Problems of a Dead World

Chapter 23:Laid to Rest

Earl waited quietly at the corner of Twilight's room, his view glued to the floor. He hadn't fully accepted Shining's death at this point, nor had he prepared himself for the funeral. A single tear left his eye as the images of their friendship flashed into his mind, and landed with a tiny splash on the black fabric of his suit. The first time he'd ever seen him, their near-death experience in the now-lost Everfree forest. The times him, Shining, and Twilight spent time together, without a worry of death or danger. He shook his head ever so slightly and wiped a small wetness from his eye as Twilight quietly entered the room.

The sobbing grey unicorn looked up from his hoof and to Twilight. Her appearance was less ragged than earlier, now wearing a black, silky dress for the days events, along with a straightened mane and clean face. After clearing his throat, Earl slowly stepped towards her.

"Are you ready?" he asked almost inaudibly.

Twilight hesitated for a moment, but nodded slightly.

With a sigh, Earl wrapped a foreleg around the back of Twilight's neck and gently pulled her closer.

"I'll be there with you every step of the way." he said, keeping the same amount of volume.

The purple mare returned the embrace for a few seconds, then gently pushed him away and forced a slight smile.

"Thank you." she said.

As the two approached the door to exit Twilight's Quarters, small voices echoed in Earl's ears again.

They want to kill her...

He shook his head quickly to dispel the thought as Twilight opened the door to leave, and followed her out.

* * *

The two unicorns walked wordlessly through the hallways of Canterlot Castle, eventually reaching the royal ball room, where the memorial service was being held. As Earl entered the room, he noticed nearly a hundred ponies lining the walls and the main floor of the massive room, all dressed in black and chatting quietly. He followed close beside Twilight as the two made their way through various groups of ponies, most of them being other friends or acquaintances of Shining Armor. Twilight hardly knew her brother's friends, but she had spotted two particular ponies on the other side of the room. Earl was cut off in his examination of the room by Twilight's hoof pressing against his chest. The grey unicorn stopped immediately and looked down to the purple unicorn.

"I'm going to go talk to my parents." she said quietly, pointing to a white unicorn and a blue unicorn halfway across the room.

Earl nodded in response.

"I'll be here." he said.

The purple mare nodded and walked off in the direction of the two unicorns, leaving Earl alone in the middle of the ballroom. Awkward nerves quickly gnawed at the grey unicorn for a moment as he was left by himself. The nerves were quickly silenced as Earl scanned the room and found a familiar pink alicorn, just a few feet away. Without hesitation, he made his way to her, only stopping momentarily to excuse himself for walking through a group of ponies. Princess Cadence smiled as he came into her view.

"Earl, it's good to see you." she said.

The grey unicorn smiled and extended his forelegs to hug the princess. The pink alicorn returned the embrace for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Thank you for coming, it means a lot." she said solemnly.

"I wouldn't miss it, Cadence." Earl replied.

Princess Cadence nodded in response and turned to greet two other ponies as they approached her. As she turned, Earl noticed a small colt standing just beside her. His coat was a bright white, just like Shining's, and his mane reflected the colors of both Shining Armor's and Princess Cadence's. A two-toned blue ran through his hair, split down the middle by a yellow strand, and a small white horn. Earl smiled brightly upon seeing the colt.

"Stars?" he said, causing the small unicorn to snap it's head upwards.

The colt smiled and threw himself forward at Earl.

"Uncle Earl!" he said, his voice squeaking slightly.

The grey unicorn stumbled backwards slightly and threw a hoof around the white unicorn.

"How 'ya been, kid?" Earl said with a smile.

The white colt pulled away and looked to the floor slightly, giving no response.

"Hey." Earl said simply, placing a hoof under the colt's chin.

Stars obliged and moved his head upwards, as Earl fell to his knees, eye-level with the colt in front of him.

"He's not gone... Alright? They're never gone." he said in a caring tone.

The colt continued to frown.

"He'll always be right here." Earl continued, lightly prodding Stars's chest with his hoof.

Stars smiled slightly and nodded.

"Stay strong. Just like he always said."

