//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Everyday 
// Story: Nowhere to Go 
// by TheGuineaPig45 
//------------------------------//

	Spitfire emerged from the Everfree Forest, carefully stepping over every rock, stick, and piece of debris on the ground. She moved as quietly as she could, not daring to make a single sound. When she reached the the border between the forest and Ponyville, she looked around in every direction. She had to make sure no one was there. If anypony saw her, the entire mission would be put in jeopardy.
As Spitfire stealthily entered Ponyville, all was quiet. There was nothing left outside besides buildings, which were completely empty and soundless. When she thought she heard something, she flew behind one of the shops. Like almost every other building in town, it had been boarded up when the war began. She tried to blend in with the building, which proved to be difficult, as her army camouflage uniform clashed with the dull yellows of the house. It didn't matter, however, as long as no one saw her.
Again, she looked in every direction. When the coast seemed clear, she signaled to a group of ponies, who were hiding behind the dead bushes in the Everfree Forest. The group, comprised of Rainbow Dash, Cheese Sandwich, Big McIntosh, Bulk Biceps, and Fleetfoot, slowly walked towards Spitfire’s hiding spot, following in her hoofsteps. When they reached it, they all nodded with each other, and Spitfire moved ahead to another building, repeating the same process.
They were the only ones to return from the battle, and they hadn't returned unscathed. Rainbow and Cheese had bruises all over their bodies, while Fleetfoot had an enormous cut down her side. Spitfire had tied a blue cloth around Fleetfoot's body to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't enough. She could barely move, and was being carried by Bulk Biceps.
Twelve ponies had gone into the battle, and only half had returned. Everyday, the odds had seemed less and less in the rebellion’s favor.
When the army reached Sugarcube Corner, Spitfire carefully opened the creaky wooden door, hoping it wouldn't make too much noise, and went inside. The others followed, trying to leave the destroyed Ponyville as quickly as they could. There were broken pots and pieces of glass everywhere inside the building. Every window was broken, and through them, the only thing that could be seen was the small remains of past trees. Ponyville had been hit hard by the war.
When the army finally reached the kitchen, they found Applejack sitting on the counter, waiting for them.
“Oh, thank the heavens you’re back!” Applejack sighed when she saw the army. She quickly hopped off the table and ran to them, giving each member a large hug when she arrived. “All of us in the base were gettin’ worried!”
“Sorry we had to keep you waiting," Spitfire said, pushing Applejack away from her body. “The fight was long, and pretty intense, but we’re mostly fine, Applejack." Spitfire turned to her army, which was in the process of looking through the windows to make sure they hadn't been followed. "We fought well, didn’t we, guys?”
“Yeah!!!” Bulk Biceps whispered, not taking his eyes off the window.
“Pretty well, at least,” Rainbow Dash said, turning around to look at Applejack. "But I think I could've done better."
Cheese just nodded, remaining silent.
“Well, that's good to hear,” Applejack responded, grinning. She then looked at the army as a whole, counting them under her breath. “Although, I do recall you guys havin’ a bigger army. What happened?”
“They ambushed us,” Cheese sighed, leaning against the counter. He turned his face away from the soldiers. “We lost six of our own soldiers.”
“And Fleetfoot here is injured,” Rainbow Dash piped up, pointing at Fleetfoot. “A changeling cut her. She needs stitches. “
“Well, I can get her to the hospital,” Applejack said, quickly dashing over to Fleetfoot. “Big Mac, can you lend a hand?”
“Eeyup,” he replied, walking over to Bulk Biceps. The two transferred Fleetfoot from Bulk Biceps' back to Big Mac's, trying not to touch her wound. Once they had succeeded, Applejack wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, then smiled at the army, who had been watching them help Fleetfoot.
“Y’all did good today,” Applejack said to the army, lifting up a wooden trapdoor on Sugarcube Corner's floor.
“I guess,” Rainbow sighed, looking down. “But we could have done more. I should have been faster. And I shouldn’t have taken out that one changeling before the unicorn. And I—”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Dash!” Cheese interrupted. “You did what you could.”
“Yeah, sure,” she said, as the group entered the trapdoor and began to walk down the slope that lead into the base.

