"I'm a janitor."
Twilight closed her eyes and leaned back, smiling as she surrendered her fate. "So you are."
Sweetie brought the wiper up. She felt Twilight's hoof tightened around her shoulders, firm and encouraging.
"So you are."
Sweetie brought the wiper down, wiping away Twilight "Lucid" Sparkle from existence.
The dark clouds loomed above, obscuring the sun from view. Water poured as pegasi of the weather team let loose a gentle rain, by order of the crown. The usual birds gave way to crows, circling above the neat rows of concrete slabs. Down on the ground, accompanying the stones, was the mud-covered ground where many had stood, now left behind was only their footprints, horseshoes mingling with human shoes.
"Come on, Sweetie, it's getting late."
"I'll meet you at the store, Albert."
"Sweetie..."
"Let her be, Ms. Melody. We'll wait for her at the store."
The lonely blocks of carefully-carved minerals stood morbidly against the usually cheery landscape. Flowers of many shapes and sizes littered a pair of such rocks, devoid of cracks their brethren held; free of grass growing from the others' sides. Upon one of the tombstones was emblazoned a red-orange sun, solemnly reminding the living of the dead underneath. Below the mark, an inscription lay, boldly announcing the greatest achievement of the once great ruler:
Here lies
Sunset Shimmer
A Happy Nobody
A pair of glasses stood below the memorial, quietly observing the white filly standing in front of it. It saw the eyes looking down at the ground it stood upon, knowing with certainty that the hollow look was superficial; the determination burning inside was alight, new and young, bright and strong.
Feathers brushed against the young janitor's fur, perfectly recreating the sensation she had known so well. Sweetie closed her eyes and dipped her head, letting Twilight close their distance and embrace her in a wing-hug.
"You did the right thing."
"I did."
"Want me to walk you back home?"
The tombstone behind the pair bore visibly fewer flowers than the one in front. A six-pointed star emblazoned the slab without a cadaver to befriend, put too far to one side where the ground beneath was empty: per request of the Princess of Friendship, where she would sleep once time desire. The inscription said nothing but a name and title, Lucid Sparkle, Everycrafter by will and testament of the mare herself.
"She knew I'd do it, didn't she?"
"She's certainly prepared for it."
"You knew, too?"
"We've both prepared."
A black umbrella bloomed above the green cap, repelling away droplets of water and ensuring the curls of her mane to remain. More and more of the land soon soaked, unable to quaff the abundant drink the sky offered. A drop of sadness joined the mourning grounds, the remaining river held strong by a dam accompanying the fire behind her eyes.
"I'm ready to leave."
"Where?"
The stone-engraved six-pointed star stared at the eyes suddenly landing on it, cold and calculating as the deceased devil always did. As the eyes kept their gaze, the cold melted away and drained by the rain, the fire looking at it too powerful and the smile too sweet. There never was a devil; just a figure longing for a friend.
"Where she would."
"Where would she?"
Those lavender eyes were too perfect a copy, yet all it brought was joy and steadfastness. "Not where I'm going to."
Her curls wet and limp, Sweetie walked away from the tombstones. The umbrella walked slowly behind, guarding the princess underneath.
"Come on, don't you want to come?"
"You want me to join you?"
"I won't have it any other way."
Laughter jingled across the solemn graveyard. Under the mourning sky, joy and friendship blossomed notwithstanding.