//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11: A Time To Say Goodbye 
// Story: A Hero's Story 
// by TheBlackPanda 
//------------------------------//

	A few days after, we decided to have a funeral service for Kaitlin. I wore a black suit. Darkside wore his normal clothes. We sat for a while, listening to the princesses talk. Finally, they asked people to stand and say a few words. A lot of people got up to say a few words. Some gave condolences. Others gave speeches. What surprised me was when Rainbow went up there.

"Being here," She started, obviously cutting her ego down for this one occasion, "I begin to wonder what could have been different. I feel sometimes, that maybe, if I were a better person to her from the start, she wouldn't have made the choice that she had, and she would be alive right now. I feel really bad about it. I'm sorry..." Rainbow got up from the podium and walked off, obviously done.

Darkside went next, "I've known her forever. I raised her ever since she was a child. I did everything I could. And now to see this, it kills me inside a little. She was my baby sister, and just like that, she was gone. She's never going to be able to enjoy the perks of adult hood now. Maybe I was too hard. Maybe I wasn't hard enough. I just wish..." His voice began to break, "I wish that I could have pulled her aside. I wish that I could have reminded her that I loved her. We only had each other for so long. And now it's... It's..." He burst into tears. He was left in pieces over the whole thing. Fluttershy went up to comfort him. She got him seated. (Imagine a sweet girl like Fluttershy, comforting a crying, 20 year old black guy. Weird shit.)

I was next. I went up. I stood at the podium, gripping it, unsure of what to say. I got my words together, "Kaitlin. She was an amazing person. Even though she was often hardheaded, or she had a quick temper, I always found myself liking her. I loved her company. She was funny, and even nice. She was my best friend in the whole world. And now, this kills me inside to see how far we've come, from stopping crime, to saving dimensions, and yet she's lying here as one of the few noticed causalities of this. She meant so much to me. There was a time when I loved her more than the world itself, and would give the world to be with her forever. And now, she's lying here, dead. I'm broken down inside. And I miss her." I walked off.  

Sitting down next to Rainbow, I wiped a tear from my eye secretly. Finally, the princesses gave each of us a sunflower, which was her favorite flower, to us to place in the coffin. Me and Darkside were last. After he sat down, I went up. I planned to play it cool, walk up there, say something to her quietly, put the flower in, and sit down before the atmosphere caused me to break. That plan never works. I went up to put the flower in. Looking into the coffin, I felt compelled to at least reach out and touch her hair. I felt like this could wake her up. Maybe she was in a coma and my touch would knock her out of it. I touched it, and the sensation brought a wave of emotions and memories. Good times, they were gone. The finality hit me in the chest like a hammer. I fell to my knees crying. "I'm so sorry... I wasn't there when you needed me... I'm just, so sorry..." I cried a little more. I felt warm arms pull me close to someone. I smelled the familiar candy scent of Rainbow's perfume. I cried on her shoulder for a few more minutes. When I stood up, I looked at everyone, and I told them, "Thank you, even if you didn't know her. Thanks for coming everyone. That means a lot to me..." I watched them go. 

"Well, time to end this whole deal..." Darkside said, crestfallen. I nodded in agreement.

We closed the coffin, and picked it up. When we finally got to the shore aside Canterlot, we set it down. I opened the coffin to say one more thing.

"I can't believe this. You were my best friend. After all the things we went through, from breaking drumsets in jazz band, to fighting demons in the house at midnight, here it ends. It really was fun. Goodbye, Kaitlin. I love you." I leaned down and kissed her forehead. 

I summoned her sword, which had moved on to me with her powers. I placed it inside the coffin, and laced her fingers over it. I felt tears come out of my eyes, but I remained silent. Finally, I closed the coffin. I picked it up and placed it in a boat provided by my mother. I set the whole thing on fire, and pushed it out to sea.

It was over.