The base was an elaborate system of rooms underneath the shop. Once the war began, the ponies had built it for the rebellion. While it was mainly large, empty metal rooms, it was safe. Very few knew of its existence aside from the ones who lived in it.
When the army walked in, they saw a large crowd of ponies. All of these ponies were a part of the rebellion, and each of them had a job in the base if they didn't join the army, whether it was cooking for the rebellion, or making sure the base was completely sanitary.
The army watched them running around, doing their respective jobs. Mr. Cake, one of the chefs, was carrying a small brown basket filled with apples across the hall, while Party Favor and Trixie were using their magic to levitate mops and clean the floor. Other ponies, like Cheerilee, Braeburn, and Photo Finish, were walking around the base, asking if anypony needed help with their jobs.
As soon as the crowd saw the army, however, the room was filled with silence.
“So, how’d it go?” Apple Bloom asked, running from the crowd over towards the army. When she reached them, she clung onto Big Mac's front legs.
“Did you stop Sombra's army?” Sweetie Belle asked, following Apple Bloom.
“Did you win the war?” Diamond Tiara asked, a spark in her eyes.
“Sorry, foals,” Spitfire responded, shaking her head. “We’re far away from that.”
A moan emerged from the crowd. The ponies, whose heads were hanging low, began to turn around to finish their work.
“However,” Spitfire continued, “We did manage to take out at least a hundred of Sombra’s soldiers!”
Suddenly, the crowd turned back around and gasped. The ponies dropped everything they were holding, and flung their hooves into the air. A cheer rose from the crowd, and ponies began prancing throughout the hall, hugging and joyously singing. The sight of it made the army chuckle.
Once the excitement died down, Spitfire continued talking.
“We did lose a few soldiers of our own, though,” she sighed. “Tonight, we will be having a funeral to remember them by.”
Just as quickly as they had began cheering, the crowd’s happiness drained away. Many of the ponies began moaning again, while others completely froze. Several of them sank to the ground, crying.
"Who did we lose?" Party Favor asked, stumbling through the crowd. His voice was shaking.
"That's not important right now," Spitfire said, turning to the crowd and pounding her hooves together. "What's important is that we keep doing everything we can to support each other and take down Sombra’s army.”
The crowd made quiet sounds of agreement before slowly returning to work. Applejack and her brother left to put Fleetfoot on a stretcher, while Bulk Biceps went to the his section of the barracks. Rainbow and Cheese stayed with Spitfire.
“Well,” Cheese started, looking at his fellow army members, “that went well.”
“You two are some pretty good fighters,” Spitfire complimented, patting the two soldiers on the back. “The best here, for sure. Cheese, you're very resourceful. And Dash, with your speed and strength, you could have been a Wonderbolt.”
“Thanks,” Rainbow said. “Although, I think I could use some work.”
“So, Spitfire? Where do we go now?” Cheese asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Well, I’m going to talk with Twilight and the others,” Spitfire responded. You've been here for a while, you two. I'm sure you know what to do.” She flew off, leaving Rainbow and Cheese. The two stared at her until she was out of sight, watching her fly away, wondering what she was thinking about. After a while, Cheese turned to Rainbow.
“Looks like I have a funeral to plan.”