The colt nodded once more.

"Thanks..." he said quietly.

Earl took the hoof from under the small unicorn's chin and rustled Stars's hair slightly, causing the unicorn to chuckle lightly and pull his head away.

"No problem... You ever need anything, you let me know, alright?"

The colt nodded once more and used a hoof to straighten his mane.

"If everypony could please listen up," Cadence said over the dull roar of the ponies in the room.

The room quickly fell silent as Earl looked up to the princess, along with Stars.

"We're about to start the final ceremony, out in the garden." she continued, the slightest hint of sadness fluttering in her voice.

As ponies began filing out of the ball room, Earl looked to Stars and cocked his head in the direction of the garden. Him, Cadence, and Stars began making their way out of the quickly-emptying ballroom, eventually meeting up with Twilight and her parents. The purple mare moved closer to Earl and leaned in next to his ear.

"Have you seen Spike?" she asked quietly.

Earl shook his head.

"I haven't seen him in a while, did he say he was coming?" he replied.

Twilight nodded quietly as she looked to the ballroom floor.

"Yeah... He did." she said.

The grey unicorn sighed as the group of ponies made their way into the garden, still trotting closely to his mare.

"He'll be here... Little guy wouldn't miss this." Earl said, shifting his direction to avoid a patch of flowers.

Twilight gave no response, just closed her eyes and inhaled the cool air from outside. The sky was a grey overcast, almost perfectly fitting the dreary mood of the day. Adding to the situation, the absence of sunlight had caused the appearance of the once colorful garden to seem grey and depressing.

As Earl and the group made their way to the middle of the garden, a group of guards followed slowly behind, each one poised underneath the four corners a large, fine-wooden casket. Twilight cringed quietly as the grave that had been created for Shining Armor came into view, and continued to the side of it with Earl, her eyes held shut. The grey unicorn shifted his view over the unicorn's back and noticed her parents. Twilight's father was holding her mother tightly against his chest as she sobbed vigorously, the casket nearing it's grave. As preparations for the final ceremony began, Celestia made her way through the crowd around the grave and took her place just in front of a headstone reading Shining's name. The regal princess cleared her throat and looked to the guards carrying Shining's casket. With a nod from Princess Celestia, the four guards slowly levitated the casket into the air and awaited further instructions.

"Today... We send an honorable, dependable, and charitable stallion to his final resting place..." Princess Celestia said, her voice regal, but still carrying a hint of sadness.

Earl closed his eyes and exhaled quietly as the words rang in his ears.

Honorable

Dependable

Charitable

"He was not only the greatest guard the city of Canterlot could have asked for... But he was also a cherished son... Loving father... And an caring brother..." Celestia continued.

Cherished son

Loving father

Caring brother

Earl opened his eyes momentarily as the familiar feeling of tears swelled in his eyes. He quickly noticed Twilight, a grimace present on her face as tears rolled gently down her cheeks.

"Let us mourn his passing, but also cherish the fact that he lived, and served the city of Canterlot with honor and dependability."

Slowly, the casket began to descend into the grave, surrounded by a golden glow. Cadence swallowed hard as she watched the fine-wooden casket fall into it's grave, and placed her hoof around Shining Stars's shoulder. The colt sobbed quietly and brought his own hoof upwards to meet his mother's, who took and squeezed it firmly.

"Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard...." Celestia said, lifting her chin slightly as the casket entered it's grave.

Twilight's eyes danced under her lids as she struggled to keep from bursting into a fit of sobbing. She wanted nothing more to stay strong for Shining. The casket finally reached the bottom of the deep grave, in sync with a shower of dirt covering the surface.

"Thank you for your service... Everything you've done for your family, for Canterlot... For me... May you rest in eternal peace." Celestia said, as soil continued pouring over the edges of the grave and onto Shining Armor's casket.

Twilight quietly exhaled and hung her head as her mother and father quickly placed a hoof on both of her shoulders and brought her close. Earl watched silently as the rest of the dirt filled in the cracks, and eventually reached a level point with the lawn of the garden.

"Shine on... You crazy diamond..." Earl said quietly.

* * *