The sun was shining.
Applejack hated that.
She frowned as she gazed around the room with her green eyes. Ponies dressed in black talked amoungst each other, some teary eyed, and some not. Applejack pulled her gaze away from the crowd to look at the ponies next to her. Princess Celestia's lip quivered, although she tried to remain regal looking. Beside her, Luna rested a wing on her back. Fluttershy and Rarity were hugging, tears ruining their makeup. Pinkie Pie was sitting, seemingly staring off into nothing. At least her mane wasn't flat yet. And Rainbow.
Oh Rainbow.
She was sitting in the corner, head bowed. She shook as sobs racked her body, and a few whimpers came out. Her lover was gone. Dead. Applejack felt sorry for her. She thought about going over there. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her hoof.
Scootaloo traced the ground with her hoof.
"I uh...noticed you looking at her."
"Uh-uh." Applejack said, unimpressed by the statement.
"She yelled at me when I tried to go over...just letting you know..."
"Uh-uh." Applejack said again.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Scootaloo scratched the back of her head.
"Thanks." Applejack said, monotone.
"Well uh...see you later..I guess." Scootaloo backed away as Applejack went back to her observing. Princess Cadence had arrived with Shining Armour, both held each other close. Applejack stuck her hoof into the pocket of her dress, hearing the crinkling of paper. She pulled it out, reading it over one last time. Each of them would be making a speech, but Applejack was going last. She had insisted on Princess Celestia going last, but it was decided that she was to open the speeches. Everpony, even Fluttershy, was making a speech. Applejack's eyes snapped to the podium, where Princess Celestia was tapping the microphone with her wing to get everypony's attention.
"Good evening, my faithful subjects. I just...wanted to thank..you all....for...for.." She broke down, sobbing. Luna galloped onto the stage, hugging her close. She levitated the mic to her using magic.
"I'm sorry everypony. This is hard on all of us. Twilight Sparkle was family to many, friend to all. My sister was supposed to begin the speeches, but it seems this is just too much for her to take. With that, we will move on to our first speaker, Miss Rarity." Luna said, all while cradling a crying Celestia in her arms. Rarity slowly made her way to the stage.
"Hello all. Thank you for attending. Now before I start my speech, I just want to remind you all that she would want us to remember her life, and to not dwindle on her death. Futhermore..."
Applejack turned off her ears. She watched without hearing as Rarity's mouth moved. How tears slithered their way up into her eyes. Her head turned towards her sister. Apple Bloom was looking at Rarity, tears already trailing down her face. As if she could feel the stare of Applejack, Apple Bloom turned. Her lips moved. Applejack's ears jolted back to life.
"Huh?" She said.
"I said...Applejack, why aren't you crying?" Apple Bloom asked, wiping away tears.
"I.." Applejack searched for the answer, mouth agape. Before Apple Bloom could pry anymore, Rarity's speech ended. Ponies clapped their hooves together. Rarity smiled, levitating a tissue up to her face. She made her way off the stage, tapping Fluttershy with her hoof as the two passed. Fluttershy was an absolute wreck, shaking, crying, and squeaking.
"T-Twilight was...and still i-is...one of the greatest ponies I...we've....ever known..." She began. Once more, Applejack shut down. It wasn't like she didn't want to honor Twilight's life, its just that she hated funerals. She didn't understand why ponies felt the need to keep bringing up the past when they can no longer create futures. Ever since she was a little filly at her parents funeral, she never understood it.
"...to me, Applejack..."
Applejack's ear twitched as she heard her name. She looked up at Fluttershy. She seemed to be doing better, the squeaking was getting less and she appeared slightly more calmer. Her speech came to an end, and then it was Rainbow Dash's turn. She didn't fly up to the stage like Applejack had expected. Instead, she trudged to it, as if each hoof had a weight on the end of it. After what seemed like years, she finally made it. She took a deep breath.
"I never thought I would be able to see what perfection looked like. Now, i'll never get to look at it again." She began. Applejack listened for a few moments before hitting the off switch in her mind. She didn't turn it back on when the speech ended. Not for Pinkie Pie, not for Spike. Not even for Princess Cadence. Until Apple Bloom nudged her. With a flick of a switch, she turned herself back on.
"Its your turn." Apple Bloom whispered. Applejack nodded, getting up from her seat. She made her way to the stage as if she was just taking a stroll through town. Once she was up there, she took out the crumpled piece of paper. Applejack took a breath, about to read from it, before she took it and crumpled it completely.
"Applejack, why aren't you crying?" She began.
"A few speeches ago, my little sister, Apple Bloom, asked me that. I didn't have an answer at that time. I think I do now." She looked down before continuing.
"I'm not crying because, well, i'm not sad. Everypony is here, talking about her life, the memories she made, the friends she had. Everypony is talking about her as if she was gone. Well, she's not. Everypony comes into our lives for a reason. Whether it be to show us the truth, or to help us through tough times. And every single one of them, makes a hoofprint. No matter how big, or how small, that hoofprint stays with you. Forever. That pony that touched your life, has left their mark on you. And i'm not talking about the cutie kind. Those hoofprints will never be erased, and neither will Twilight's. She will live on in the hoofprints that she's made, and nopony will ever fill those, because they were hers, and hers alone." Applejack finished. The room was silent.
The pegasi began to move the clouds in for the upcoming rainstorm.
Applejack liked that.
