’s mane were really to comfort the soldier, or herself. Mr. Victual put some napkins on the table, probably just as eager to find a distraction as the rest of them. Miss Pumpernickel returned with the tea and filled their teacups. Celestia watched the steam rise, curling up towards the sky before vanishing. Such a brief, tenuous thing, like the lives of her little ponies.
Blowing on her teacup and recovering from her momentary breakdown, Water Ripple continued. "A few days earlier, we had been assigned to the same guard duty together, and he asked me if I was scared of dying. He said he was, but he was also scared of what might happen to his parents. He told me that if anything happened to him, he wanted you to know… he loves you, and he’s really, really sorry he didn’t keep his promise."
She fell silent, and the room was filled with quiet whimpers from the grieving ponies. It was a sound Celestia was all too familiar with. It was a sound that hadn’t changed for thousands of years. Through all the wars and treaties and mistakes of the past, the pain of losing loved ones had remained a cold, unflinching truth.
Eventually, Celestia knew she had to break the silence. "I want you two to know that what your son did was one of the most courageous things anypony can do. I say this not because he was fearless, but because he was terrified. Faced with death, he acted in spite of his fear, and saved an entire squadron." She took another sip of her tea. "Please, If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I know how difficult this must be for you."
Mr. Victual coughed. "I, uh, I was just wondering how our son managed to kill a dragon by himself. Why couldn’t half a squad?"
Briefly, Celestia was prepared to explain, but then Water Ripple sighed. "Dragon scales are notoriously difficult to penetrate, so we focus our attacks on a few weak points. We had succeeded in injuring one of the dragons, but we couldn't get close enough to finish it off safely. Any one of us could have struck the killing blow, but it requires plunging a sword deep into an existing injury and would have meant certain death. We did not have sufficient numbers to drive them apart, or we might have been able to pick them off one by one. Your son chose to be the one who didn't return, so the rest of us could."
"Was it… was it quick?" asked Miss Pumpernickel, glancing at her husband.
The soldier gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, we don't actually know what happened, we only know he didn't stop swinging his sword until he stopped moving. Normally, we'd find out at the coronary, but..."
"Dragons do not take kindly to any creature that manages to slay one of their warriors," continued Celestia. "They usually throw the bodies into the fires of Mount Vereor. We did send a strike team to his last reported location this morning, but they could not find his remains. Your son will instead be given a gravestone at the Tomb of the Fallen, where he will be honored alongside our nation's greatest warriors for his selfless act and courage in the face of death."
She leaned forward. The timing might be unfortunate, but she had already decided it was worth extending an invitation. "Relatives of anypony interred in the Tomb of the Fallen are invited to Canterlot to take part in the Ceremony of Remembrance. Today happens to be the day of the ceremony, if you’d like to… pay your respects. Or you could wait until we can craft a proper tombstone. Despite the unfortunate timing, we won’t be releasing his name to give you time to inform anypony else who should know. Either way, the expenses will be taken care of. This nation owes you a debt that can never be fully repaid, and for that I apologize."
The dead soldier’s parents nodded, and the room fell silent once again.
It was past noon by the time Celestia returned to her quarters. Reporting a pony’s death to their parents was one of her least favorite things to do, on par with being thrown in Tartarus for a month. She spent half the time fretting over which details to leave out, and the other half wondering if she could have prevented it. Technically, as the Princess and Imperator of the Equestrian military, everything was her fault. She was the immortal sun, who stood above all others, with no higher power for her to appeal to. She was the higher power ponies appealed to.
But she still made mistakes.
She flopped backwards onto her bed of silk, woven out of the best clouds the pegasi could make and endowed with so many enchantments it could probably be considered a legendary magical artifact. The day was barely half over, and she still had another five memorial services to attend, including the sacred Ceremony of Remembrance at the Tomb of the Fallen. Certainly not a day she had wanted to spend telling a parent their child had died.
She did not always deliver the news. In times of war, thousands of ponies could die in a single day, and she was needed on the front lines. But in times of peace, deaths were rare, and she always preferred to be the bearer of bad news. She deserved it.
This is my fault, she thought bitterly, imagining endless rows of tombstones behind the Tomb of the Fallen. I killed him. I killed them all.
"...Would you like me to clear your schedule for today, Princess?" Feather Quill had once again managed to arrive at her chamber door without making a sound. Celestia briefly considered promoting her secretary to head of infiltration.
