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After The War - Human Embassy908 words
Foreword518 words
After The War - New Baltimore1,216 words
Chapter 12,733 words
After The War - Grand Galloping Gala2,139 words
Chapter 22,392 words
After The War - Funeral1,041 words
Chapter 32,722 words
Chapter 42,055 words
After The War - State Visit1,472 words

After The War - Funeral

Canterlot Cemetery
Five years after The Human War

“Today, we lay down heroes to the rest, who gave their live protecting their loved ones and in defense of our great nation. They died for our Princesses, for their families, for their friends and their comrades, for all ponykind. Let us never forget their bravery...” The priest kept going on and on. Funerals like these were rare now days, with most of the fallen having already returned. However, a human team had found an unmarked mass grave near Ghastly Gorge DMZ, apparently made for casualties of First Battle of Ghastly Gorge. 600 ponies corpses had been dug up, identified and send to Canterlot for burial.

White coffins were closed, for what was left of the dead was not a pretty sight. Over the coffins were flag of Equestria. Eventually, it was time lay soldiers to rest. Unicorns, four for each coffin, raised the coffins and carried them, holding them over the empty graves.

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Rest in peace, dear friend.” Coffin was laid to grave. One of the unicorns lifted the flag and folded while the priest threw some dirt over the coffin. Same action was repeated for each grave. There would later be another group of caretakers who would fill the graves.

Twilight looked over to Applejack. Braeburn had joined up with the guards heading to “take control of the monster situation”, but had went MIA during the battle. Now he had been recognized as one from the mass grave. Rest of the Apple family was there too. Applejack was clearly trying to hold back. She had accepted long time ago that Braeburn was dead, especially after the peace treaty had allowed ponies to contact their relatives in Appleloose, or New Hope City as humans called it.

Twilight could see several other familiar faces in the crowd. Cakes were there to lay down Mrs. Cakes uncle. Vinyl Scratch was also there, with Octavia supporting her. She didn’t know who she had lost. Several others, but also a lot of unknown faces. They all wore the same mask. Sadness.

Eventually, all the coffins were laid down. Twilight stood up to walk to one grave aside from the funeral. Applejack joined her.

“Does it get easier?” She asked quietly. Apple family had lost a lot of people to the war and with Big Mcintosh still in hospital, laying in coma, they were having hard time to just to harvest all the apples, not to mention survive financially.

“...No, but you learn to live with it. You learn, or you lose yourself.” Applejack just nodded. She had been there for Twilight when Shining Armor died. Twilight had nearly went mad from the grief, especially with her parent having died when Manehattan was destroyed.

“How's Spike?”

“He is okay. Kinda pissed off that most of the gems are now used to trade with humans, but otherwise OK. I'm still surprised that he finally worked enough courage to ask Rarity for a date.”

“Well, I guess he realized that life is too short to wait. I'm more surprised that Rarity accepted. I mean, she is kinda picky when it comes to dates. Then again, having her eyes blinded can do that to one too.”

“Guess she too realized that life is too short. Seeing how many died during the war and how little it took to for them to die...” Twilight fell silent. Her parents had been on a tourist trip to Manehattan when it was wiped out. Their remains had never been found, like with so many others. There had been very little to be found from Manehattan. Shining Armor had been able to keep her going, alongside with her friends. It had been a shock to her. One day, she had parents. Next day... she didn't. She hadn't even known they were dead until she had gotten that sickly clinical “We are sorry, your relative is dead” letter...

“I'm going to visit Zecora's grave too. You're coming too?” Twilight asked Applejack.

“Sorry. The farm isn't the same without Big Mac and we need everypony just to get by the harvest.” Applejack said, shaking her head. Then she raised her head and looked at distance.

“Looks like you are not the only one here to remember the fallen” Applejack said. Sitting in front of the grave was a pink alicorn, laying down some flowers on it.

“Princess Cadance. Didn't know you were here too. Do you wish us to leave you for your peace?” Twilight said in surprise.

“Huh? Oh, Twilight, no need. He was your brother too, wasn't he? You have every right to come to see him too...” They sat in silence for few minutes. Eventually, Applejack broke the silence.

“I need to go. Sorry to leave ya like this. With my brother in hospital, the harvest is going slowly.”

“It's okay. I return to Ponyville little bit later. I promised to Lyra that I help her in some research. Apparently she is writing some book.”

“Okay, see you later then.” Applejack said and left, but not without stopping by the soldiers graves one more, before walking out of the cemetery.

“You miss him greatly, don't you?” Twilight asked Cadance.

“...Yes. We were so happy together, Like nothing could ruin it. Then the war came... and ruined everything...” she started to sob “I have barely anything left of him. They destroyed Canterlot and most the memorabilia we had collected. We kept most in Canterlot, since he served there. I don't even have any pictures! Just... some letters he wrote... Wrote what we would do after the war was over...” Twilight gave Cadance a hug. It might not have been exactly correct by etiquette, but at this point neither really cared.

“I have photos left of your wedding. I can give them to you. You need them more than I do.” Twilight said softly before taking one more look at the grave.

Here lies
Shining Armor
General of Equestrian Royal Guard.
A loving husband, son and brother.
“There is nothing that love can't defeat”

“You were wrong brother...”, Twilight thought, “because you aren't here.”

Author's Note:

Rewrite uploaded 1.10.2013

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