//------------------------------//
// Memories  
// Story: The War of Equestria 
// by rainbowtiger00 
//------------------------------//


The reaction to Pinkie Pie saying that she found a rock with the name of Jonathan's aunt was rather loud. He had told Pinkie Pie to take him to the rock.

Twilight, Spike, and the other were coming with. There was only one problem. "Over this way!"

Pinkie Pie called, bouncing around the long grass. Jonathan was following her, his legs moving up and down. The grass was up to his knees. She stopped and frowned. "Wait no. This way!"

She called again, bouncing in the opposite direction. Jonathan sighed, and followed Pinkie Pie. The moon was shining it's light on the ground, casting a silvery light on everything.

Pinkie Pie had been running around on the edge of Applejack's property for hours now. And the rock was nowhere to be seen.

Applejack's face was getting more and more annoyed by the minute. Rarity was frowning at her hooves which were getting dusty. She was way less picky with her getting dirty, but there was a limit.

Rainbow Dash was frowning and her wings were flapping so hard that there was a snapping sound. Fluttershy was stumbling on the ground, for she was getting tired.

Twilight was fast asleep on Spike, snoring softly. Pinkie Pie stopped again and cocked her head. "Wait."

Applejack groaned. "Pinkie Pie, please tell me you have an idea about where we are going." Pinkie Pie nodded. "Yeah. I tripped over it when I was bouncing."

She chewed on her cheek. Then her eyes lit up. "Wait! I got an idea!" She ran ahead and stopped a distance away.

Then she began hopping back toward them. Jonathan watched her. His heart was pounding. Could there really be a rock with his aunt's name on it? Why would it be here?

He wished he knew. Pinkie Pie tripped over a hidden object in the grass. She fell flat on her face. "Ow!"

Jonathan ran over to where Pinkie Pie was. "Are you okay, Pinkie Pie?" Pinkie Pie nodded. "I'm okay dokey loikie!" He went over to the section of grass that Pinkie Pie tripped over.

There was a rock with a name on it. His heart almost skipped a beat. The name was Angina. He ran his hand over the smooth surface of the rock. A tear came into his eye.

His vision blurred. Jonathan knelt before the rock as the others gathered over behind him. They watched him sadly.

The necklace dangled from his neck. "Aunt, why is your name on this rock?" The rock was unresponsive.

His vision was obscured by tears. They were running down his cheeks, and dropping off his chin.

"Why did you give me the necklace? Why did you put the runes on me? 
Why?"

Applejack's hoof landed on his shoulder gently. "I'm sorry she's dead, sugar cube." She said softly. Jonathan nodded sadly. "She was the one to take care of me after my parents died.

But then she got that deadly disease and died. Now, Argon's family is all I have left." He closed his eyes and remembered the worst day of his life...



The rain pounded on the back of his neck. It dripped down his back, and onto the ground he stood on. The sky was a pure gray, not a patch of blue shone through.

The birds were huddled in their nests, feathers keeping them dry from the pouring rain. A nine year old Jonathan stood in front of what was soon to be his aunt's grave.

His eyes remained on his aunt's pale face. She was lying in a dark wooden coffin. She was wearing a dark red velvet dress, her hair curled into silver ringlets.

He was wearing a dark brown cloak, the only dark thing he owned. He was certain that he was now going to live on the streets.

But at least, there was Lena who could help him. A hand went on his head. He looked up.

Elder Onyx Ashstone's hand was on top of his head. His clear blue eyes were looking at him with a very sad look.

"I'm so sorry Jonathan. (She welcomed the end)." Jonathan gave Elder Onyx Ashstone's leg a tight hug. "I know. Lena and Argon will look after me.

It's just." He choked, and two streams of tears fell from his cheeks. "I'm gonna miss her so much."

He began to sob. Jonathan buried his face onto Elder Onyx Ashstone's blue robe as his shoulders shook. Elder Onyx Ashstone patted his back soothingly.

Then he saw the sliver chain of the necklace. "Your aunt gave you the necklace?