"It’s nothing," dismissed the Princess. "What’s next on the list?"
"Are you sure?" asked Feather Quill, trotting towards her. "You look like you could use a break."
Celestia rolled off her bed and stood up, floating her crown back on top of her head and smiling. "I’m fine, really."
"You are not 'fine', Princess. You can't hide your feelings from me," scolded Feather Quill. "I've always been able to see past that smile of yours."
Her smile faltered. "...Always?"
Feather Quill huffed. "I'd be a pretty bad secretary if I couldn't work the Princess' mood into the schedule. What is it this time?"
Looking out towards her garden, Celestia sighed. "Another dead earth pony. It's always a pegasus or an earth pony. If only more unicorns signed up for the army, a magical shield would have given our soldiers the cover they needed to strike them down without being too bulky. As it stands, we can only kill them when they are outnumbered, or by another innocent pony making a noble sacrifice. Our arrowheads simply can’t pierce dragonscale. They were near the dangerous part of the badlands, too. If I had just reassigned a unicorn to his squad, maybe—"
Celestia abruptly found herself on the receiving end of a hug.
"We love you, Princess. We know you aren't perfect, but we know you always try your best, and that's all we ask of you. That's all we should ask of anypony."
Celestia smiled, and she returned the embrace, holding Feather Quill tightly. Perhaps she would get through today after all.
It was time.
Princess Celestia stood before a great monument, a solid chunk of limestone carved from bedrock a thousand years ago by her greatest sculptors. Upon its beveled face stood a panel bordered by magnificently rendered stone ponies. The panel contained a single inscription, written first in Old Eoch and then in their modern tongue.
TIU ESTAS
FALA SOLDIERO
KI KIU OBLAS
ĈIUJ
HERE LIES
A FALLEN SOLDIER
TO WHOM WE OWE
EVERYTHING
Her horn glowed with a faint golden aura as the sun descended towards the horizon. The changing of the guard had begun. Three ponies, one unicorn, one earth pony, and one pegasus, stood at attention in front of the monument, each holding their race’s sacred weapon. A sword for the earth ponies. A spear for the pegasi. A rapier for the unicorns.
Their replacements marched down the stone path in perfect unison, stopping in front of their counterparts. One by one, each performed an intricate weapon inspection with military precision. Every move was measured and deliberate. Every motion was made for a reason.
The inspections finished, their replacements saluted as the relieved guards marched back down the stone path, hooves beating against the ground in perfect synchronicity. Their replacements turned around and took their positions. A pegasus in the center. An earth pony to the left. A unicorn to the right. A flourish of weapons. Another salute.
Silence.
The shadows grew longer as the sun descended, the ball of fire hovering just slightly above the distant shores, nested within a deep valley between two mountains that reached to the distant ocean. Not a word was spoken as Celestia moved her sacred charge towards the border between earth and sky.
At that moment, as the sun's orange disc touched the edge of the horizon, time stopped. Clocks across Equestria were turned off. Shadows stopped moving. The sun hovered in the sky, motionless. For four minutes, the heavens themselves stood still to honor the soldiers who had given their lives to protect Equestria. Every pegasus stopped flying. Every unicorn put down whatever they were holding with their magic. Every earth pony stopped mixing potions or tending crops. Carriages stopped in the middle of the streets, diners stopped cooking food, little fillies and colts got off their swingsets to watch the sun hover motionless above the horizon. Every pony of every race and every age and every creed stood across the entire continent, bowing their heads in silent reverence to those who had died for their freedom.
Then, without a fuss, the sun began to move. Clocks were turned on, carriages began to move, and restaurants took orders again. The tens of thousands of ponies gathered at the monument, however, stayed silent, for Celestia had begun to speak.
"This great nation was built on a foundation of friendship, forging an unbreakable bond between three tribes. Earth, Sky, and Magic. Together, we have carved colossal cities out of stone and steel, crafted magnificent works of art and defeated all who tried to strike us down. But we have paid with our blood, and the ground I stand upon is consecrated by a hundred thousand noble souls who put their country above themselves. They, and they alone, have given everything so that we might live in peace. Their bravery and valor places them above all others, and they will be remembered for as long as the sun shines upon us."
"Do you forgive me?" she whispered, too quietly for anypony to hear.