The meeting room was a small room in the right-most corner of the base. Inside, there was only an empty table, an undersized chair, and an almost empty bookshelf. The walls were grey and covered with mold, and it was almost always cold. Very few went inside, and when they did, they left quickly. Ponies only stayed when they were waiting for someone. Soarin and Twilight were waiting for someone.
“She’ll be here,” Twilight repeated to herself again and again. She was rapidly twiddling her hooves. “She’s always come back. Why shouldn’t she this time? Hopefully she’s not in trouble!” Twilight began to pace around table, making the floor slightly shake beneath her.
“She's the army leader for a reason, Twilight," Soarin said as he sat in the chair. "I'm sure she's fine. Probably just late or something.”
“But she's never been late before! What if she got hurt?” Twilight asked, beginning to chew on her mane.
“Listen to me, Twilight. I'm sure she's fine.”
“Soarin, we can't win this war without her. She's lead the army through so many fights since this war began. The battle of Manehattan, Appleoosa, Canterlot, that was all her! We can't lose her!”
“And I'm sure we won't. Spitfire is pretty awesome. She can handle herself.”
“Yeah, but--”
“Maybe we should talk about something else. Like, uh, your research, Twilight,” Soarin suggested, shifting uncomfortably in the chair. “I haven't heard anything about that in a while. How’s it been going?”
“Fine, I guess,” Twilight responded with a shrug. 
“Anything useful?”
“Not really. I still can’t figure out why or how King Sombra came back. I thought Spike had destroyed him when he put the Crystal Heart back in its place. And it’s even more confusing figuring as to why Celestia, Luna, and Cadance joined his side, even though he took over Equestria, and enslaved HUNDREDS of ponies!” Without realizing, Twilight had begun to shout. When she looked at Soarin, she saw that he had been staring at her, concerned. She laid her head on the table and sighed. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little frustrated because I can’t figure out why any of this is happening. And since Sombra destroyed my castle and its library, I don't have much to work with.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Soarin said, beaming. “Have you tried a new angle?”
“Hundreds,” Twilight moaned. “The war began over a year ago. Ever since then, all I’ve been doing is finding new angles.”
“Well, are you close to finding out how to stop Sombra and his army?“
“Sorry, Soarin. I wish. Normally, I would turn to the Elements of Harmony or the magic in our friendship, but we wouldn't be able to activate either of them without Pinkie. And then I would turn to the princesses, but they're WITH the enemy, which is another thing I can't explain. Plus, Discord is just GONE, as is Starlight, I can't get into a connection with Sunset, and we don't even know—”
“Kay, you need a break,” Soarin interjected.
“I can't,” Twilight responded, getting up and pacing slightly faster than she had before. “The fate of Equestria relies on me figuring this out.”
“I get that," Soarin responded. "But you can only solve a problem with a clear mind." He got up out of the chair and planted himself in front of Twilight, effectively putting an end to her pacing. "You've got way too much on your mind right now for this. Remember the last time you studied this hard? Didn't you almost completely miss out on learning about the Magic of Friendship?”
“Yeah…” Twilight admitted. She tried to walk past Soarin, but he blocked her.
“Well, maybe your studying is making you miss out on something here."
“Maybe...”
“Look, Twilight. I promise. A break would make you feel so much better.” He looked into Twilight's eyes and gave her a giant smile.
“Alright,” Twilight sighed, turning toward the bookshelf. "I'll take a break."

A few minutes later, the door crashed open and Spitfire flew inside the room. She was no longer wearing her army uniform, and was instead wearing no clothing at all, as most ponies in the base did.
"I'm back!" she loudly announced as she flew onto the table.
“See? She's fine,” Soarin said, planting himself back in the chair. He grinned at Twilight.
“Sorry I'm so late,” Spitfire apologized. “The ponies wanted to know what happened, and well, had to tell ‘em.”
“Tell them what?” Twilight asked. “Did my strategy work? Did you take down Sombra's base in Canterlot?”
“Well, your strategy worked. And while we weren't able to take down the base, we did manage to take out a lot of his army,“ Spitfire said. “A hundred, give or take.”
“Haha, awesome!” Soarin cried in joy. He flung his legs into the air, almost knocking himself out of the chair. “Does that mean we have a better chance of winning the war?”
“I wish, Soarin, but I can't say. We don't know how many soldiers Sombra has. He’s got small bases all across Equestria, plus his large base in the Crystal Empire. Each one of them has tons of ponies who work for him. For all we know, there could be thousands of ponies on his side, not to mention the griffons. Maybe taking down a hundred didn't affect them at all.”
“Oh,” Soarin groaned. “I was hoping…”
“Did we lose anyone?” Twilight broke in, ending her pacing.
“Six, but they were expendable." Spitfire said. Upon hearing the word expendable, Soarin cringed. He was about to say something, but decided to let Spitfire finish. "All the best soldiers: Rainbow, Cheese, they’re all fine. Fleetfoot’s in the hospital, though. A changeling got her real hard.”
“Another changeling with Sombra’s army? Why does this keep happening? Could Queen Chrysalis be working with him?”
“Hard to tell, since we haven't seen any of the leaders on his side ever since the battle in Las Pegasus. I'll keep you posted, though,” Spitfire said, turning toward the door. “I'm going to go see how the funeral planning is going. See ya.” She flew away, leaving a trail of dust behind her.
“I should go with her,” Soarin said, watching the dust floating around the room. “I am her second-in-command, after all.”
“Alright. Make sure she isn't too hard on Cheese,” Twilight said, levitating one of the lone books toward her.
“I will,” he said. He began to leave, but turned back. “Hey, Twilight?”
“Yeah, Soarin?”
“Remember to take a break.”





