//------------------------------// // Funeral (abreviated) // Story: Titles and Value // by Wages of Sin //------------------------------// I have entirely rewritten this chapter to keep it more in-line with the story, the "old" chapter (prior to 5pm 1/29) is now becoming it's own story! So I apologize if you liked it here, but to make it up to you, check it out here! http://www.fimfiction.net/story/80206/second-at-best New chapter should be up within the week! Also, I wanted to leave something here to make up for stealing the old chapter 3, I give you this, the rough draft of new chapter 3. The posse of mares reached the castle just as the ceremony was beginning, still in time to make a dignified entrance that looked passable as intentional. The guards that had been gaining on their heels though, did not. Luna and the elements of harmony turned from their seat on the first bench to see one of the lunar stallions from the station flying into the hall at high speed, high enough speed that he couldn't stop when he found himself on a collision course with another lunar guard, this one a female unicorn that had been sneaking her way silently up the isle. Luna looked at her "prestigious" guards in a heap blocking the isle at a funeral. "Up at once and explain yourselves!" Luna yelled at the guards. "Protecting you princess!" yelled the male pegasi jumped to his feat and blindly charged Twilight, who was sitting on the bench in shock. He was caught by Luna's magic inches from impacting. "What, dare I ask, are you protecting me from?" Luna ventured a glance at the formerly calm congregation of nobles and friends. The guard didn't get the hint. "I was protecting you from HER!" he pointed a hoof towards Twilight. Luna stood in dumbfounded outrage, "You were protecting me from the Duchess of La Reins?" She gave the guard a look that said "play along". "Yes! At the train station-" The guard quickly froze when Luna's look turned from "play along" to an unmistakable "say one more word and you'll know firsthand what Equestria looks like from 239,000 miles away". "M-my apologies princess! I must have had her mistaken for someone else! Heh Heh..." "Must have." Luna said before sitting back down and puppeteering the guard to attention next to her on the outside of the bench. Rainbow leaned over to Twilight, "La Reins?" she whispered under her breath. "The old name for territorial southern Equestria" she whispered back, knowing Dash wouldn't really know what she was talking about. She nodded forward to draw her attention back to the front. Luna looked to where the lunar unicorn had been knocked down only to find she was gone. Looking around, she was now located on the opposite side of the bench, standing at attention like her associate. With everything once again calm, the ceremony began. The ceremony was solemn, Celestia presiding, (the chariot could be heard landing just outside the hall just before she entered) and concluded with a traditional unicorn magical cremation-burrial. Once the group had progressed back indoors, though, high society took its course, and the gossip began. Twilight was walking to the reserved reception table at the head of the room when she heard her name being spoken at a nearby table. She slowed to listen. "-she was a threat! Really! You'd think they would be more respectful towards a duchess!" She heard her name again. "-really young for such a title, what happened to Shining Armor! He would be perfect if he didn't have foreign interests." Again from another table, this one though, made her stop to listen. "-I heard she took on a whole company of lunar guards and won just to attend the funeral!" "But didn't Luna arrived with her?" "I heard that the duchess is actually holding her hostage!" "What! That's absurd! No pony could threaten the princess!" "No normal pony, but she's the one who beat Nightmare Moon, Discord, and that King Sombrero from the Crystal empire!" "You mean-!" "Yep, I hear she's trying for a Coup d'état! I have it on good report that she already installed a puppet government in the Crystal Empire." Twilight calmly walked back to her table. The first two conversations were the usual Canterlot chatter, but the third had her worried. Was that what they really thought? King Sombrero! They didn't even know King Sombra's name! Really! That's just upsetting. She paid no mind to the drivel conspiracy theories of the nobles, as she sat down with her friends. "What?" she asked as her friends stared at her. "We're here for ya, ya know that right?" Applejack said with a gesture to the group. "Sometimes it's better to just let it out..." Fluttershy added. "Girls, I'm fine really." she gave them a reassuring look. None of her friends seemed anymore at ease. Not that she noticed over the sudden panic caused by the main doors to the hall bursting open to reveal the entire Lunar guard battalion, armed and angry.