Only rustling leaves answered, as the last rays of twilight vanished beneath the distant hills. The ritual complete, Celestia turned around and walked along the stone path, worn by the hooves of so many bereaved ponies. She walked beneath the great archway that marked the entrance, and out into the park beyond. Casting her gaze upwards, she began to raise the moon, as she had done so many times before. Few knew for whom she was mourning, but all respected her and kept their distance as she sat in the glow of the full moon, watching it rise into the heavens.
I forgive you, sister.
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I cried, a very moving story.
All I can say is thank you, this touched me deeply.
4.04 Answer/body not found.
This looks closer to Memorial Day theme. And it would be better to mourn on Luna at March 2nd.
A really touching story
...Hats off to the author! 
A touching story for Remembrance Day
"The gift of Friendship is Immortal and so to shall we Immortalize those who have given all in its name."
That was good. Interesting idea in having Celestia make the visits when she can.
This is how you make an old man cry. You did a very good job, thank you.
If I could give you more than one thumbs up I would do so.
EDIT. Fixed.
If this weren't a sad fic, the first thing I'd think is that this is a big "May the Fourth be with you" joke. In any case, looks like I'll have to read to actually know the story.
Speaking as infantry myself (fimfiction is a guilty pleasure) i don't often comment on things however i want to give constructive feed back this is just based off my own experiences
ok so the last person to see the individual would most definitely not present at the death notice as they are usually react very violently (its actually standard practise to have police present) most often than not the parents want blood and anyone present at their child's death is treated as if they killed them themselves
you got the death notification correct however the parents are told very briefly yet bluntly how their child died they aren't told massive amounts of details and if the body couldn't be recovered they're told as such i mean if your baby just died you don't exactly want to be told "he was probably thrown into a fire idk lol"
there's also usually a medic a padre an officer (normally the CO of the company or even the regiment) and two cops waiting outside however in this case i guess an Alicorn could preform all those duties
normally at the funeral talking to the rest of the fireteam (as the fire team would have been beside them) and section is usually when the details emerge when the parents are mentally prepared to know
i don't really ever remember breaking down in front of family members (say for once) we're kinda taught to cry behind closed doors not in front of people because we're supposed to be stoic for their sake as it would give them comfort
the only time i remember breaking down was when i was talking to my best friends family and the dad just said "he talked about you all the time he told us how you two wanted to leave rent a place and go to university together you two had plans... its ok to cry lad" however i still had to excuse myself and cry away from them
you did capture the grief of the nations leader however maggie thatcher made it a point to write to every single one of the parent's who's sons died at the Falklands apparently doing so for remorse that their sons died to prove a point and that she was a mother herself i always imagined Celestia being immortal would view her subjects as her children as mortals would never reach the maturity that an immortal would there by viewed by Celestial as foals under her charge
any way just my thoughts
now watch my comment get down voted into oblivion for daring to give real world experiences and never being taught punctuation in school
Just from the short description on the featured list I got a feeling that I just wish to clarify. This story doesn't happen to be at all inspired by Remembrance Day does it?
Lest We Forget
-John 15:13
Brave men and women throw themselves into hell's gaping maw to prevent it from ever reaching our shores. We can never adequately show them our appreciation, but we continue try our hardest nonetheless.
Interestingly, I've noticed that every active military member that I know (myself included) tend to be uncomfortable when thanked for our service because we know those that gave so much more.
8548729
Nevertheless, I do thank you. I thank you not just for your sake, but for those that I can't thank unless I visit a memorial.
Take your thanks with pride; you may not think they're deserved, but trust me, they are.
8548520
I actually did research on how a death notification worked, but deliberately took some creative liberties with it for the sake of setting up the story. Originally I had more specific details including the medic and a chaplain and a guard, but after I realized a religious figure makes no sense standing next to a goddess and that this raises all sorts of questions about how religion works in Equestria that I didn't want to distract the reader with, I decided to simplify the scene and removed all extraneous characters.
I had considered trying to make this story more accurate, but given that all my knowledge of how the military actually works comes from reading wikipedia articles, I felt that it was more important to try and capture the emotional impact rather than focusing on technical details that would have been hard to get right without spending a lot more time setting things up, and as a result I basically combined the funeral and the death notice. Perhaps if this was a scene in a larger story I would have had enough time to do sufficient world-building, but I wanted this short story to focus on the emotional impact of a soldier's death and what we do to honor them.
This is going in the vault. I’m gonna make damn well sure I make this survive until my service has been completed
I imagine Celestia in this story to see her ponies;
None deserve more respect than those who have past away.