The hospital was one of the largest rooms in the base, second only to the dining hall. Unlike the other rooms, the large, white room was always kept clean and neat. Applejack rushed into the room, pushing the stretcher before her.
“Goodness, Applejack,” Rarity exclaimed, turning from her previous patient. “What happened?”
“A changeling happened,” Applejack explained as she gave the now-unconscious Fleetfoot to Rarity, who immediately began to inspect the cut. “She's lost a lot of blood. Will she be okay?”
“Of course she will, darling,” Rarity said, levitating the patient onto a bed. “I've stitched dresses much messier than this wound. This should be easy.”
“Thanks, Rarity. You're a lifesaver. Literally.”
Rarity grinned, then immediately got to work. She covered the workspace with a dark purple curtain; it was one of the few things they had been salvaged from Carousel Boutique. Applejack stared the color as if it was the first time she had ever seen it.
“Hi, Applejack,” a small voice suddenly called from behind, startling her. She turned around to see Fluttershy, who was carrying another pony into the hospital. Fluttershy looked worried. “Oh no. Did I startle you?”
“Not at all!” Applejack called, beaming at her friend. “Good to see ya, Fluttershy!” Applejack called. She looked at the pony Fluttershy was trying to carry, and went over to help carry her into a bed. Together, they managed to lift her up. “Feels like we haven't seen each other in a while.”
“Well, ever since the war began, Rarity and I have been quite busy working here in the hospital with Nurse Redheart. A lot of ponies come in everyday.”
Applejack looked in Rarity’s direction. “You know, I'd never have thought Rarity would be workin’ as a nurse. I'd have thought she'd be making war outfits for the army or something.”
“Well, I guess this war has brought out new sides of everypony we've never seen before,” Fluttershy said, looking proud that she was able to lift a pony onto a bed.
“Guess you're right,” Applejack said, staring at the curtain Rarity was behind.

