The Force of the Elements

AN: This is my other other sequel to the Force of the Elements, and it comes after the one that I forgot the name of. Anyways, if you haven't read them, you should. If you haven't read them on purpose but feel like a more sombre story, read this, by all means. Although some of it may not make much sense.

It was late at night, and the mood around the campfire had quietened down a bit. They had finished all the mashmallows, and Pinkie Pie was slowly nodding off on Twilight's shoulder. The fire had been worn down to just a tiny glow, as nobody had fetched any more wood to put on it.

'So what happened to Dragonsilver?' asked Twilight. Applejack had been expecting this question from the ever-curious element of magic.
'Ah told y'all. They passed away and then-'
'No, AJ, what actually happened to them? How did they die?' asked Twilight insistently.
'It's... It's not a very nice story.'
'What, and the others have been?' said Rainbowdash, flexing her wings.
'Compared to this, yeah!' said Applejack heatedly.
'Ladies, calm down,' Rarity broke in.
'Sorry Rares,' said Rainbow.

There was silence for a while, until- 'So could you tell us what happened?' Twilight asked.
'Fine! Since y'all are just so keen, ah'll tell ya.'

It was a gloomy day, and the clouds were fat and grey. The mood was sombre, but it wasn't the weather. It was the hole in the ground, the coffin, the freshly carved gravestone. Dragonsilver looked across at the poor bunch of mourners. It really was a dismal show-up.

Dragonsilver didn't have any family left, so there was only a few ponies. In chief, they were Silver's family. Her parents were there, and her older brother. Her aunt was too. Some of the elements of harmony had bothered to show, as well.
Mr Tux was wearing a smart black suit, which he had no doubt made himself. Golden Sheild and his wife Periwinkle had also shown up, but there was no sign of Morning Glory the flower filly.

Dragonsilver looked over at the silent ponies. They showed no sign of speaking, so it seemed that it was up to him. Dragonsilver stepped forwards and opened his mouth, when some movement in the gloomy sky caught his eye. A glint of gold.
'It's the Princess' carriage!' Silver's aunt exclaimed. The golden carriage was coming closer and closer, lower to the ground. It skimmed the canopy of the Everfree forest, tearing up the blackened leaves, and came to rest about fifty metres away from the funeral site.
'The Princess...?'

There was no question about it, the multicoloured flowing mane was unmistakable. Princess Celestia walked over to Dragonsilver, and spoke.
'I'm terribly sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting the processions?' she said.
'Of course not, and even if you were, there's nothing we can do about it,' said Dragonsilver bitterly. She laughed, despite the cicumstances, and Dragonsilver scowled at her.

It was her fault. All her fault.

'Well, if it's not too much trouble, may I join in?' the Princess asked.
'Amazingly enough, I'm not really comfortable-' Dragonsilver began, but he was interrupted.
'But of course! You are the number one most important pony in Equestria!' Silver's conniving aunt said, just a little too loudly. Dragonsilver scowled, remembering the way Silver had complained about her aunt, who was such a suck-up to important figures in society.

'Wait, AJ, you must have gotten it wrong!' said Rainbowdash. '"Silver had complained?" Don't tell me this is her funeral! What happened?'
'Rainbow, if you ain't gonna wait for the story, y'all can leave. Ah'll get to it.'
'Okay, okay. Touchy, much?'

Dragonsilver scowled, remembering the way Silver had complained about her aunt, who was such a suck-up to important figures in society. But he grudgingly allowed this unwelcome visitor. Perhaps Silver would forgive him, wherever she was now. They reconvened around the wooden coffin.
'May I say a few words?' asked Celestia.
'But of course,' said Silver's aunt, before Dragonsilver had a chance to deny her. They locked eyes and scowled at each other, not bothering to hide the hostility floating around. Silver's parents shuffled uncomfortably.

Celestia cleared her throat, her eyes flickered to Dragonsilver for a fraction of a second, and she spoke.
'Silver Buckle, honored element of honesty, hard worker, friend to us all. We gather here today to wish you well on your journey to the afterlife, and all that may come afterwards.' Dragonsilver felt his stomach clench. 'Your final moments were good ones. Had you still been alive, we would have awarded you a medal of integrity and bravery. As it is, we will be paying compensation to Dragonsilver, in the hope that it will appease you.'

