Across the Rainbow Bridge
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In Memorium

Across the Rainbow Bridge

Dark clouds loomed over the village of Perilous Peaks. Being in the dead of winter, there were snow showers in the forecast, but the ominous clouds blocking out the sun like a well-trained guard also fit the mood. No music was heard, no games were being held, and a solemn tone had the village in its firm grip. In the middle of town, set upon a bed of flowers, was an ornate casket made of the finest mahogany and trimmed with gold. Seated in the front row was the most heartbroken one of the group, his coat matted from dried tears as he leaned on Autumn Blaze for support.

“I hope that she'll be here,” The stallion said, looking from the casket and back towards the entrance of the village. “She promised that she would be, especially after all that she did to help me when his health took a turn for the worse.”

“She will be,” Autumn said, giving the stallion a clean tissue as he continued to sob. “She is our friend remember? She told us that she and her friends will be here, and barring a natural disaster they will be here Strato.”

“True,” Strato said, using the tissue to clean his face a little, but tears still threatened to once again flow. “I knew this day would eventually come, but now that it is here…”

“You are having trouble coping.” A soft, timid voice said, causing Strato to spin in his seat. Fluttershy said, as she and the rest of her friends made their way towards the procession. Each was wearing the same, all black attire and even Rarity had chosen the forego sprucing up her dress. “It is a common reaction, even I had to deal with it after the first few animals passed away in my care. However, I managed to learn how to deal with it and move on, for I saw it as they were no longer suffering and had a fruitful life.”

“Now that our guests of honor have arrived, we can begin.” Rain Shine said, moving to the podium and bringing the crowd to silence. “Friends and guests, we are gathered here today to remember the life of our most beloved villager. Before we begin, I would like to thank the Guardians of Harmony for coming and for donating the casket you see before you. Let's give them a warm round of applause as Fluttershy comes up to say her words.”

Everyone in attendance clapped their hooves together as Fluttershy made her way up to the podium. The timid pegasus had a strange resolve that her friends could not figure out, for she was not showing any signs of nervousness as she cleared her throat.

“Thank you, everyone,” Fluttershy said, the applause dying down as she spoke. “I did not know Ram as well as you all did, but in the short time that I did know him, he told me a lot.
He told me of the many beasts he conquered, how much protecting his home meant to him, and all the minor adventures he did on a daily basis when he still had the energy to roam freely. My primary job is to take care of my animal friends, and I saw the signs that he clearly was suffering, so I approached both Strato and Ram about ending the pain. It took a bit of work, but after Strato agreed I went to my zebra friend Zeroca, who also sends her condolences. I will now turn the podium over to Strato, and thank you all for allowing me and my friends to be here.”

A gentle applause spread through the crowd, just loud enough to get the point across without frightening Fluttershy. The moment she took her seat, and Strato reached the podium, the crowd fell silent once more.

“Where to begin,” Strato said, a sad smile forming on his face. “There are so many great things that he has done over the years, and I firmly believe that he has a special place in all our hearts. You know, I still remember when he was young, that little red ninja always darting and hiding. Can't tell you how many times I would get home from school and he would strike down from above, leaping from the doorframe and pouncing me. I've got several scars on my scales as proof, and I'm sure the rest of you do as well.”

“I know I do...” Autumn Blaze said, glancing to the few, tiny scars that dotted her back plate as she was shushed into silence.

“Anyway,” Strato said, all eyes falling on him once again as he continued his speech. “He may have been young at the time, but those skills proved to be his greatest asset, knowledge like a sage far beyond his years helped him perfect his art. Unfortunately, we all know what happened that day when a runaway apple cart caught his back leg, and he was never the same after that. His spirit, however, never wavered, and as he got older he used his weakness as his greatest strength. He passed away undefeated, every foe that faced him running off in pure fear.

Then one day, everything changed. He grew very sick, and very weak, in just a few months time. Wind Rider diagnosed him with cancer and only gave him days to live. Ram refused to accept it, fighting it every day for 4 long years until he couldn't take it any longer and passed away peacefully in my hooves. He was my best friend, and I will miss him, but he suffers no more…”

Strato returned then returned to his seat, and one by one the other villagers came up to the podium to tell their favorite story. A few of the elders reflected on Ram's youthful ambition, loving to stay outside and acting as a daily patrol, guarding his home. Of course, the most common tale was of Ram chasing off a Timberwolf due to wanting the wooden skin as a scratching post, and by the coffin, the piece that broke off remained as a testament to his courage. Ram had made the point clear that day, it was his village, and nothing was going to harm it as long as he had a say so in the matter.

The younger adults, who were around Strato's age, were the next group to speak. Their stories were different, remembering what it was like to play with Ram during their foalhood and feeding him treats as a gesture of thanks. One young mare, named Split Flow, went from early reflecting on her experiences to bitterly weeping with her forehooves around the casket. It took both Strato and Fluttershy to coax her back to her seat, with Fluttershy staying with her for moral support.

“And with that, the time has come for us to move to the final destination.” Rain Shine said, the others standing as she placed the casket on her back and started to head towards a rough looking trail at the edge of town. “To our guests, I ask the place we are going to be kept secret. All who have taken the vow of silence are free to come as they wish whenever one of their companions pass on, do you take this vow?”

One by one, Fluttershy and her friends took the vow as they advanced through the woods. The low hanging branches acted like guards, only rising when Rain Shine moved passed them and lowering once again when the last villager went underneath it. It was clear to the ponies that this trial was sacred to their kirin friends, and that was only made more profound as the path began to widen.

“Where exactly are we heading?” Rainbow asked, her pegasi instincts indicating they were now at a higher altitude than Mount Canter, the trees around them beginning to thin. “It looks like we are heading for the cloud layer above us.”

“That's because we are,” Rain Shine said, a sad smile crossing her face. “Welcome to the Prism Fields.”

After briefly being blinded by going through the clouds, the ponies’ eyes widened at what they saw. The clouds that now supported them had every hue possible, flowing and blending through the light prism as Celestia's sun shined down on them. The biggest surprise, however, was the thousands upon thousands of tombstones jutting out the top of the cloud base around them. Each bore the name of a pet, the nameplate made of the purest gold, and showed their birthday and death date as well as what kind of animal they were.

“What in the…” Rainbow said, but her sentence was cut short as the Kirin began to harmonically hum. The hum grew louder, flowing over the land and causing the cloud hues to brighten and the air to twinkle. Soon, a full chorus arose, and Rain Shine began to sing.