“The surgery is done,” Rarity said a few minutes later, as she emerged from the curtain. She wiped the sweat off her face with a handkerchief she had levitated towards her. “Fleetfoot will need bed-rest for a little bit, but she should be able to go on the battlefield again in the near future.”
“Oh, that's great! Nice job, Rarity,” Applejack said with a smile. Rarity nodded before inspecting the patient who had just been lifted onto a bed. Applejack looked at one of the few remaining clocks. “Aww, shucks, I gotta go help Mr. Cake make up some dinner. It was great talking to y'all, though, after so long.”
“Mm-hmm,” Rarity replied, looking away. Fluttershy nodded towards Applejack.
“Bye!” AJ called out to the two as she left the room.
There was very little time before another mare flew inside.
“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity exclaimed, turning to look at her. “What brings you here? Are you hurt?”
“Not at all,” Rainbow said. “I made it from the battle unscathed.”
“Yay,” Fluttershy quietly cheered. Rainbow smiled at her.
“I just came to check on the hospital's fortification,” Rainbow began, flying all around the room. “I have to make sure this room is completely safe. Have you built up the walls recently? Did you remove every single possible gap in the perimeter? Is it safe from outsiders?”
“Well, there's one gap,” Rarity slowly told Rainbow, not sure what reaction would follow.
“What!? There can't be any gaps! What if one of Sombra's soldiers sneaks in?! You’ll have to fortify it more," Rainbow said, landing on the ground.
“We have to be able to get in, Rainbow Dash.”
“No you don't! You can stay in here!”
“How would we eat? Or get new patients?”
“You could--”
“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy sternly interrupted. “We know you feel bad about what happened here in the hospital last time—”
“Last time was MY fault.” Rainbow shouted, tears forming in her eyes. “Everything that happened then is on me! I need to make sure nothing like that ever happens again so that nopony gets hurt like she did!”
“Oh, Dash,” Rarity said sympathetically. “It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known.” She tried to put her hoof around Rainbow, who swatted it away.
“But I SHOULD have known!” Rainbow continued to shout. “I should have been there to protect her! I had made a PROMISE to!” The tears began to roll down her face.
“Oh, Dash…” Fluttershy whimpered.
“It wasn't your fault,” Rarity said, laying her hoof on Rainbow's back. Rainbow was silently crying, the tears now falling onto the floor. She couldn’t stop.
“I gotta go,” Rainbow whispered before quickly flying out of the room, leaving Rarity and Fluttershy with their patients. The two stood there, watching her fade into the distance.
“Poor Dash,” Fluttershy said, turning away. “This war has been so harsh on her.”
“It's been harsh on us all,” Rarity replied.





All the funerals were held in the dining room, right before the ponies ate dinner. The funeral was comprised of a short ceremony, in which Spitfire made a speech and presented tombstones and medals for all the lost soldiers, and a moment of silence following it. When it ended, all of the ponies were allowed to begin eating, and their days carried on as they normally would. There was a funeral almost everyday, and during it, there was one shared emotion throughout all of the hundreds rebels living in the base: sadness.

Cheese Sandwich was the one responsible for planning every aspect of the funeral. He had to set-up the dining room, position and clean the tables, make the medals, write the speech, everything. It was a tough task, but Cheese was able to accomplish it every time.
As he worked on cleaning all the tables, Cheese was humming his favorite tunes from the past: The Super Duper Party Pony, Make a Wish, and some of Sapphire Shores and Countess Coloratura’s best works. It kept him calm as he worked. Working on a funeral was never easy.
Cheese didn't even notice when Spitfire and Soarin flew in, and he just kept on humming.
“Ugh, Cheese,” Spitfire said, breaking Cheese's song. “What did I tell you about the humming?”
“The songs are so catchy,” Cheese shrugged. “How can I resist?”
“The same way the rest of us do, Cheese. Those songs are from long before the war. You've got to stop dwelling on the past, and start focusing on the present.”
Soarin was about to speak, but Spitfire was glaring, so he didn't.
“I do focus on the present, Spitfire.” Cheese continued. “I'm doing this funeral, aren't I?”
“Yeah, that's what I'm here to talk to you about,” Spitfire said, clearing her throat loudly. “We've got to stop having these funerals.”
Soarin and Cheese’s jaws dropped. 
“Wha- Why?” Cheese asked, scrubbing the tables with a towel at an alarming speed. “I'm confused…”
“It's for the better of the ponies,” Spitfire said. “These funerals make the ponies depressed, and their depression is hurting productivity. We make less army uniforms, there's less food, and ponies are getting less sleep, making them do less.”
“But…” Cheese began, on the verge of tears. “The funerals are a time when we remember and honor the loved ones we've lost! They're super important! So many would be forgotten without one!”
“Say, if funerals are how we honor the loved ones we've lost,” Soarin chimed in, “then why haven't we given one to Pinkie Pie?”
As soon as he said it, he regretted it.
“Because Pinkie is NOT dead,” Cheese Sandwich said, trying to sound calm. The table he was cleaning was shaking. “Nopony saw her die, so there's still a chance!”
“Cheese, she's been gone for so many moons,” Spitfire groaned. “Sombra's army has her! We saw them take her!”
“But Pinkie's strong and… and unpredictable! She could've made it out!”
“So why isn't she here then, Cheese? Think about it! You've got to let her go!”
“No! I can't! She's still out there! I know it!”
“No you don't. You don't know ANYTHING.” Spitfire’s voice echoed throughout the room. “Like, I said, you've got to stop dwelling on the past, and start focusing on the present. She's gone, Cheese. Pinkie is GONE.”
Upon hearing this, Cheese changed. All of a sudden, he looked traumatized. He sat down, and stayed silent. Spitfire looked at him sternly, as Soarin backed away. For a whole minute, all there was was silence.
Spitfire was the one to break the silence. “Cheese, look, I get it. She was your friend, and she was a great soldier. But you have to accept the truth sometime.” She began to fly away, but turned back. “I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether or not we have the funerals. Think over both sides carefully, and come to me when you've made a choice.” With that, she left Cheese with Soarin, who had been quietly standing against the wall, watching Cheese and Spitfire fight.
Cheese's eyes were wide and teary, and he sat completely still and silent.
Soarin decided that giving Cheese time alone was a good idea, and decided to leave the room. As he turned to go, however, he said something to Cheese:
“If it makes you feel any better, I liked your humming.”