In his mind, Dragonsilver recoiled in disgust. This wasn't what he expected at all. There was no apology from Celestia, not one heartfelt sentence. This was probably what she said at all the funerals she attended. The Princess backed away from the coffin. Several ponies looked at Dragonsilver. It was his turn to speak.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped towards the apple tree, and looked up at the sky, then down to the earth. 'Silver, I-' Dragonsilver choked. 'I-' No, it was too hard. After hearing Celestia's lack of empathy, all he wanted to do was weep. And so he did.
He cried, tears rolling down, feeling the ache in his heart and the hate for the alicorn who didn't care. He felt a hoof on his shoulder, and looked through swollen eyes at his comforter. It was Mr Tux, the element of generosity. Dragonsilver cleared his eyes, and looked down at the polished wood. He felt his horn glow with an aura of blue magic, and he let it all go. From him eminated a shockwave of emotional magic. As it passed through the other ponies they gasped, suddenly feeling the grief he was containing. Then there was a flash, and he teleported away.

Celestia looked guiltily around.

Inside his house, Dragonsilver had gotten his oldest saddle bag, the one he trusted the most to keep his things safe. He looked at it, perhaps for a second, perhaps for an entire ten minutes, and cast it aside. Walking to Silver's room, he retrieved one of her saddle bags and pressed it to his nose. Yes, it still smelt like her.
Dragonsilver, working slowly and methodically, went through the house and collected every spare bit he could find, putting them all into Silver's saddle bag. Ignoring whatever was happening outside, he packed the remainder of space in the saddle bags full of food, both fresh and that kind that keeps forever but doesn't taste as good.

One type he omitted, however, was everything that came from the Everfree forest. One of the things he and Silver had done for a living was collect edible plants from the Everfree, to sell and eat. The food reminded him of Silver, but the Everfree Forest reminded him of her death, something he relived often enough without assistance.

Dragonsilver startled, and realised that he hadn't moved for quite some time. How long had been standing there? Regaining his previous mindset, the red unicorn shook his head to clear his thoughts, and started out the front door. The funeral was over, but the guests were still there, talking among themselves. Celestia stood, patiently enduring Silver's Aunt's monotonous drivel. She probably had to put up with that kind of thing all the time in Canterlot.

She deserves it, thought Dragonsilver.

The blue front door shut behind him rather loudly, causing the guests to look up from their posts around Silver's apple tree. Various expressions greeted him. Sympathy from Golden Sheild, Periwinkle, and Silver's parents. A weird sort of manly concern from Mr Tux. Annoyance from Silver's aunt, and that terrible nonchalance from Celestia. Like she just didn't care.

But she spoke. 'Where are you going?'
Dragonsilver's eyes flicked to her. 'Anywhere away from you is fine with me.'
Celestia sighed, but made no attempt to stop him as he left his house, leaving the oaken gate swinging on it's hinges. He walked, for who knows how long. There were no paths to or from his house, so he wandered along open land, not stopping or looking back.

As night enveloped the Summer sky, Dragonsilver could see the faint lights of a city, far away across the mountains. It called to him. Perhaps there he would find the piece of his heart that had been lost. It was a windless and cloudless night, and Dragonsilver couldn't see any shelter within walking distance, so he settled down at the bottom of a small hill, using the mound as a wind break. He tried to nibble on some bread from the saddle bags, but the scarlet pony had no appetite to speak of, and reluctantly packed the food away again.

So he sat, and drifted, allowing his thoughts and feelings to finally consume him.

Dragonsilver had a major problem. Ursa major, to be exact. Earlier that day, on the edge of the Everfree Forest, Princess Celestia came for a visit, and certainly not a casual one.
An Ursa Major had been smashing it's way through the forest, and was headed on a course for their house. Now, according to all the laws of magic, it is impossible for one entity to have the power to banish an Ursa Major. Such was true, as even a large portion of the Royal Guard's unicorns could not hold it back with levitation.

'It wouldn't be a problem,' said Celestia to Silver and Dragonsilver, 'If it was out of our way. But it's not. The Ursa Major, if it continues on it's present course, will make it all the way to Hoofington in less than an hour. It's vital that we take care of the problem immediately.'
'What can we do?' asked Silver, with a voice of that, despite being afraid, sounded fiercly loyal. Celestia smiled down at the earth pony.
'I have a new spell in mind, but I will need the help of both of you. Are you willing?'
'Yes, of course,' they both said.

Dragonsilver woke with a start. It was morning, and the sun was rising in the sky. But, where was he? Oh yes, the hillside. Ohhh. It hit him, the same way it had every day since the day Silver died.
Silver was gone. The thing that had surprised Dragonsilver the most, was that it was more than just a feeling. It was a physical ache in his chest, he needed her so much, indescribably much. He fought back tears, not wanting to show weaknesses, even though there was nopony to see him.

Casting away the uneaten bread that had now gone stale, he headed for the city, seeking for liberation.