(Did she make you take an oath)?"Jonathan nodded. "It will be the one thing I will have left from her."

He clutched it with a chubby nine-year-old hand. "I promised her that I will always wear it."

Elder Onyx Ashstone seemed to study the young boy. Then he studied the body of the aunt.

"Well, it was her decision to give it to you. (We only hope that you will accept it)." Jonathan nodded.

"I will. I promise." Trisha, Argon and Felix arrived beside him, carrying little Corina who was only one. Her black raven hair framed her face as she clung to her father's neck. It matched the black dress that she was wearing. 

"Greetings, Elder Onyx Ashstone.” Felix said. He was wearing a pure black outfit, and so was Trisha. The look in her red, swollen eyes was full of grief, and her shoulders were slumped. The black dress she wore had mud on the bottom, probably from dragging it in the wet dirt. “Greetings, Felix Rowshield. 

(It is good that you came to pay your respects).” Jonathan noticed that Trisha had been crying. Hard. She sniffled. “How could we not? 

Kendra and Angina were both like sisters to me. And now… Both are, gone.” She broke down crying and lifted her hands to her face. Felix's eyes softened. 

He reached out an arm, and pulled his wife to his chest. He wrapped it around her waist, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead in order to comfort her. Corina burbled softly, and waved a tiny fist at her mother. 

Argon's hand clutched Jonathan's. “Hey.” Jonathan wiped his nose with the other. “Hey.” Argon was wearing a pure black suit and his dark brown locks were slicked down from the rain. 

His dark green eyes were full of sadness and pity. His foot pushed at the mud. “Lena's coming too. She wanted to wear something dark, so she went to look for a cloak or something.” Jonathan nodded. 

“Wait a minute. What is he doing here?” From the tone of Argon's voice, Jonathan looked away from his aunt to see the person that Argon was talking about. His fist tightened. Rayon was standing a distance away, staring at the grave. 

He looked highly uncomfortable and was pacing. His silver eyes were darting to and fro nervously. Jonathan grimaced. “I don't know, but he better not do anything,” Argon growled. 

“If he does…” Chavez Foretor came into view from behind Rayon. He was walking with his cane. After receiving the injury, Chavez Foretor had to walk around town with a cane. A pretty, slender girl was with Chavez Foretor, one with brown hair, pale skin, and pinkish purple eyes. 

Rayon ran a hand through his sliver hair twice. Then with a quick glance, at the grave he shoved something into Chavez Foretor's hand, pointed at the grave, and ran off. The girl stared at the running figure, and looked at Chavez Foretor's hand.

Jonathan went back to staring at the cold body of his aunt. Rain had fallen onto her cheeks, making it look like she was crying. Jonathan felt tears run down his own. Again. He glanced at Felix, only to see that he was crying as well. 

Chavez Foretor had limped to the grave and was staring at it. The girl was beside him. “I couldn't believe at first that she was dead. Angina was a very odd girl to be sure, but she was always kind. Showed me where to find an important herb was, once.” 

He placed the something that Rayon had given him next to her grave. It was a vial of dirt and water with a tiny water lily in it. Jonathan blinked. 

"Rayon made that?" Chavez Foretor nodded.

Argon frowned. "But he hates us." Chavez Foretor nodded again. "Yes. But your aunt showed him kindness before, and I bet he wanted to repay that."

Jonathan started. "But he hates my aunt! He calls her." He paused. "Called her weak.

Chavez Foretor smiled bitterly. " There is a little thing we do in the poor section of town. Sure, we call the rich and wealthy people all sort of names, steal from the traders, and slaughter animals, but when someone shows us kindness, we feel the need to repay that. You know, your aunt must of helped Rayon's grandmother once." Argon blinked.

"Rayon has a grandmother?" Chavez Foretor nodded. "Yeah. She practically lives in the Slob. Blind, lame, nearly deaf, and doesn't remember one minute to the next.

