//------------------------------//
// Epilogue  
// Story: The Last Agate 
// by Bluetree650 
//------------------------------//

	The smallest coffins are the heaviest.

This is a fact Twilight learned as she carried the barely thirty pound casket in her magic down the half mile driveway to the Agate residence. She promised not to cry, but seeing such a small oaken coffin housing someone so young forced her hand. 

Crystal died two weeks ago. Normally funerals happen the day after death, but the main speaker, Twilight, couldn’t bring herself to even write the eulogy. She went through a week of isolation, blaming herself for what happened. She tried to blame Celestia, she was the one that snapped her neck, and even went as far as attacking her.

Twilight was a pacifist.

Now that she had some semblance of control over herself, the show could go on. 

She passed the twelve guests, not including Sterile, and gently lay the casket of her six year old sister on cords just above her six foot grave. It was at the base of her favorite tree, the one Celestia kidnapped her from a month ago. 

Twilight climbed the hastily made stage, one of only two pictures ever taken of Crystal behind the podium like a background. One where she hugged her sister, Cross. One where she looked so happy. The other was the same, but with Twilight. 

She took a second to compose herself before looking out at the feebly small crowd of ponies gathered, none of which were Crystal’s blood relatives. Those were all either dead or on the chopping block.

She coughed, just noticing Blade and Sword in the audience. Blade comforting Cheery Days as a baby blue pegasus comforted what looked to be Cheery’s daughter. Sword sat alone, no tears, but he seemed to be having a sort of internal war with himself, trying to figure out just how to react to this day.

“I’m sorry to say this, but today we are mourning for the loss of a filly two months away from her seventh birthday,” Twilight stopped as tears fell once more. She looked to her parents, sitting in the front row. They gave her a wane smile, which didn’t help. “Crystal Agate, my unofficial official sister, with a life that by all means should not have been lost, passed after…” she choked up. “her mother snapped her neck in a fit of rage before committing what will now be known as the Sterilizer massacre.” A loud sob came from Cheery, and Abra hugged her mother tightly, her own eyes leaking.

“I would like to read a statement from Princess Celestia, who couldn’t be here due to the fact that she is planning her own speech for Sterile Agate’s execution in four hours. It reads ‘To my little ponies, thank you for showing up to this grave event. I wish to first extend my deepest apologies for not being there in person, but I must plan on revealing a secret kept for over two hundred years at Sterile Agate’s execution. Today is a most grievous day, but I would like to make a sort of announcement. Bring some kind of road to those lost after young Crystal’s passing. The house that stands before you was the house Crystal and her sister, Cross, grew up in. I know there is a daycare owner in the audience. Would miss Cheery Days stand.’” Sobbing, Cheery stood up, unable to look at the picture behind Twilight. “‘I would like you to take over this house and make it the finest daycare in equestria. In honor of our lost soul, you shall name it the Crystal Empire. Please sit.’” Cheery cried harder as she sat, as if the news would haunt her for the rest of her life. 

“‘Would Crystal’s only friend stand, a miss Abra Kadabra?’” Twilight, speaking for Celestia, said. The little green filly with piercing blue eyes stood on her mother’s back. “You will be the first patron of this new daycare, and I will personally pay for all expenses. So Abra’s mother, Sabrina Kadabra, you can clear your schedule and spend some time for yourself.’” Twilight paused to wipe her eyes before looking up. Neither party looked too happy to hear Celestia’s news. “‘With that, I shall give my ever faithful student the reins again. Thank you for your time.’” 

There was a pregnant pause as Twilight slowly turned the page.

“Crystal was my sister, and out of everyone here, I feel that I am qualified to say that I knew her best. She was a very bright little filly that looked up to me like one might a god.” She looked up at the crowd, tears falling once more, “and I feel like I failed her.”

“In her final hours, she roamed the castle scared, only wanting one thing. A hug from me, and I couldn’t give her that! I was so selfish that I couldn’t give my own sister a hug when she needed one the most!” Twilight screamed before breaking down. She lay her head on her hooves and bawled. 

Moments later Twilight looked up to see her mother and father by her side. “Sit down Sweet Heart, I’ll finish,” Twilight Velvet said before planting a kiss on her daughter’s cheek.

“Come on Sweetie, lets sit down,” Twilight’s father said before walking her to the front row. 

Taking a second to compose herself, Twilight Velvet looked through her daughter’s work. “I would like to start by giving my own experience with Crystal. One weekend, my baby came home with a little white filly. Crystal was scared of our house at first, but after Twilight eased her fear she broke out a little, exploring like a little filly should. We had dinner together and it was then that I learned Crystal had better manners than my own daughter.” there was a slight chuckle from Lyra, but she was shushed by both Vinyl and Octavia. “I like to think of Crystal as my own unofficial official daughter, just like Miss Agate… the bitch that she is… considered Twilight her unofficial official daughter.” Many questioned Velvet’s choice of words, but the feelings they portrayed were all too agreeable. “Now with that out of the way,” Velvet shuffled Twilight’s papers, ”Crystal may have affected only a few in her short life, but those effects will last for lifetimes. Octavia Philharmonica, one day at Canterlot Park while you played your music, Crystal fell asleep with her head resting on your leg. I want you to think of that whenever you think of Crystal because that was a short glimpse of who she really was. A kind pony that gravitated to other kind ponies.” Velvet looked towards Lyra, “Lyra Heartstrings, because of Crystal you met up with Octavia again and now you two are friends, correct?” Lyra only nodded, “well cherish that friendship because if not for Crystal it would have never been.”

“And for the rest of you, may your tears run dry quicker than you predict because Crystal is up there” Velvet pointed the the sky, just as Twilight’s speech instructed, “with her real sister, looking down at those she loved. Don’t make her cry with your tears.” Velvet stopped and bowed, “thank you.” A slow golf clap rose as Twilight Velvet left the stand to comfort her daughter.

Shining Armor, Blade and Sword all rose. Wearing their service uniform, they took hold of the three cords that lay pinned to the ground. They saluted the small casket before gently lowering it into the ground. 

The sound of dirt hitting wood and tears falling blanketed the entirety of the Agate estate, soon to be called the Crystal Empire, for what felt like ages.


With the fall of a noose and the drowning of a dead pony, an age of secrets was closed. A new Head Surgeon of Canterlot Hospital was appointed. Twilight would never forget Crystal. Even well after she met Nightmare Moon and freed Luna, after she became the princess of friendship, she’d take one day out of her schedule (one hour when that schedule got very hectic) on the day of Crystal’s funeral, and mourn. 

Sometimes the smallest ponies leave the biggest footprints.