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// Chapter 2 Funeral 
// Story: The Black Fog 
// by mlprules537 
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The sky was full of gray clouds pouring down rain when Applejack looked up to see if it was about to stop. It had been drizzling when the funeral had started, now you could barely see three feet in front of you. Applejack felt her eyes water up with tears as she recalled how she had found out about Spike's death, then she relived the memory.

~*~

Applejack was buck at a tree, trying to get a stubborn apple to come down. She heard somepony walking towards her and turned around to see heartbroken Twilight with glazed eyes stumbling down the dirt path to the barn. "Twilight!" AJ called out to her. Twilight lifted her head slowly as if she was moving through water. "Hi Applejack...." Twilight wearily answered her greeting.  "What happened?" AJ asked in concern as she trotted to Twilight. "Spike died." she answered dully. Applejack stared at her in astonishment. "How did he die?!" AJ asked confused to how a healthy dragon could just die. "Somepony almost murdered him while he slept then a few days later he woke up told me a couple of things then he just........ left......" Twilight eyes grew round with grief and tears fell onto the ground in front of her. "It's okay Sugercube," Applejack rushed to her side to comfort her though, after she spoke the words she heard how empty they sounded. "Come on, let's go to the barn and you can tell us all how it happened," Applejack let Twilight half lean on her on the way to the barn worrying for deprived friend. "Will Twilight be okay after something like this?" AJ questioned herself. She didn't think Twi would.

~*~

Applejack was jerked back to the present when she heard a "THUMP". She strained her eyes in an attempt to see Spike's coffin one last time before his body was buried. She caught a glimpse of his coffin through the never ending rain and again felt the shock of how quick it all happened. AJ felt one of the Princesses shuffle beside her as the hole Spike was in started to get filled with half-dirt-half-mud. When the priest finished speaking everypony went the pavilion and gave Twilight our sympathy as we all left while she stared blankly ahead. She looked as surprised as any of us at the sudden turn of events. Applejack went home with the rest of her family from Ponyville and they all quietly started their chores, completely aware of the new empty hole in their hearts.