//------------------------------// // Shining Armour // Story: Sacrifices // by Lulamoon-Crystal //------------------------------// “Brother!” Screamed Twilight when she saw her brother lying on the floor under a cave wall. “Shining!” Shouted Cadance. Both alicorn’s ran over to the dying stallion with tears in their eyes, the rest of the ponies followed sadly. Twilight tried to pull him up but it was no use, Cadance sadly touched him, some of her own tears fell onto him. “Shining” She sobbed. Shining Armour slowly opened his eyes, “T-Twily... Cade...”. He slowly reached out his hoof and Twilight gently touched it, some of her tears fell onto his hoof as she cried. Cadance couldn’t speak, she didn’t know what to say. “Why?” Sobbed Twilight, “You were my Big Brother Best Friend Forever!”. Twilight was in denial, she ignored the wound on his side and continued to sob, she looked at Celestia. “There has to be a cure! There as to be a way to save you!”. “Twi-“ Shining coughed, “It’s too late to save me...”. Twilight started to shake as tears poured from her eyes, “No... no!”. “I’m just happy to see my sister, wife and everpony is safe... now... wipe those tears and enjoy the future for me...” He put on a smile. Twilight’s expression did not change, her heart was broken into a million of pieces. She looked at her brother and sobbed harder than she ever did, she wasn’t expecting to lose him like this. Her heart started to ache as she watched her dying brother. Cadance’s muzzle was soaked with tears, she couldn’t bear it, she wished there was a way to save him but there wasn’t. “S-shining” She managed to sobbed, “I love you... I’ll always love you” She choked on her own tears. “Love the future for me... I-I’ll always be with you... you may not know I’m there but I’ll always watch over you, sis”. Shining Armour coughed up a bit of blood, Luna and Celestia watched with tears in their eyes, the Main Six was always sobbing, Fluttershy couldn’t even look at them. Shining armour closed his eyes, “Tell Flurry... I love her... I love you all” He said before taking his final breath. “Twilight!” Called Starlight as she entered the cavern with Spike on her back. “Oh!” She gasped as she walked over, she started to cry. Spike put his claw on Twilight and wiped some of his tears with his other, Twilight sobbed into her wing, her brother was gone. Celestia hugged Cadance who sobbed into her chest, some of her own tears fell into her mane. Luna sat there speechless, on of her sister’s wing cuddled her in. The Main Six hugged each other and Starlight, they all cried hard as they remembered Shining Armour. Pinkie’s mane was fully drooped and Rarity’s mascara was all down her face. A day had past since Shining Armour’s sacrifice. His funeral was going to be held in the Crystal Empire, many ponies and creatures from in and out of the Crystal Empire were going to attend. Rarity made black funeral dresses and hats, she wasn’t in the mood in make them stylish, just plain black and white dresses with a black hat that had a black flower and a veil on it. Creatures far and wide gathered to mourn the loss of the prince of the Crystal Empire, Shining Armour. Everyone was gathered around a casket, Cadance stood next to the casket ready to make a speech, Flurry Heart was on her back, both of their manes were messy and it was clear they hadn’t slept. “Today we mourn the loss of Prince Shining Armour, he was brave and caring” Cadance managed to say before breaking out into sobs. Ponies lined up to pay their respects with words, flowers or both before the casket was lowered into the ground. Twilight wished he was still here but inside she knew that he was still with her in a way, not physically. Poor Flurry Heart didn’t seem to know what happened to her dadda, she only knew he was gone and never was going to return. That foal was going to grow up without a dad, she properly would not remember him very well when she gets older. Twilight broke into sobs when she heard the filly looked around and call for him only for Cadance to hush her. “He’s... somewhere else now She cried, “He won’t come back”. It was a sad and slow day, hardly anyone in the Crystal Empire smiled that day, Cadance didn’t smile for at least a week after the sacrifice.