//------------------------------// // Never to be Forgotten // Story: To Walk Among Us // by Mossbender //------------------------------// The sun seemed to burn brighter than ever before as its rays bathed Ponyville in its warmth, making the very dirt road itself rather warm beneath the hooves of two ponies as they made their way towards Town Hall. The pair, a middle-aged stallion and his daughter, were moving quite quickly however, taking no time at all to enjoy the dirt road's warmth since today was a very special day. Neither of them wanted to miss the ceremony. "Daddy come on! We are going to be late!" the little filly squeaked with excitement. "Come on come on!" She galloped ahead of her father, only to turn around and come back to him. She wrapped her forelegs around his right foreleg and began to tug as hard as she could. The father looked down at his little girl and smiled at her noble but utterly pointless effort. "Don't you worry now little one, we have plenty of time to make it to Town Hall still," he replied calmly and returned his gaze to the dirt road in front of him. "How about you and I play a little game while we walk?" He noticed that his daughter quickly looked up at his face and she sighed before she hopped off of his leg. He could tell that she wasn't impressed. "Fine, what game do you want to play?" she asked, trying to sound enthusiastic, but her father could immediately tell how forced it was. He found that to be quite hilarious and held back a chuckle. "I was thinking we could play a game of I spy, and if you really want to, then you can go first," he said and then held up a hoof. "But on one condition." His daughter looked up at him again, except this time her face showed that she was curious instead of disappointed. "And what would that be?" she asked. "Oh, and you can go first by the way." She returned her gaze to the ground and kicked a pebble to the side as they continued walking. "Just have fun," he said and lowered his hoof back to the ground. "And close your eyes!" "What? Close my eyes!?" his daughter replied rather loudly as she looked at him in utter bewilderment. "How am I supposed to play a game about spying if my eyes can't spy!?" "This is a special kind of I spy my dear, now quickly! Please close your eyes," he said, trying his best to conceal his excitement that had developed within him. His daughter rolled her eyes and reluctantly closed them. "Alright, now what?" she asked when her father suddenly lifted her up, causing her to squeal. "Ahh! Daddy! Put me down!" Her father laughed as he began to gallop down the street and made a sharp left onto the next one. He immediately saw a crowd of ponies ahead standing outside of Town Hall, standing in front of what looked to be a statue covered in a huge piece of burlap cloth. "Hey, guess what Tulip Puff? I spy with my little eye, a huge crowd of ponies!" he exclaimed which caused Tulip Puff's eyes to immediately flutter open. She gasped at the sight before them and leaned over her father's head so she could look into his eyes. "You knew we were almost there? Didn't you?" she asked and her father simply smiled and nodded. "Oh this is so awesome! Can I see if I can go find my friends? Please please pleaaaaase?" "I don't see why not, just don't leave the plaza okay?" he replied and he bent his knees so she could get off of his back. Tulip Puff quickly hopped off and gave him a huge hug. "Thank you daddy, I wonder if Apple Bloom and the others have arrived yet!" she said, her voice filled to the brim with excitement before she suddenly galloped off and disappeared into the depths of the crowd. The father simply shook his head and chuckled. She reminded him of her mother so very much, especially since she had obviously inherited the same fiery spirit. He quickly found a good spot to stand in and looked up at the statue that loomed over them. It was definitely tall, taller than most of the statues of Celestia throughout all of Equestria. It gave him a rather eerie feeling though, which was strange since the statue was dedicated to that who was a beacon of hope for all. But still, today could not have been more perfect for the ceremony to take place. He suddenly noticed that everypony had quieted down and saw why that was. Mayor Mare was standing at the podium, looking at the crowd that had gathered before her. With one final deep breath, she began to speak. "Greetings ponies and creatures of Ponyville, of Equestria, and the lands beyond!" she said, the microphone amplifying her voice so that all could hear her. "We have gathered here today to celebrate that who we all hold very dear to our hearts. One so noble and valiant, that I am proud to have also called him as one of our own." He noticed that Mayor Mare