"Herds"
Walking alone in the mid-morning, Cheerilee felt the cool breeze waft over her. She wore the black dress Rarity had designed for her -- it was simple, no frills, and, as Cheerilee had already decided, her face was uncovered. No pony was around and she could hear nothing but the gentle breeze. For the past couple days her mind felt surprisingly light. She left an apartment that wasn't entirely clean yet, but getting there.
Snail's Memorial Service would be on the outskirts of town, relatively near Mollusk's shop and their home. That only made sense -- it would be on a plain with an open horizon, and a few bushes she was sure they had both looked out upon before spending time together as father and son.
The walk wouldn't be far, yet it didn't take her long to see other ponies -- young and old -- dressed in black and headed in the same direction. She walked with them, quietly, noticing veils on all the mares. She couldn't tell who was who at first glance, and only upon closer inspection did she spot a pony she recognized -- Lyra. The teacher noticed a mare walking close beside her, and knew that must be Bon-bon. With a turn of her head, Cheerilee confirmed this. Lyra glanced back, Cheerilee could only gather because she felt her eyes on her. The couple nodded under their veils, and Cheerilee nodded back, smiling weakly before marching on.
Together with all these ponies, uncovered as she was... Cheerilee noticed hardly a glance in her direction. Just a few nods from ponies who looked at her for more than a second. Every pony around her seemed focused on getting there, and any voices she heard fell silent after a simple greeting.
It was towards the end of the walk. Cheerilee saw the stone podium surrounded by a half circle of marble benches. It took a lot of courage for her to make it just this far, and since she was there, she could sit, though she knew she would not rest.
Not everypony went right to being seated, though. Some were standing, talking quietly around the structure. Mentally preparing themselves, Cheerilee thought. A few foals were running around, and mother were fixing their son's attire.
"I'm feeling kind of constricted by this vest, Mom," whispered a familiar, gravelly voice.
"It's only for a couple hours, Button," replied his mother. "You can take it off when we're home."
Cheerilee couldn't help smiling hearing that, passing as mother straightened her son up, the maternal figure's voice soothing and calm. She'd let them do what they were doing in peace.
She passed Snail's friend Snips with his uncle, overhearing more snatches of conversation:
"Um, is Snail's, um... really here, Uncle Clod?"
"His body's gone with the rest of him, son," the bearded stallion replied, uncharacteristically soothingly. "That is why it is called a 'Memorial Service'. We do this to honor the dead, if there ain't a trace to bury."
It wasn't hard for Cheerilee to imagine Snips carrying on for those days as though it were just the weekend. Anything he liked he payed a lot of attention to... anything he didn't he pretended wasn't there.
In the middle of it all Cheerilee found a seat, fixing her gaze towards the stone arch behind the main podium. This was a place of gathering, not usually for this type of service. Cheerilee had once heard a concert here, happy cello and violin pieces with Rarity a few summers back. The entire place had a different feel to it then. The teacher noticed, behind the podium, almost entirely concealed by the marble, was... a sort of shape. It was sturdy, tremendous and tall, yet compact, and ... tan. It didn't take her very long to realize she was looking at a drop cloth concealing something of rather large size, a tool perhaps for vocal amplification during the service. Cheerilee then realized this was the first memorial service she had attended, the first of any service for the deceased in at least ten years. Outside of anecdotes she'd read, she hardly knew what to expect... though it probably wouldn't be too different from a funeral.
"Hi Cheerilee," said Derpy, approaching from the left. "Is it okay for me and Dinky sit by you?"
Cheerilee looked over. She could see Derpy smiling, having drawn back her veil. Dinky was smiling, too, unveiled just as she was.
"Um, sure," the teacher replied as Derpy sat down, placing Dinky right beside her. "How are you, Dinky?"
"Okay, I guess," the little filly replied.
"I can understand that... it's a lot to take in."
More ponies began to sit. Cheerilee could hear Rainbow Dash's huskier voice somewhere in the seats in front of her, but still couldn't tell one mare from another.
"Well, turns out you were not that hard to find," Rarity said quietly to Cheerliee's right. "Would it be alright, if-"
Cheerilee nodded, turning to look at her friend.
"Please, sit. If that's what you're asking, Rarity. It would be nice."
Rarity responded by smiling warmly under her veil.
Like Derpy, Rarity was with Sweetie Belle. With a slight nudge, which (even from a few paces over) Cheerilee felt, but didn't see, Rarity encouraged Sweetie Belle to go sit by her teacher.
"Go, sit," Cheerilee saw Rarity mouth.
"Oh, she doesn't have to if she doesn't want t-"
Before Cheerilee could finish that statement Sweetie Belle was sitting beside her. The filly's veil was down, but just a glace at her face she saw Sweetie Belle looking back up at her.
"Hi," the filly said, as Rarity sat down beside her.
"Hello, Sweetie Belle. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
The teacher then noticed Sweetie Belle had turned her head, facing towards the podium at the front. She nodded to herself... leaving the filly be for now.
"It's okay," she mouthed to Rarity, who nodded back, before sitting.
Cheerilee looked forward again, noticing just two rows up Scootaloo had her veil back and a bigger mare was helping her fix her hat. Even under all that black Cheerilee saw a just peek of rainbow mane. She sighed. It certainly was nice to feel supported.
Working back from the front row Cheerilee could see two ponies -- a stallion and mare -- moving quickly, passing out pamphlets.
It's likely just the program..., the teacher thought.
It only made sense to pass them out after every pony was seated, as outside in the outskirts as they were, ponies had come from different directions. The flyer-carrying ponies would find their way back to her row, eventually, so the teacher relaxed... allowing her mind to wander, looking off toward the open fields. She was too tired to realize that, if she wasn't worn down from feeling nervous for days... she wasn't afraid as she might've expected had she come by herself. Beside the meadow, not far from the treeline of the Everfree, her mind was empty... her temper even. Everything was okay at this point and it seemed as if it was going to be. If not, she was surrounded by ponies who cared about her. She couldn't help sighing again, her eyes feeling a bit heavy, but that was fine.
Finally the mare with the pamphlets made her to their row, and Cheerilee looked down at what she was passed. The listing was fairly sparse, similar to the Invention mailed out -- just one folded page of gold with black writing. Mayor Mare and Mollusk would speak separately, then the mic would be open to any pony for an hour. There would then be a small reception where music would be played in Snail's honor, and... it would all be over after that.
As the two ponies trotted past Cheerilee's isle to the front, signifying papers made it to the final row, there was nothing left but to begin. With the exception of a rustling papers and a distant cough all ponies began to quiet. Cheerilee just sat back, looking forward and listening. Mayor Mare wasn't at the podium yet, but she was on stage... talking to Mollusk in the back by the cloth. She turned around, looking at every pony, approaching the center. She was unveiled as well.