Being Active Duty military myself, this touched me deep in my soul especially. Thank you for this wonderful work of literature.
And a thank you to all fallen warfighters of all nations across the globe. We remember amd honor your sacrifice. https://youtu.be/MR87LsmXzBs
Ah the perfect resonance between thoughtful imagery and astounding dialogue...
8548469
Are you saying that it should have an apostrophe? Because if so, you are incorrect. “Its” is a word that you DON’T use an apostrophe to show possession. You only use one when you mean “it is.” People make that mistake quite frequently.
8549915
At the time he made that comment I was incorrectly using "it's". I fixed it already.
This was really good. You did a bang-up job worldbuilding Pony Arlington....
And I'm proud to be an Equestrian
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the mares who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up
Next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
Faust bless Equestria
8549937
Cool. I meant no offense, of course, was just setting the record straight if it needed it.
8548520
Anyone who would down vote your reply is an ass, and should be ignored... strongly.
It's very nice to know that what fanfiction writers write is close to what we have in the real world.
[youtube=1Vx_RdaFHeE]
[youtube=Xq6i3MsAKIo]
(shoot, forgot how to embed youtube videos here...)
It's stories like these that make me hate the fact that I have epilepsy, because if I didn't, I'd most likely be in the ADF by now, actually doing something to defend my country from those who would take away my right to wear thongs (no, not the underwear), eat meat pies, talk shit about everything and be a sarcastic cunt in general. I don't know if there's an expiry date on a class 4 rejection (medically unfit for service), but if there is then by fuck I'm signing up again.
People from many different countries, including my own, have given their lives and/or their sanity so that I can read stories about ponies, watch YouTube, play video games, masturbate furiously and eat unhealthy food (not necessarily in that order), and I wanna fucking earn that. I'll have to cut back on the YouTube, games and food a bit, but the ponies and masturbation aren't bad for me (I hope) so those are acceptable losses.
To all those who have served and are currently serving, I say thank you, and I hope that I'll be able to serve with you one day.
8548729
I remember Lindybeige (a YouTube with a great interest in older military tactics and materiel) mentioned that troops in WW2 would, on their way to the front line, roll through towns previously liberated from Axis by the soldiers ahead of them and get treated like gods (flowers thrown ahead of them, girls climbing on the tanks and trying to kiss the men, etc.). Meanwhile, the people who actually fought, bled and died to liberate those towns didn't get celebrated at all, which was a source of great embarrassment for those following behind.
As a Veteran, I thank you for this moving piece. It is a beautifully written tribute to those who have served.
Justin P. "Biker Dash" Emery,
Corporal, USMC 1991-1995
At least these ponies get some closure. Our family still don't know what exactly happened with one of my great-grandfathers and it's taken us around sixty years to find a grave of another one.
Where's that damn clip... here it is *salutes*
o7
8550551
Wow... I hope you find out someday. After all, every family should have closure.
The fucked up part is how many soldiers get blown up and no one ever finds out who did it. Or they have a piece of machinery slip or roll on to them and it was just a case of honest mistakes. Or make it back and reflect on seeing some of the worst, most depressing parts of humanity and they things it does to people and they are reminded every time there's a little slight or even just a little boredom until they just want the memories to stop...
Sometimes you get to envy those lucky unlucky bastards where someone is clearly to blame. Someone that can be villified without the question of race or beliefs, just "that's the one who did it!" You don't want to leave your buddies with no one to blame. No face, no name, no hope of some sort of justice, just a struggle of morales as you try not to hate some ethnic group or even some of your own people because they happened to have similarities and things they might not be able to help.
I wish I had the artistic flair to explore those feelings in narrative. It gets hard to not be petty when someone you know would have taken up the rear guard of a retreat and died a hero's death gets laid low by fertilizer and gunpowder in a fucking water jug.
