//------------------------------//
// Goodbye...  
// Story: Never Forget. 
// by TheFallen 
//------------------------------//

	
He lay awake in the dark room, only illuminated by the dim light of the Luna`s moon. He lay their and fought sleep, because if he fell into it, he would lose the last night he had with his older sister. He lay there and felt the warmth eliminate from her body, the comfort it brought him, the way it warmed his heart and settled his nerves. Her name repeated itself threw her head, Hope, He lay and looked out the window at the wall across from him, the moon was slowly moving to the horizon and the stars slowly moving out of view. He dug his nose deeper into her neck, hoping that he could be with her longer. He had to leave as the sun came up, he hoped that time would slow, just so he could be with hope a little longer. This wasn't the first time he slept in her room, when he was a young colt he used to have bad dreams about his parents, she always let him sleep with her when this happened. But when that happened she held him, now it was the other way around, he held her. Not for her, for him, but he wouldn't let her know why he did this, he couldn't...

Hope had always been there for him. When their parents died, she stayed strong and helped him threw it, wiped his tears away when he cried, let him sleep in her bed when he was scared. When his grades started to drop in school, she helped him bring them up, she was always there, she never left she him. She did so much for him, and now... he had to leave. He hadn't told her yet, he didn't want to see her cry over him, he couldn't break her heart. He was joining Celestia`s forces to fight against Luna, the war had started a week ago when Luna, or Nightmare Moon as other ponies called her, went against her sister. Now he was going to join them and fight her, while he knew he might not come home, he still wanted to fight to stop her. He pushed those thoughts out of his head and held Hope a little tighter. He felt her calm breathing, he saw her side rise and drop, in sync with every breath. He felt her heartbeat, the soft thumps made him melt, and only made this decision harder. 

He started playing with her blue and white mane, it was soft against his hoofs and flowed so naturally . He stopped when he noticed her shift a little. By now the moon was low enough that its light went threw the window and illuminated her light blue coat, her face was so calm when he saw her and frowned, he couldn't leave her, she raised him, she cared for him, loved him like a mother to a child. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts flow, should he leave, and possible break her heart, or stay, keeping her happy, but inside he would regret not going to fight. He opened his eyes slowly and saw that the moon had reached the horizon, his heart sank as it fell behind the land. He slowly got up, trying his best not to wake his sister. The warmth that came from his sister was now gone, and a rush of cool air swam over his white coat. He went over to the dresser on the far side of her room. A white coated, blue maned unicorn that stared back at him was filled with sorrow and pain as he made the decision. He used his magic to levitate a quill out of a ink cup, that sat on the left side of the dresser. He began to write. When he finished he looked back into the mirror, his blue eyes were still filled with pain. He turned to look back at his sleeping sibling, her light blue coat looked like it was glowing as the moon`s light hit it. He stood straighter and decided at that moment, he wasn't fighting for Celestia, he was fighting for Hope, fighting to keep her safe, to protect her. He walked out of the house as the sun filled the sky with new colors, red pink purple and yellow. He left his home, he left his belongings, he left her. All he carried with him were memories of his sister, the times they shared, both good and bad. He carried her heart, and her love with him as he walked down the dirt path. He only had two words which were pulled away with the wind when they were said,

"Goodbye Hope..." 


.....


Hope woke to the warm light of the sun, she immediately noticed that the pony who had held her the evening before was not their. She sat up letting the covers fall from her and looked around, the room around her was dimly lit from the sun, but everything was visible, her desk, her mirror, the door,

"Jake?" she called out for her brother, and only silence answered her, she got out of her bed and left her room, looking for her brother, she searched the house to no avail, she grew worried, her little brother never left the house without telling her, it was strange that he did it this time, she went back to her room and washed her face, ridding herself of the grogginess waking up brought. She headed to her desk to comb her hair as she did every morning, then she saw it. A note, she knew who wrote it, but didn't understand why he would write it. A Blue aura enveloped it as her magic picked it up and brought it closer so she could read it, 

Dear Hope

By the time you read this I will have left to join Celestias forces to fight this war. I`m sorry... I didn't want to tell you, I knew it would hurt you to see your baby brother leave, and I know this letter wont make it any better, but I hope that you will understand why I left. I`m sorry I didn't say this in person, but I couldn't bare to see you cry because of me. I love you Hope, I want you to know that, and after all that you've done for me, cared for me, loved me, made me the stallion I am today, I left you. It hurt me to think that I might not come back, but I swear you I will come back to you alive. But I want to say I`m sorry, I love you, and I want you to know I`ll stay safe. 

I love you Hope, and while I`m away I will carry your love with me, and remember everything we did together. I`m grateful to have a loving, caring sister like you, and once again I swear I will return to you. 

Love Jake.

It was short, but it hurt her, and as she finished reading the last words a tear fell from her light blue coat. 

"Why Jake... why..." She stood in front of her mirror and re-read the note over and over, hoping it wasn't true, she knew it was and it hurt her to know her little brother might not come home. She set it down and laid on her bed, remembering how her brother held her the night before, she already missed him, and the aching of her heart was there to prove it. She sat there for the day, didn't eat, or drink, just missed her little brother. The next day she tried to get herself together, and after weeks she got back to her normal routine, but the hole in her heart was going to stay... 


.....


Hope, 

My name is Max, and for the last five years I`v been fighting alongside brother to protect the dreams that demand so much from us. I am so sorry that in all the time I've spent with Jake I never had a chance to meet you in person. As you know, our situation prevents us from being able to move about as we wish or see those we fight for, and because of this I am a stranger to you... and it pains me that you have to receive this message from a stranger:

Jake is gone.
I cannot tell you how or where he died, but know he was a hero, and died as one. Everypony who fought alongside him these last years loved him like a brother, and his determination and gentle spirit were strengths to us all. It is a tragedy that he was forced to this fight, as we all were, by the most important need we have... the need to be free.

I know words can`t help right now, but please don't doubt the value of Jake`s sacrifice or the wisdom of our fight, even in these terrible times. You will ask why, in the fact of such an overwhelming threat, we would take up arms against our own kind rather then fight against the griffons or another opposing force. We struggle with this question every day...Jake fought with it every day. But what keeps us going is know that we have family to be there when we come home.

I write all of this to try and give you some comfort, some justification for such a terrible loss. I hope you can believe in our cause as much as Jake did, and I hope you can believe me when I say we all miss him terribly. Despite what you may have heard or read recently in the Canterlot media, Jake`s death was a proud death. A noble death. He died for all of us, and I know for certainty he died for you.  

My heartfelt condolences on your loss, 
Max