At sunset, everypony was expected to go to the dining hall for dinner and the funeral. While almost everypony attended, there were a few week didn't. Some were too busy working. Others just didn't feel like attending. But no matter what the reason, they were there in spirit. Everypony was there, physically or not.

The dining room was filling up as ponies entered the room. While the funeral wasn't going to start for a while, ponies always arrived early to ensure they would get a portion of food, and a seat. Too many times, ponies would be left without food, or sitting on the floor.

Twilight was sitting alone at a table in the dining room, waiting for the funeral to start. In front of her, there was a tray full of food. While she couldn't start eating until the funeral was over, Twilight was very hungry. Like all of the ponies in the base, she hadn't eaten since the day before. All that was on the tray was a slice of bread, applesauce, and a few flower petals. Before the war, it would have seemed like a little, but now, it was what kept many ponies going.
“Hey there, Twilight,” a voice called from behind, making Twilight jump.
“Oh, hey, Applejack!” Twilight said, turning to see her her friend. Applejack was wearing her hat and was also holding a tray of food. She who sat down next to Twilight, who smiled at her. “Great to see you! How are things going in the kitchen?”
“Fine, actually,” Applejack said. “For once, we aren't low on food. We were able to cook a nice meal for y'all today.” The two looked at their trays. “Well, as nice as we could get with our resources.”
“It looks fine, AJ,” Twilight reassured her. “It's more than we had last week, at the least.”
“Yeah, that's true,” Applejack said, pushing away her tray. “So, I saw Rarity and Fluttershy today.”
“Really? I haven't seen those two in forever! How are they?”
“They seem fine. Just busy, that's all.”
“Well, they work in a hospital during a war,” Twilight sighed. “Of course they're going to be busy.”
“What's wrong, Twilight?” Applejack asked, detecting sorrow in Twilight's words.
“I just… miss them. We used to be so close, but ever since the war began…”
“...we've barely seen them at all,” the two finished together. They looked each other, their bodies sagging and lips trembling.
“Where are they right now? Are they coming?” Twilight asked, with a small bit of hope in her voice.
“Rarity and Fluttershy are still in the hospital,” Applejack answered. “Doubt they'll be coming out anytime soon. And I dunno about Dash.” There were tears in Twilight's eyes as AJ told her this. Realizing this, AJ put her leg around Twilight and hugged her.
“This life is so lonely,” Twilight said. 
“You can say that again,” Applejack replied.





