Funeral for a friend.

Chapter fifteenth.

Funeral for a friend.

The church bells rang out there dull monotones and there soft chimes. but, this did little to sway the feelings of sadness that was on the faces of the four friends gathered in the churchyard to pay their final respects to a fallen friend. A metal silver coffin lay very tenderly placed onto the ground next to it was a pile of freshly dug dirt. On the coffin was engraved a sun and the words.

“sunset shimmer”.

Sunset had given her life and more to save this world and them from a monster that was prophesied to come forth and wipe them out. This was something that she was not going to allow and thus paid with her life for standing in the way of this monster. Of all the friends to show up at her funeral Fluttershy was the only one not to show. Rarity and AppleJack both tried to call her. Pinkie Pie and Twilight had tried her at her house. It was all in vain though. she did not answer her phone when it rang and she did not come to her door when there was a soft knock on it. The friends had all gathered at the church just outside of Canterlot city. It was a dull charcoal grey colored morning the air was cold and misty as each of them took their seats. One seat was left abandoned and empty. As much as they wanted Fluttershy to be there many of them knew why she would not show. This was far too hard on her and she was to upset by the past events to allow herself to be seen in public. As the priest gave his words the friends all in turn remembered the love they had for Sunset and the good times they all shared with her. when he had finished he asked if anyone would like to say a few words.

"Would any one like to say something?" Asked the priest as he closed his bible and stepped away from the coffin and podium.

“Yes I would like to say some words” Twilight spoke up.

Twilight was the first to step up in front of the small group. Her glasses were wet from crying and her face looked a mess from the tears that had fallen down her purple cheeks.

“I didn’t know sunset very long but, from what I was able to put together she was a good friend to us all. She taught me the true meaning of friendship and I swear to you all here and now I WILL follow her teachings as best as I can.” Twilight said before returning to her seat.

Twilight returned to her seat and buried her face into her hands sobbing. Her friend, her teacher, her mentor; was gone and she wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock and disappear from the world. Sunset had taken her in when anyone else; would have turned the girl away after what she did at the end of the Friendship Games. Sunset was the only one to actually want to spend time with her. Applejack was up next looking at the coffin then back at the crowed she couldn’t bare it any longer the coffin was empty. Nothing was inside to give her or the others closer. Without a word she slowly walked over to it and proceeded to open the coffin while on the verge of sobbing placed her hat into it. Then returned to face her friends and said still  on the verge of sobbing.

“I will always remember the times when Sunset came over to help with planting and weeding a chore that even I don’t like doing. But, one that she seemed to thoroughly enjoy. She always had this darned quirky smile on her face whenever she did that sort of work.”

Applejack had placed her hat into the coffin because she wanted to show her friends that she was willing to give up something that was precious to her in order to move past this tragic event. She took her seat after that and like Twilight she could not hold in her tears. She buried her face into her hands and sobbed. praying, and wishing this was all just a really bad dream yet in her heart she knew this was no dream.

Sunset was gone there was nothing anyone could do to bring her back. Although the demon Tearagon had been killed by Sunset that act coast her, her life. Now her friends were left to pick up the shattered pieces of their hearts and their school. Pinkie Pie went next but, as she stood there looking out at the friends who had come to pay their respects for Sunset. She found that she was for once in her life unable to actually say anything. She lowered her head and simply went back to her seat almost falling over as she sat down to cry. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder and she was brought into the very tight loving embrace of Principal Celestia. Rarity came up to speak as she looked out into the small crowed she could feel the warmth and love that she too had for Sunset within the eyes of her friends.

“I will always recall the times when Sunset would baby sit for me. Yes I admit I love my little sister very much. But, there were times when she well got on my nerves. I was always so very grateful when Sunset would offer to babysit her and her friends for me. That is something I will always cherish.”

Rarity's friends weren’t sure how to actually take that statement. But, they let it go on the count that they were themselves were all to hurt to care about Rarity being a bit selfish. Luna was the last person to say anything as she got up to say her words she too placed something inside the coffin. She turned to the others and spoke to them softly.

“Sunset is gone I know that we will all of us, every single one of us, myself included shall and will miss her terribly. Lets each of us place something of ourselves into her coffin. So we can all have some sort of closer for this grievous act vested upon each of us."

With those words spoken, each of the friends that Sunset had once called 'family' all rose up. And in a single file stopped by her coffin each placing an item into it. Pinkie placed a worn out photo of her and Sunset at the beach having a beach party. Rarity placed a ring that Sunset had gotten her for her birthday. Applejack had already placed her hat into the coffin as she walked up to it she said sobbing.

“I will miss you my friend” Applejack having said those words slowly returned to her seat.

Twilight placed a photo of her and Sunset together at the local library. Rainbow Dash was the only one who didn’t go up or place anything into the coffin. She was too upset to even stand let alone to actually put anything of hers into the silver coffin. Rainbow looked up seeing that they had now started to lower the coffin into the grave she sobbed. Applejack looked up while sobbing saw Just as the priest picked up a small handful of dirt to throw onto her coffin. But, before Applejack could say anything Rainbow called out.

“Wait that is something that we her friends should do.”

With that she walked up to the coffin and pulling out from underneath her shirt she placed a small wallet sized guitar pick into the coffin. She then nodded her head to the men that were lowering her coffin into the ground. Rainbow picked up some dirt from the pile once the coffin was in the grave safely. She then gently tossed the dirt in her hand onto her coffin. The others followed her in the same gesture lastly to do so was the priest saying as he tossed the dirt over the metal coffin.

"May she rest in peace in the grace of god and the kingdom of heaven."

The rest of the day was spent at a local coffee shop. All of the five friends gathered around a small table. Each telling her own story about sunset and the love they had for her. Everyone was there but, Fluttershy. Rainbow tried again and again to call her yet no answer came from her phone. She looked at her friends each in turn and they all simply nodded to her. Rainbow got up from the table while wiping some tears from her eyes as she left each of them to go to Fluttershy's house and check up on her. If nothing else to make sure she was going to be OK.

Thinking to herself as she walked outside into the cool autumn air. "I hope Fluttershy will be alright, she should be here with us."

Leaving the coffee shop she headed west then up a small street and down and a small dirt road. Until she came to a small yet really nice looking house. As she got closer to the front door she noticed that the door was slightly opened. So she just let herself in this was a bit out of character for her. Yet she was to worried about Fluttershy to care about manners. After what Fluttershy had told her the day that sunset had died she had to make sure, absolutely sure, that nothing bad had happened to Fluttershy. She had already gone to one funeral she sure as hell was NOT about to attend another one. She thought to her self as she entered Fluttershy's home.