It had been over six months since Zephyr Breeze passed away. Almost three years since Limestone Pie went before him. Even with all the time that had passed, Turquoise Edge still missed her parents dearly. But now, she realized she’d never taken the time to grieve properly. Even at the funerals, all she’d done was stand there and silently curse fate for taking her loved ones away. And then she’d gotten so caught up in everything else going on in her life. But now that Turquoise was in a better place, she figured she might as well pay her respects now. Starting with a trip to the cemetery.
 
Turquoise took a deep breath as she entered the gates and made her way towards her family’s small plot of the graveyard. She was never good at this grieving thing. She’d always been one to bottle up her feelings, and if she wasn’t doing that she would find herself on an unstoppable downward spiral. Turquoise had never allowed herself to just…feel. Express herself however she needed and be okay with it. Now was her chance to do just that and finally move on with her life.
 
As she slowly approached her parents’ resting place, Turquoise could see something in the distance. A large orange figure, almost in the shape of a dragon. It looked like…Fire Opal! And judging by the smaller figure beside her, Hawk Eye was with her.
 
Oh, Celestia, she thought. I was so terrible to both of them. How can I face them again? She was ready to turn around and run the other way, but instead stuck firmly to her resolve to move forward and do what she came to do. After all, she was a soldier, albeit retired, and everypony knows that soldiers don’t back down.
 
Still, Turquoise tried to remain inconspicuous. She took short, silent steps in an effort to remain unseen and unheard, to avoid whatever confrontation might come. But apparently, she couldn’t escape the strength of a dragon’s hearing, as Opal turned her head back and looked straight at her.
 
”Turq?”
 
The pegasus froze in her tracks, but tried to appear nonchalant as she nodded through the bouquet in her mouth.
 
“Hey.”
 
Hawk turned around as well, jumping up upon seeing who it was. “Turq! Hey!” He immediately went sober, as if suddenly realizing the weight of the situation. “It…it’s been awhile. Come sit with us?”
 
”Sure,” Turquoise murmured, not taking her eyes off the gravestone as she awkwardly sat down beside them. She avoided eye contact for fear of what their expressions might reveal. For fear of what they’d have to say.
 
They sat in silence for a while before Hawk Eye finally spoke up.
 
“Y’know, I’m glad you’re here Turq…Opal and I were really worried about you. We missed you, and your signature bun too.” He lightly nudged her and chuckled.
 
Turquoise softly chuckled along with him. It was always like Hawk to try and lighten the mood. As she looked up at her siblings, she felt a pang of regret. They really did care for her, and what did she do? She left them, she shut them out. All they wanted to do was let her know they were there for her, nothing less, nothing more.
 
“I-I’m sorry…” Turquoise bowed her head and mumbled quietly, still avoiding eye contact. She couldn’t bear to face what she’d done, but she knew she had to.
 
“Turq, you don’t need-”
 
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said…I didn’t mean any of it. I was a fool, an idiot, for shutting you guys out. You were all I had left and I pushed you away just like I did everybody else!” Turquoise stood still for a moment, breathing heavily and trying to not let the tears that formed in her eyes fall.
 
“And, I would understand if you don’t forgive me. You don’t have to…”
 
Opal and Hawk exchanged a glance, smiling softly.
 
“Of course we forgive you, Turq! And really, we should be the ones apologizing. We’re the ones who were so careless with our words and didn’t stop to consider how you felt.” Opal replied.
 
Turq looked up at both her siblings before jumping up and pulling them into a hug. “I missed you guys so much…” She uttered as the tears she previously held back now rolled down her cheeks.
 
Hawk was at first taken aback by her sudden burst of emotion, but he, too, wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.
 
“Glad to have you back…”