A Crow in Shining Armor

Twilight Sparkle had never been part of a funeral before, and never did she think that she would have to attend this one so soon. Never did she think she’d become a princess, only to have to bury her own brother a few months later. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, it was all so wrong. She wanted to grow old together with Shining, see his daughter grow into a mare before they both passed from this life.

It should have been old age that claimed Shining Armor, not the sharp end of a blade.

Her black dress swayed around her legs without making a single sound as she walked up to the open coffin displayed by the altar. At first, she focused her eyes on the small ornament resting upon the altar itself; a pillar adorned with a radiant sun in purest gold. Within the sun itself, a crescent moon had been carved in.

Celestia and Luna watched over them all. The ornament symbolised their final reunion, a stark reminder that one could always be redeemed, and a testament to the love within a family.

She had to force herself to look down in the coffin. Forced herself to remain, to look down upon the body of her older brother. The longer she looked the more real it all became, as if it didn’t sink itself into her mind until then.

There he had been, as clear as day. He looked peaceful, his eyes closed and a hint of a smile over his lips. He’d been dressed in the ceremonial funeral cloak that all royalty in Equestria wore for their final rest, and the hood had been pulled up slightly. No doubt to hide the scar across his throat, Twilight thought.

It was a good thing it had been covered up, she wouldn’t be able to stand seeing it. The thought of it made her skin crawl and her stomach turn; the thing that had ended his life still remained, hiding behind a piece of cloth. Like a mockery against both of them. She had never seen it, but she knew that the scar was massive, travelling from ear to ear.

Her body had shut down when Celestia took her aside a few days after the attack in order to let her know what had happened. The knowledge that one cut across his neck almost took his head clean off had become too much for her, and Twilight closed herself within her mind for weeks, just staring blankly off into space.

Now she had returned to some semblance of normality, and had begun her mourning. But as her eyes travelled across the masculine face covered in white fur and the long neck beneath it, her gaze fell upon a tiny part of the side of his throat where the cloak hadn’t been completely pulled up, and she instantly had to turn away.

A small glimpse of the sewn up wound could be seen, and it became too much for Twilight to look at.

Next to Shining Armor there was a second coffin, one that was a lot thinner since the body it contained was slimmer and sleeker. Twilight looked down, seeing the features of Cadance behind a thin veil covering her face.

It was difficult for the young Alicorn to look upon her, and it was difficult to think of her as the one that had taken so good care of her when she was but a foal, growing up in Canterlot. One of the best friends she had as a child, one that almost filled the role of a second mother. Her sister-in-law, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful mares in all of Equestria.

The memories of her felt distant, like a long forgotten song that the bards no longer sang, and only told of in legend. Something that once was so real that it became hard to believe it any longer.

And now this visage of beauty was displayed in the grand cathedral of the Empire, waiting to be put into the ground together with her beloved husband.

Once Twilight’s eyes fell upon the third and final coffin, she couldn’t take it anymore. The tiny little box, closed unlike the others, with a sea of flowers resting on top of it. It sickened her, and she had to turn her back to the trio of caskets.

Of course, all of this was already behind her.

The peaceful faces, the closed eyes and pursed mouths with a hint of a smile at their sides. The smell of lilies and roses in her nostrils, and the sound of church bells as the family was carried out through the gates.

Floating upon the shoulders of those closest to them, they made their last journey together before they would join in eternity. The rain poured down over the entourage as they brought them across the graveyard towards their final rest, but nopony cared about the rain anymore.

As a matter of fact, it felt fitting, as if the heavens themselves mourned the loss of their rulers. It offered a small slither of comfort to some of the ponies walking behind the coffins, their teary eyes hidden behind mourning cowls and brimmed black hats.

Twilight’s dress had already been soaked by the rain, and her mane rested flat against her face like a mask. Water dripped off the end of her hair, joining together with the other countless drops of water descending on them. The hemline of her clothing dragged in the grass, caught itself and tore on rocks and debris, but she didn’t care about it.

It was just a piece of fabric, something Rarity could sew together in a matter of seconds. It was of no value to her whatsoever. Once the funeral was over, she thought she’d never touch it again and just throw it away in her closet. It would wither away, eventually turn to dust as insects and time gnawed away on it.

Forgotten and unseen, slowly fading away in the eyes that once held it.

The coffins was slowly lowered into their respective holes. Shining to the left, Cadance to the right and Skyla in the middle between them. Twilight wiped her tears, but did her best to stay strong, tried to be there until the end.

A loud scraping sound could be heard, followed by a clank as the casket containing Shining Armor levelled out within the grave. It screeched loudly, tearing into everypony’s ears.

Twilight Sparkle had to turn away as she finally broke down into the tears she’d been holding back for so long.