The Red Sun Rises: Homefront

by The Atlantean

39. Joint Funeral

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight Sparkle rose to meet her former mentor, even in the half-starved state she was in.

“My prize pupil.” Celestia looked around until her gaze rested on Luna. “Sister!”

“Yes, Tia, it is me. I am back from the dead.”

The reunion took place just outside the castle. All around them, smoke billowed from flames still burning brightly in the early evening. They were soon joined by the Americans Admiral Robinson and Commander Amber Hamilton; Atlanteans Special Ops Captain Hummingbird Sweetnectar and Commander Haybale; and the Equestrians Major Midnight Shadow, Colonel Flintstone, Major Crystal Snow, and Lieutenant Silver Comet. Everypony but Crystal Snow and Silver Comet had come from the surrounding city, whereas the two had reached the castle first and therefore walked out of it.

“Where is Queen Atlanta?” Celestia asked the two Atlanteans.

“She’s gone, Princess.” Hummingbird replied after an uncomfortable silence. “Lost during the battle for Dragonspire.” Her head bowed low; her ears drooped. Haybale nodded agreement.

Lieutenant Nightfall, acting commander of the Second Coastal Regiment, walked from the direction of the library, which had somehow miraculously survived the entire battle without so much as a scratch. He was followed by forty-three Atlanteans and fifteen alicorns. Noticing the Unicorn Bear Trap, the sole survivor of Crimson’s five-pony troop, standing alone, he broke into a gallop and slammed into the pony’s side. “Thank Harmony! I feared the worst!”

“Brother, we lost him.”

The rest of the 2nd Coastal caught up. They were just as confused as Nightfall to hear the generic sentence for a few seconds. Then it clicked. “No… Not the Colonel… Not him…” Nightfall stuttered. “He can’t be gone, can he?”

“’Fraid so, sir. His kid had his locket. He was on the ground not breathing. Lieutenant Comet confirmed it.”

“Crystal Shard lost her coltfriend and now her own brother. I don’t know how she’ll react to the news. And the Colonel’s parents… I don’t know. May he rest in peace.” Nightfall said. The other remaining ponies in the regiment bow their heads.

“What do you think Rose’ll do?”

“She’s dead. Has been for seven years.”

“No, actually, she’s coming up behind you.” Bear Trap pointed.

Nightfall turned. “Oh, no. It can’t be! We saw… He saw… What?”

Rose Thorn walked to them in her usual graceful gait. Her eyes continually scanned the group for Crimson until she saw Andromeda come down the stairs to the forty-odd ponies in uniform. Noticing Hummingbird, she saluted and asked one simple yet horribly complicated question: “Where’s Crimson?”

Hummingbird looked to Haybale, who turned to Nightfall, to Bear Trap, and the line continued on throughout the regiment. That was all the field nurse needed. “He’s gone, isn’t he?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Celestia watched the proceedings curiously. She stole a glance at her student, whose face told it all. The mood quickly spread to Midnight, Flintstone, Robinson, and Amber. They all lowered their heads for the lost stallion. The proper services would be done in due time; for now, they had to clean up.

-----------------

Three months later. Marelington National Cemetery, 1 mile east of the Atlantean capital city Nautinia.

More three thousand ponies came to the cemetery for the occasion. The crowd consisted of the entire Summercrest population, the remnants of the 2nd Coastal, Special Operations, and three delegations: Equestrian, Dominion, and American. Celestia, Cadence, Midnight Shadow, Crystal Snow, and Silver Comet represented Equestria; Robinson and Amber for the Americans; and King Flawless Ice’s young ten-year old son stood for the Dominion. As for the Atlanteans, Crimson’s family and the infamous Sarge were there.