She is the only family Rayon has left. Rayon wasn't the only one to receive your aunt's kindness." Chavez Foretor looked Johnathan in the eye. 

"Your aunt was always willing to give us healing powders and if it wasn't for her, little Lena wouldn't be here." Lena arrived, wearing a dark blanket around her waist.

She was dragging a large bag. "I'm... Sorry that I'm late. It took me awhile to find this." She dragged the bag to Chavez Foretor.

Her arms hugged Jonathan tightly. "Sorry, I don't look so good." Jonathan hugged her back. "It's perfectly fine. You look great."

Chavez Foretor looked at the girl who went to the bag. She opened it, and took out a wreath of dark red roses. She went to the edge of the grave. She knelt down, and placed the wreath of roses beside his aunt's head.

As I said, we do not like carrying debts around. So the vial with the lily was Rayon's way. This." He reached into the bag and lifted something big out. "Is ours."

Jonathan gasped. Several bags of crystals were in Chavez Foretor's hands. "These, Johnathan can be made into a crystal halberd. Argon's jaw dropped. "A crystal halberd?!

Those take a decade to make!"

Chavez Foretor nodded. "Your father owned several bags of crystal that he received when he married your mother. It was her dowry. When they died, your aunt gave them to me. She wanted me to use them to support my family.

But I never had the heart to sell them. So, we give them to you. Ask Elder Onyx Ashstone, and he will show you how to craft a crystal halberd. 

With the crystal halberd, you can not only defend yourself against things that would attack you, but you can defend yourself." Jonathan nodded and took the bags.

They were very heavy in his arms. "Thank you. Chavez Foretor." He nodded once at Jonathan, then left. The girl followed him, helping him along. Lena stood at the grave, a few tears dripping from her face.

"I wish that she didn't die. I liked her." She placed a necklace made of grass and leaves onto his aunt's neck. Argon put his arms around Lena comfortingly. "I will miss her too.

She was a great woman." Jonathan turned to Elder Onyx Ashstone who had been watching the whole thing. He took the bags from Jonathan. "Come to the well, tomorrow. (This crystal halberd shall be created)."

Trisha placed her hands on Johnathan's shoulders. "Don't you worry Jonathan. I won't let you end up on the streets. If you ever need somewhere to be, just come to us. We will help you."

Jonathan nodded sadly. "Okay." Trisha hugged him tightly, burying his face into the cloth of her dress. Tears fell onto the top right of his head. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and despite his will, felt tears beginning to form.

Elder Onyx Ashstone placed the bags beside his feet, and lifted a hand over Angina's body. "Angina Hayworth Markson. (Younger sister of Kendra Jen Robertson). You lived a good life here, helping the needy and giving advice to the rich. (You defended those that could not defend themselves).

You worked hard, making sure that Jonathan had something in order for him not to be alone when you left. (You made sure that the consequences of your actions would be as light as possible). 

You will not be forgotten in the ancient past, the ever changing present, nor the unknown future. May the Everfree forest keep your soul in forever peace." As Elder Onyx Ashstone finished speaking, he pushed at the end of the grave.

A slow rumble started, and the lid began to automatically close. Jonathan squeezed Trisha harder. Trisha let out a sob, and buried her head into Felix's chest as he hugged Trisha. Corina burbled again, and placed her tiny curled fist onto her mother's head. Argon hugged his mother's legs.

Lena stared at them, tears running down her cheeks. Felix saw her and nodded his head at her. “You can join in if you wish, Lena.” Lena started, then gave him a watery smile. She came in between Argon and Jonathan, holding them both close. 

The sound of the grave's lid hitting the other end came out. It sounded like the breaking of a heart. Jonathan winced, and held tighter. “Don't you worry, auntie.” He sniffled. 

“I'll always treasure this necklace.”



Jonathan opened his eyes and stared at the dangling necklace. He sighed heavily. Then, as he began to get up, the necklace touched the stone. 

The ground underneath him fell away to reveal stairs running down into an unknown place. He fell onto them. 

Hard.
​