//------------------------------//
// Dead Dogs 
// Story: Dead Dogs 
// by Fillyfooler 
//------------------------------//

Dead dogs.
By Fillyfooler
All rights for all characters go to Hasbro inc. And Lauren Flaust and the great number of artistes working on the show. All characters are from the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I own nothing but the concept of the story.


It had finally come. 

It had finally happened.

AppleJack wished it hadn't. 

Why?

Why had it happened?

Was life so cruel? Was life so vicious as to take one of her closest friends?  

Didn't she get a say in how her life happened?
Didn't she get a say in what happened?

She wished it hadn't happened.
She wished that she had a say.
She wished that it wasn't true.
Oh how she wished it wasn't true, how she wished that this wasn't real.

But it was, there was no denying it. 

It was true, it was all true.

One of her closes friends was dead.

There was nothing she could do.

Applebloom stood beside her crying, this was hard on her, she had never seen anything close to her die. And one so young shouldn't have to go through this. She had been there from the start, a constant playmate and babysitter, what Applebloom would do, Applejack had no idea but she hoped it wasn't drastic.

All AppleJack's friends stood beside her, they all looked remorseful. It had happened so fast, no one could of help. Of the five, Fluttershy's face showed the most sadness. She had been there at the end and still she felt the gilt of not been able to help.   

But they knew it was coming, the apple family had know it was going to happen sometime.
As all things must.
But no one had expected it so early, no one had planned on it happening.

Why, was all that went through AppleJack's head. 

Why.


Big Macintosh stood a silent giant over the grave, she hadn't been close to him but he still cared, after all she was family. Although she wasn't a pony, she was still family. There would be no replacement, no replica for her. She was special, she was one of a kind and she could never be replaced. On that day, although he would shed no tears, he would hurt and grieve.

Granny Smith showed no strong emotion on her face, this had happened before and it would happen again. But still, she was gone, the constant companion was gone. This was the tenth time for Granny Smith but that didn't mean she didn't feel it, it didn't mean she hadn't felt every single passing, she had but it was just it had already happened. This was just what happened. This was life. And this was what was waiting for her.


The animals stood on the side in respect, Angel had his head down, Tank's already sadness filled face was drooping, even Gummy's blank face seemed to have a down side. The family all sat next to the grave, they had come from far and wide. The young, the old and the middle all felt the sadness, maybe more than anypony there, she was after all one of them. Her children were grim, their eyes filled with sadness, their hearts were filled with remorse of things not said and half things not know, told and forgiven for. 

She had lived a good life, a strong life. She had seen much, she had done much. Hers was a life fulfilled, but still AppleJack had wanted her to live. AppleJack still blamed her self, still put all her pain into herself, she would cry but she was out of tears to shed.         

She was more than a companion, more then a friend, she was the sister AppleJack had before Applebloom. They had had many adventures, many things shared and many secrets that only they knew. 

Would there be another one after her? Properly. The farm need one, possible a relative. But that was far from AppleJack's mind. 

She was in the ground now, a dead body robbed of all it's life. The body beneath the ground wasn't why they had gathered. But still they did. To show their respect, to show their love. 

After the last thing was placed and the name was painted on the sign. There would be a celebration, a celebration of life and of a life well used. But it hadn't been placed, Applejack was still hesitant. 


She stood by the grave, a bone in her mouth. The last of the possessions to be placed on the grave. She reached forward and place the bone. And finally Winona's grave stood, the grave of a dog, but a proud dog who was loved. Ponies and dogs who had tears left to shed, cried. There came a mournful cry came from the cows, a remorseful squawk came from the few birds in attendees and  then a mighty howl came from the dogs, strong and loud, rising ever more until it filled the sky. 

And finally as the ponies and animals alike walked away, Applejack's final tear rolled down her snout and landed on the freshly dug grave.

She would stand there all night long, a vigil for a friend. Then she would sleep and dream, seeing winona's spirt rise from the grave and ascend to the heavens. Then she would remember, a long and for longing  memory. She would remember the time they had chased rouge cows, times of herding, times of play among the wild flowers of summer and of course the times of peaceful rest below the blooming apple trees, their white petals flowing down to tickle and tease like a hot snow fall.



Later, another dog would take winona's place, a daughter. She would be very much loved but never like Winona.  And when she died, again the apple family would grieve. But still it was for Winona that Applejack grieved for the most, a friend, a constant companion, a playmate and so much more. It was and still is the one for who she grieved the most.