Out at sea sailed the American fleet surrounded by Atlantean ships of the line, all poised to fire their salutes. The battleship Pennsylvania had been repaired enough to make the trip, and the sunken frigate Klakring was hoisted out of Manehattan harbor and made seaworthy in record time. The carrier Reagan had no guns to shoot, so they borrowed some from Atlantis again. Also with the American vessels the WWII heavy cruiser Indianapolis, finally rebuilt after almost twenty years of hard work and refurbishing in the Summercrest Shipyards, floated in the low waves, her fuel bunkers full and her lost crew replaced by some from Pennsylvania. A Dominion fleet anchored offshore as well, being the transport for their lost king’s son. In its own section, Equestria’s ironclad vessels Stardust, Strawberry Sunrise, and Dazzleflash, along with the wooden Marine transports, drifted nearby.

The tattered flag of the 2nd Coastal Regiment flew at half-staff. Beside it, on other flagpoles, the Atlantean, Equestrian, Dominion, and American flags did the same.

The body of Crimson Dawn, with an anti-deterioration spell cast on it, was carried to the six-foot-deep rectangular hole farther east in a simple coffin. The upper half of his body, face-up, was still visible to the open air and his family. His younger sister, Crystal Shard, disregarded her crippling spinal injury and struggled to stand out of her wheelchair, supported by their mother. She shakily saluted her brother with a half-responsive right leg as he was carried by.

Atlanta’s body, also with an anti-deterioration spell, was carried in the same somber fashion as Crimson. Her ocean-blue coat still glowed radiantly like the cloudless sky. The glorious golden crown that once sat atop her head, now lain across her chest, reflected the light from Celestia’s Sun softly, dust from the queen’s final battle left untouched. The eyes of both were shut.

Robinson snapped a sharp salute to both as they passed by him. Amber did likewise. Behind them, an ensign in full dress uniform played ‘Taps’ as the two were lain down in the burial sites.

A single American had been given permission to record the day on camera by the ponies and his fellow crewmen for remembrance. He used not his cell phone but a news camera found in Reagan’s hold for some odd reason. He never actually let the focus see the two out of respect, since he was to record the moment and not anything else. But he trained the camera out to sea to watch the combined navies. As everyone and everypony turned as well, the American ships each shot twenty-one blank rounds from Atlantean cannon (so the shots could be confirmed). This action was followed by the Atlantean ships, then Equestria, and finally the Dominion.

Rose Thorn tried her best throughout the entire ceremony to keep tears from her eyes. Her daughter Andromeda wanted to comfort her, but didn’t really know how, nor could she, as she struggled with the same issue. Afterwards, however, both completely broke down. Crystal Shard sat back in her wheelchair and joined them, mourning the loss.

“Rose, you need to speak. You’re his family.” Crimson’s sister said.

The pink alicorn nodded jerkily. The she stood. “Like many of you gathered here today, I did not know Crimson as well as I should have. Being presumed dead myself for the last seven years, I’d thought he moved on. But he stayed. Crimson stuck adamantly to his oath, and not just to me, but his to country, to his people, and to his family. I owe him that.

“Some of us knew Crimson as fillies, or played with our late queen when she was one of us. I personally did not, but they both had a personality that attracted us. They lead by example. Neither would send others into a situation that they themselves would not go into.” She swallowed. “May both rest in peace.” Rose Thorn walked back to Crystal Shard, Andromeda, and the rest of the family. Then Crystal Snow walked to them.

“Nurse Lieutenant Thorn? I just wanted to say that, in the time I knew Crimson, he was fairly kind. He treated me better than he should have when I was a P.O.W. after forgetting the flag of truce. Then after I defected, for my sister’s sake, he kept me with my rank. And if that hadn’t happened, I don’t know where I’d be. Not knowing my cousin’s family, of course, but other things I can’t quite pin.” she said.

“Major Snow.” Rose Thorn gestured to the others. “Crimson told me. Welcome to the family.” They all looked out to sea, where the smoke from the many salutes still drifted lazily downwind. “Both Atlanta and Crimson’ll be there for us, in here.” The alicorn patted her chest over her heart. “And they’ll live on for eternity.”

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading. I enjoyed writing this story.

The Atlantean-Dominion War is in the works, be sure to check it out:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/360122/the-altantean-dominion-war

Feedback appreciated.

Comments

[Fireheart 1945]

I enjoyed reading it.

Sorry that so many of the heroes died, but overall it was great

May God go with you