//------------------------------//
// The Funeral 
// Story: The Last Alicorn 
// by Skyler 
//------------------------------//

The summer breeze warmed Pinkamena's joints as she hobbled along down the street carrying a bag of sunflower seeds. She slowly turned her head around to look at her friend, Applejack, who had a saddlebag with an apple tree sapling. "Hurry up, slowly-pokely." Pinkie said in a mournful voice. Applejack neighed. "Now, now, Pinks, tha cer'mony ain't fer anudder hour." Pinkie's usually sparkly blue eyes were dark and sorrow-filled. "It's the princess's funeral. It's not like it's NOT important."

"Pinkamena Dianne Ottamatapea*, Ah know it's 'portant, buh all dos years o' applebuckin' done ruined mah legs." AJ said, holding up her scarred hoof. "Ah can' walk awf-lee fas'." Pinkie nodded her head and the duo walked down the shadow-covered lane. High above them, two pegasi flew slowly. "Rainbow," Fluttershy whined. "It hurrttss." Rainbow snorted. "Don't be such a wimp." Fluttershy winced. "I'm so sorry. I'm just so," she yawned. "Tired."

"Does it look like I care?

"Well, I- er..."

"NO!" Rainbow shouted. A tear fell down Fluttershy's cheek. The multi-colored mare sighed. "Fluttershy, I'm sorry, but we NEED to get GOING!" Her companion sniffled. "Let's go, 'kay?"

"Okay."

The pair of pegasi flew quickly ahead to the garden where Princess Celestia was to be buried. They saw a Twilight and Rarity sitting with Princess Luna. Fluttershy Apple, Rainbow Bolt, Twilight Shimmer, Rarity Dragon, Applejack Buttercup**, and Pinkie Ottamatapea* were close friends with the alicorns. The six used to represent the Elements of Harmony, before their foals turned out to be the next ponies who wielded the powerful forces, and had defeated Nightmare Moon, Luna's evil disguise who promised eternal night, and Discord, the horrid monster of chaos and mistrust. Twilight was Celestia's understudy when she was a filly, and the two had an almost mother-daughter bond. Rainbow and Fluttershy bowed. "You may rise." Luna seemed to have been choking on these words. "Your highness, your sister is in a better place now." Fluttershy murmured in her gentle voice. Luna's eyes were gray, sullen, and sunken in. She was close to tears, but her regality kept her from doing so. "M-miss Apple, you m-may be r-right." Fluttershy rubbed against the princess, who had no objection to this, said, "There, there. Let it all out." Luna wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Until all of the ponies had come, the mare told her friends all about her sister. She told them the bedtime stories they read, and sang the songs that filled the castle halls with a sweet voice. "Celestia was the best singer ever. She sung amazing lullabies. And she was a good prankster." Luna told them about the pranks she and Celestia played on their family and the guards. "...And then we played that on Eclipses!" The princess hooted. "Boy, was she mad!" Twilight looked curiously at the royal before her. "Eclipses was your..."

"Sister." Luna said. "Nopony knows of her. Haven't spoken about her for several thousand years."

"Will you tell us?" Rarity asked.

"Eclipses was severly hurt during the Discord incedent, and if she fought, she would have died. Ponies forgot about her, and those thought that she abandoned us."

"Tell us more!" Rainbow said.

"Yes, Miss Bolt. This feels nice talking about her. Well, when Equesria was rebuilt, Eclipses met this colt named Dusty. He was bad news and everypony knew it. But she saw something in him. One day Dusty met an old colthood foe. He couldn't control himself, and killed him."

The crowd of ponies gasped.

"Yes, I know. Celestia banished him to the moon. Eclipses was still very weak, but she was heart-broken. It was very clear she was dying. We asked what we could do for her. 'Let me go to the moon. I'm dying and I want to see Dusty.' We were shocked, of course, but we used our powers to do so. A thousand years later I wanted to see if our sister was alive. As Celestia was about to send me there to see her, something happened. I felt myself grow as big as her. I think I spoke, but it didn't sound like me. Then all I saw was a flash of light."

Luna turned her head. A huge coffin was being carried by several guards. The princess burst into tears. She watched, blurry-eyed, as ponies came up and gave their last regards. "For the last word, will you come up, Queen Luna?"

Queen? I'm no queen. I should be princess, like Tia, who should be here!

Luna walked up beside the pony who spoke. "You have all heard what I had said, correct?" A ripple of agreement went across the crowds. "All I need to say is this. Tia, this isn't right. You should be here. Tia, please just wake up." In a flash of light Nightmare Moon had her razor-sharp horn against the dead princess's body. Electricity crackled between the two mares, but nothing happened. Nightmare Moon shrunk back into Luna, who ran away, sobbing.

*brother thought of name xD

**mom thought of name :P