8549937
that's ok ive always wanted to do a realistic interpritation of the military within MLP be it either HIE or just guard life i may when i hopefully get out soon and then there's the problem of literally not knowing punctuation
but ive never seen anything realistic the problem i have is that its mostly Americans shoe honing American protocols into a Diarchy/Monarchy when being from a commonwealth nation we have much different etiquette and protocols particularly when addressing the Queen i might be from AUS but we get a short lesson on how to address her and talk to her properly
also too much gun porn too much focus on donutsteel's bad ass custom non issued phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range
and awkward non realistic dialog talking about gals back home and not bowel movements which is the unfortunate reality
also the typical "gee wizz i sure am sad and brooding" steroyotype
and people seem to forget how much bush-craft is involved if i was magically transported to Equestria at night in the apples fields as is custom for HIE i wouldn't need to see a talking pone to know i'm not in kansas anymore i'd just look up and think
"Ok that's not my galaxy i can't find any constellations and the night sky has a faint magenta glow to it this planet is inside a Nebula maybe? at any rate i'm just going to curl up in the Fetal position and cry now"
Damn. I nearly teared up myself (it's really hard to make me cry so that tells you how emotional this work of art was). I'm not military, but I do have family currently serving. It's definitely hard to not cry at the sacrifices that our soldiers, sailors, and marines have made for us.
I went to Arlington once and saw the Changing of the Guard (or whatever the ceremony is actually called) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was more solemn than any other ceremony I've witnessed. Ever. And I think that this story really captured that feel in the last scene, with Celestia literally pausing the day to honor the fallen and the guards taking their duty as seriously as they did. That is probably the best thing she could do, and honestly, it breaks my own heart to see the guilt she places on herself for their deaths. Because she'll never know if they actually did forgive her for the blame she rests on her shoulders.
And that is sometimes the worst guilt of all.
Good story. Well written.
If there is one thing I would point a finger at, it is the monologues. There is a lot of dialogue without breaks. You don't necessarily need for things to happen during monologues to bring them up, but you could split it up so that you also mention the pauses in the speech, maybe sniffles, or hesitations. Who do they look at, and so on.
I felt that much of the things Celestia said in the first half of the story lost most of its impact because it came in a flood, rather than broken up in smaller bits to give a feeling of substance, and slow her monologue in a narrative sense.
I cried so much. This story reminded me of my Grandfather, who died in the Vietnam war when my father was only a small child. I understand what it's like to lose someone like this, as this is how I lost my father, as well. Thank you for writing this work of art and reminding us all how precious everything is, every life, every death.
8553400
I saw a video of the Arlington changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown a week ago and that's precisely what inspired this story, because it made me think about what ponies would do to honor their soldiers.
Well, this just earned a spot on my "All Time Favorite" bookshelf.
Though I am not a veteran, I have many in my family, including my two departed grandfathers. So, I would like to thank you for this story, on behalf of them, and commend you on a breath taking piece of fiction.
Remember our fallen soldiers, as without their sacrifice, we would be the ones who have fallen...
What my grandfather told my dad as my grandfather left for war... and never came back... I never got to meet him, yet I miss him very much
Very well done. "Heavy is the head that wears the crown...." indeed. This makes me think all too much of my service, though my lost comrade died due to complications from an accident. It still hurts like hell. One can only hope that that these losses are indeed felt by those at the top. War these days seems too distant and abstract to so many people. It's a subject that should never be taken lightly.
Thank you for writing this. I have a lot of military in my family. It's hard to know how to thank them.
" Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God "
-The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington
Beneath this stone rests the body
Of a British warrior
Unknown by name or rank
Brought from France to lie among
The most illustrious of the land
And buried here on Armistice Day
11 Nov: 1920, in the presence of
His Majesty King George V
His Ministers of State
The Chiefs of his forces
And a vast concourse of the nation
Thus are commemorated the many
Multitudes who during the Great
War of 1914 – 1918 gave the most that
Man can give life itself
For God
For King and country
For loved ones home and empire
For the sacred cause of justice and
The freedom of the world
They buried him among the kings because he
Had done good toward God and toward
His house
Around the main inscription are four New Testament quotations:
The Lord knoweth them that are his (top; 2 Timothy 2:19)
Unknown and yet well known, dying and behold we live (side; 2 Corinthians 6:9)
Greater love hath no man than this (side; John 15:13)
In Christ shall all be made alive (base; 1 Corinthians 15:22)
-Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, Westminster Abbey
I’m not crying.
Weeping would be a more accurate term.
There are many fics that grab at Earth holidays and events seeking free attention simply for being a Veteran's Day fic, a Memorial Day fic, most recently a 9/11 fic. This has sincerity. It isn't Earth's Veteran's Day thinly veiled over with ponies to meet the posting criteria and banged out to a word limit. This is how ponies would remember their own fallen, in their own way, with enough of a salute to our world to make it truly sparkle.
Good job.
Oh wow... I teard up at this.
Well done good soul. Well done.