“Funeral begins in two minutes,” Soarin announced to all the ponies, from the stage in the front of the dining hall. The ponies listened, then nodded before returning to their conversations. At the moment, the ponies were talking, loud and lively. In two minutes, however, they'd be quiet and saddened. Everyday, the funeral caused sadness for the rebellion. Losing a friend wasn't easy for the ponies.
Soarin walked off the stage, looking for a table where he could sit and watch the funeral. Though there weren't many chairs at each table, the tables were crowded with ponies who were trying to spend as much time as they could with their friends. The ponies never knew when they might lose each other, and held onto their friendship as much as they could. Fear was present almost every minute.
Soarin looked at every table before deciding where to sit. He walked toward the table Applejack, Twilight, and Cheese Sandwich were sitting at, trying not to interrupt what they were doing. Applejack was playing with her hat, spinning it on her hoof, while Cheese just sat there, resting his head on the table. Twilight was looking away at something else entirely.
“Mind if I sit here?” Soarin asked them, trying to smile at the frowning Cheese.
“Not at all,” Applejack said, pushing the nearest chair toward Soarin. “Make yourself nice an’ comfy.”
“Thanks, AJ,” Soarin replied happily.
“No problem,” AJ said, looking at Soarin. “Ready for the funeral?”
“As ready as I'll ever be,” Soarin sighed. “These constant funerals take so much out of you, you know?”
“Maybe Spitfire was right,” Cheese broke in, speaking for the first time in hours. There was a feeling of pain within his voice. “Maybe I should stop doing these constant funerals. They make everypony sad, and well, that goes against what I did my entire life before the war: making ponies happy. But on the other hoof, they help us remember the ponies we've lost throughout this war. I don't want to forget them.” He sighed. “I guess I'm just super conflicted about what should be done.” Soarin and Applejack looked at each other. Twilight kept looking away.
“Well, think it over,” Soarin said. “Consider what you really want, but also consider what's best for everypony. Stay true to yourself.” He gave a smile to Cheese, who slowly lifted his head. A tiny smile formed on his face.
“Thanks for that,” Applejack whispered to Soarin. “I think he needed somethin’ like that. “
“Hey, not a problem at all.” Soarin was grinning. Shortly after, the lights in the dining hall began to dim. “Kay, seems like the funeral is starting.”
“I guess Dash isn't coming,” Twilight moaned, turning away from what she was focusing on: the doors.
“Guess not,” Applejack said, frowning.

Within seconds, all of the ponies’ chattering ceased. All attention turned to the stage, and the room was filled with an eerie silence. Spitfire, who had been waiting for her cue in the hallway, slowly walked onto the stage. Every time she stepped on the wooden floor, it creaked. Her hoofsteps could be heard all throughout the base. It was the only sound.
When she made it onto the stage, Spitfire coughed. There was no microphone, so she had to project her voice all throughout the room. It constantly hurt her throat.
“Good evening, everypony,” Spitfire loudly began, reciting her speech from memory. “As of today, we've been in this war for over a year. We've been through many fights, and together, as a rebellion, we've tried to make a stand against King Sombra’s army and allies. Many times, we've succeeded. However,” she paused, “there have been many, many causalities.”
All the ponies in the audience nodded, knowing what was to come.
“Tonight, we are gathered here to remember and honor six of those ponies who lost their lives through this time.”
The room was dead silent. Many ponies had tears in their eyes.
“These six soldiers were brave,” Spitfire continued, carrying her voice throughout the room. “They all died heroically, fighting Sombra’s army until the end. We must honor their sacrifice,” she said, clearing her throat. “All of these ponies should not be remembered as soldiers, but as heroes. All of them: Lightning Dust, Noteworthy, Misty Fly, Blaze, Double Diamond, and Joe.”
Suddenly, a cry broke out throughout the room, interrupting Spitfire’s speech. Several ponies who knew the deceased had begun loudly sobbing and moaning. Other ponies quickly tried to hug them or wipe their tears away, but the ponies kept on crying. Within seconds, sobbing and sorrow filled entire the room. Seeing this, Applejack, Soarin, Twilight, and Cheese sunk down in their seats.
“I can't believe this is what every day of our lives was become,” Applejack sighed as she listened to the crying ponies.
“I know,” Twilight said, trying to get beneath the table. “And everyday, I wish we could go back to the lives we had before.”

Together, the group watched the ponies cry, and tried not to get engulfed by the sorrow that filled the entire room. It was a sorrow that almost never left the ponies. It filled the base almost everyday.