Never Forget.

by TheFallen

Goodbye Part Two

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.

"J-Jake..." His name was barley audible, tears began to fall from her face as she read the last three words, the first few words made her mind and heart light up with excitement, the last three tore a hole in her heart, put her thoughts to a stop. After two long moments of emotional shell shock, she tried to keep going,

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.

Was the need to be free really worth it... It took her brother from him, it drilled a gap in her heart so big time couldn't fix it, nothing could. Everpony who fought alongside him loved him like a "brother" That word, it felt sacred to her, he wasn't their brother... he was hers, they didn't lose their brother, she did...

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 knowing that we have family to be there when we come home.

Words couldn't help then, the only thing that could was her brother, and he was gone, lost to a war that took so many others. Her heart ached, her brother was gone, he wouldn't come home, like he swore to her. Her little soldier boy wouldn't come marching home, her little soldier boy would be lost war. She fought back more tears as she tried to continue.

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

Comfort, what comfort could this letter bring. All this letter brought was pain and sorrow, and in the midst of all of it, she didn't even notice the grey coated stallion who was trying to comfort her. She broke down as the last words ran threw her head, her sobs echoed threw the house, and her tears puddled on the floor. The grey stallion took the note from her and put it down onto the table near the door,

"Hope... I`m so sorry..." He held her as she cried into his chest, her tears soaked into his grey coat. The stallion didn't like seeing her like this, but he knew that she couldn't help it.

"Hope... it`s going to be okay... I promise, it`s going to be okay..." He didn't know if she believed him, he didn't know if he believed himself. The two stood their for an hour, he finally got her to her bed. She still cried, but no tears came, no tears were left. Her heart cried for her and ever beat hurt. Her husband had gone downstairs to actually read the note. When he came up he looked at her from the doorway, dried streams of tears marked her face, he went to the side of the bed and crouched near it, and their eyes met, he still held the note.

"Hope... you didn't read the back..." She sat up slightly, ears were drooped, but he got her attention, he gave her the note.

"Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Like fragile Tiny shells
drifting in the foam
Little soldier boy come marching home
Brave soldier boy... come marching home"

I`m coming home Hope... I`m coming home...