had begun to develop tears in the corners of her eyes, but that didn't stop her from speaking. "B- before we continue with the ceremony, Ms. Rose Wind has a few words to say. Let's all give her a hoof!" The crowd began to stomp their hooves as a mare approached the podium that looked about the same age as himself. Mayor Mare quickly gave the microphone to Ms. Rose Wind and watched from a distance. Rose Wind definitely looked like she had seen better days, since visible dark bags had formed underneath her eyes. She wore a sun hat that had a single pink rose on top and a red bandanna around her neck. Her mane was a light red with a light pink stripe down the middle and her coat was a rather pale creamy colour. Her eyes were light blue, just like the sky itself. "I- I'm honoured to be standing in front of all of you today," she said, although her voice was rather shaky. "These past few days have been... have been hard on us all, especially me, but I want to say thank you. Thank you all for your loving s- support and gifts." She looked up at the sun which shone brightly in the sky and smiled weakly before looking back at the crowd. "I... I just wish that he was here still... that's all I want." Tears had begun to flow freely down her face, but Rose Wind continued to speak. "But today shall not be a day of sadness! Let us all rejoice and cherish what we have, for it is precious, and we still have it because of my son!" The crowd cheered Rose Wind on, shouting their approval as they hung on to every word she spoke. "And now, let us remember those who fought for us, those who passed and those who lived. We shall never forget... and I shall never forget you... my little Peaches." There was a moment of silence as all those who had gathered lowered their heads in respect. Out of the corner of his eye, the father saw two blurs in the distance, which he could immediately tell were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Rose Wind had noticed them as well and she cleared her throat before speaking into the microphone once again. "It all seems so long ago now, but it feels like it was yesterday that I found him in the Everfree, all alone and helpless," she said quietly. "Not only was he different, but I somehow knew that he was destined for greatness." She slowly turned her head and looked over at the Everfree Forest and smiled. "Fate and destiny are curious words, aren't they? My son had a short but very rough life, but he always found a way to stay positive. He was the light of my life and I'm sure he brought joy to many others out there as well. Thank you for your time everypony, let the ceremony continue!" Rose Wind turned her head towards Mayor Mare and nodded, which indicated that she was done speaking for now. The crowd cheered loudly for her as she stepped down from the podium and the vacant position was filled within moments by Mayor Mare. She immediately raised her hoof which caused the crowd to quiet down once more. "Those were indeed some powerful words Ms. Rose Wind, thank you for your time," Mayor Mare said. Rose Wind had reached her seat and simply nodded in return. "And now before we reveal the statue, please enjoy this film in honour of our fallen heroes." A white screen lowered behind her as a hidden projector suddenly hummed to life, immediately displaying the first image on the film. It was a younger Rose Wind holding what appeared to be a bundle of cloth, but as the image came into focus, it was clear that there was something in the bundle. A small pink hand was sticking up, trying to reach Rose Wind's face. As the pictures came and went, nopony noticed that a stranger garbed in black had appeared on a roof top across from where they had gathered. He stood there silently, watching each photo and studying it with great care. If it wasn't for the hood he was wearing, anypony would have been able to see that he was smiling. It was only a matter of time before he made his grand entrance, he could feel the eagerness in his bones. Just a little bit longer... and this ceremony would soon become one that nopony would ever forget. He turned his head to the right and squinted his eyes, which allowed him to make out the two ponies rapidly approaching from the sky in the distance. "So... the two sisters decide to show up after all," he whispered and he returned his gaze back to the photos. "I hope they don't mind me being here and all... especially after that stunt they tried to pull." The stranger reached inside his shirt and pulled out a necklace. It was a simple design, a blue pearl encased in an extremely durable crystal substance. He still clearly remembered what it used to look like and how it was forced to change. If it wasn't for his necklace, he wouldn't be where he was now.