Birds chirped quietly in the Canterlot gardens as the sun began its slow descent into evening. The clouds cast shadows along the ground more often than the light touched it. Autumn winds played at the mane of a young mare, sitting before a statue of the only human Equestria had ever known with tears threatening to fall unbidden down her face.
“Dex.” Her voice shook slightly as she tried to hide her pain. “Why?”
No answer would come to her, no matter how long she waited. The stone visage of Dex looked back at her, unmoving, for when the Elements of Harmony were used against Sinis, the darkness that embodied his form was removed. A rustling of leaves could be heard nearby.
“Panacea? Are you coming dear?” Celestia’s voice reached the mare’s ears and shook her out of her contemplation for a moment.
“Of course, Princess.” The mare stood and, with one final look towards the human, Panacea walked away, head down.
She turned a corner and found Celestia there, looking off in the direction they had placed Dex’s statue, with a small, reserved smile to hide her own sadness. When the princess caught Panacea’s eye, she turned towards her and nodded in silence. Together, the two mares headed towards a small congregation on the other side of the gardens.
A casket lay upon a table surrounded in flowers and draped in tapestries of the Solar Guard, a simple red cloth with a yellow sun crossed over with two spears emblazoned on the center. Cushions sat on the ground a few paces away, some occupied with friends and family of the recently deceased. Guards either stood along the edges of the gathering, or took a few seats of their own. As Celestia and Panacea drew close, a somber melody could be heard from a nearby grey mare playing the cello.
Panacea sat in the front row, normally reserved for family, while the princess of the sun strolled behind the casket to face the crowd. The loved ones of the departed, parents and two siblings, did not mind the peach colored mare’s presence and nodded sadly in greeting, they would talk after the service. Celestia allowed some time for stragglers to find a seat before beginning.
“I thank you all for coming here today, to lay to rest a fine stallion cut down before his time. I have seen many soldiers, both on the battlefield and off, losing their lives due to life’s hardships and old age, but not many have been cast down as this one has been. For Stone did not simply fight bravely in a battle, or fade away in his sleep, but continued to hold meaning behind his actions throughout his life.
“Stone upheld all the virtues of the Solar Guard and passed his experiences along to his fellows. His continued efforts in eradicating threats to his country, and his passion for helping all those in need, is all that we expect from a protector of Equestria, but he would expand upon these values to greater heights than any before.
“It is with these accomplishments and traits in mind, that I present him with an honorary increase in rank. Let it be known that Lieutenant Stone, from this day forth, be known as Captain Stone, and all recompense be sent to his surviving family in respect for this great stallion. Stone’s epitaph shall forever show his new rank and bravery. If anypony wishes to speak, they may do so now.”
With those words, Celestia stepped back and left it open for any to speak. In the silence that followed, Panacea stood and walked behind the casket as well. As she scanned the audience, she spotted fellow nurses and friends of her own. Emboldened by their presence, she spoke with as calm a voice as she could muster.
“I’ve had many travels with Stone, all because of a knight’s constant persistence. In those journeys, I have learned a lot from Stone and Dex, one of which is to never back down from something you feel is right. So, to everypony gathered here today, I just wanted to say, don’t hold back in what you believe in.
“I will miss Stone’s quick wit and jokes whenever the situation called for them, but I will carry on, just as he would have wanted me to, as Dex would have wanted me to...” Between the two losses, Panacea could continue no longer, and she walked back to her seat. Stone’s mother placed a hoof on Panacea’s shoulder as she sat down, grateful that someone had spoken for her son.
Celestia looked on, waiting for another to speak before approaching the casket once more. “Although you must grieve, do not let it consume you. All will fade from this mortal realm and meet again in the ever after. This concludes the ceremony and I wish you all well.”
Time passed as ponies approached Stone’s coffin and said a few quiet words before leaving or mingling with the others. Celestia had stayed nearby to speak with the family and friends of the departed, while Panacea only sent the family her sympathies before heading back to the statue garden.
Seasons changed and life moved on, but occasionally, a peach colored mare with a white mane and tail would continue to visit the stone prison of Dex, hoping, or maybe just praying, that he would return.