The Unity Pact

by Truthseeker

Chapter 32: Laid To Rest: Part 1

The Royal Carriage was quite large. Pulled by a team of no less than a score of Pegasi Guards, the open faced, gold trimmed affair looked to be at least fifteen feet long and ten feet wide. Princess Celestia along with a white Unicorn stallion and two Alicorn mares I had never seen before. They were all situated on couches inside the carriage that I could only assume were somehow fastened to the floor of the thing. The sides and back of the carriage were a full Fathom tall and I could see a door in the side. I could see a series of eight wheels along the side facing us and I imagined, logically that there must be eight other wheels on the far side. The side door was quickly opened by a valet, wearing a purple vest.

Twilight led the way, stepping onto the carriage first. I was going to let the others board and enter last, but Rarity nudged me into motion, so I boarded next. I took a couch behind the pink Alicorn mare and Twilight sat behind the white stallion.

The girls boarded next and Razor brought up the rear, which I thought was unnecessary, but I shrugged it off. As soon as we were all loaded, the valet closed the door and the Pegasi took off. I shifted uncomfortably on the couch and decided to let Celestia know.

"Maybe next time I ride with you I could get a seat that's built for a Human frame?" I said loudly.

Celestia turned her head and looked down at the couch upon which I was situated,
"Sorry," her horn lit up and suddenly the couch became a cushy chair, "Is that better?"

"Yes, thank you." I replied, "So, are you going to introduce me?"

Celestia, still facing me, said,
"Wouldn't you prefer to make introductions face to face? The carriage is a bit awkward for such things."

I had to concede her point. I sat back in the soft chair and sighed in contentment, 'This is seriously comfortable.' I was glad I had left the khopesh and its sheath back at the library. They would have been awkward to sit with, and my hatchet was awkward enough.

I decided to watch the scenery go by to pass the time. Equestria was as beautiful as it had been the first time. The miles and miles of lush forests stretched on until they merged with the horizon. I spotted a large, white mass off to the left, but I couldn't make it out clearly.

"That's Cloudsdale," I heard Rainbow Dash say behind me, "An entire city made of clouds and populated only by Pegasi."

I squinted my eyes but I couldn't make out most of the details, it was just to far away. I shifted the focus of my vision to the colossal mountain looming ahead of us. If I had thought Canterlot looked beautiful at night, in the daylight, it was awe inspiring. I couldn't help but to compare it to Minas Tirith. High towers, flags flying in the breeze, it was a city of white and gold that reflected the sunlight like a mirror, resplendent in the glory of its architecture.

We passed the mountain all too quickly for my liking and before us stretched more miles of forest,
"How long will it take to get to New Humansville?" I asked nopony in particular.

Celestia answered me,
"About two hours." she regarded me curiously, "Are you uncomfortable?

I chuckled,
"Not at all. If anything I'm ready to fall asleep."

"Be my guest." Celestia said, "I fear this day will be very draining on all of us."

I laid my head back and closed my eyes while the sun warmed my skin.

I was awakened by Twilight nudging me with her right wing,
"Wake up Artex. We're here."

I looked around and rubbed my eyes. The girls were disembarking from the carriage in opposite order as they got on. While I waited, I could hear the sound of many voices and I caught a smell that I knew all too well, death. I heard a number of raised voices as soon as Razor Wit stepped off the carriage, but the sound of whimpering caught my attention. I turned my head and beheld Fluttershy shaking like a leaf. I couldn't say I was surprised, her name did have the word 'shy' in it after all. Rarity stroked her mane gently and whispered something into her ear than seemed to embolden her. The custard yellow mare stepped off the carriage when her time came and a chorus of male voices rose in volume.

Pinkie Pie went next, the Applejack, who was sitting right next to me, then it was my turn. I stood up and stepped off the carriage. The sight that met me was one that burned itself into my memory. Humans and Ponies stood intermingled in front of a tall, white stone building. More stone buildings surrounded us and beyond those was row upon row of trees bearing.orange fruit. The path under my feet was cobblestone but here and there I could see splotches of brown on the otherwise gray stone. The Humans were all thin but muscled. The Humans wore light brown shirts and bark brown pants and many were sporting bandaged injuries. The Ponies had a few injuries among them as well. Every single Human lapsed into silence as soon as I came into view.

I couldn't have felt more self conscious if I tried. The Ponies looked confused and the Humans looked shocked. I picked out a few faces I knew, R.J. Brinsin and Bobby Jewel were the first two I spotted.

A voice bellowed out and the crowd parted neatly. Down the middle of the break strode Darryl, Chris, and Lieutenant Joyner. They looked terrible. Chris had bags under his eyes and he had lost so much weight I barely recognized him. His right arm was in a sling too. Darryl looked thinner but more muscular and the top of his head was bandaged. The Lieutenant looked the worst though. Both his arms were bandaged, from wrist to elbow on his right arm and from finger tip to shoulder on his left. What struck me the hardest though was their eyes. Chris' eyes were hollow and expressionless, seemingly tired of everything, almost a mix of bored and half dead. Lieutenant Joyner and Darryl on the other hand just looked a bit sleep deprived.

I was shocked, 'What the hell could have done this to Chris?' I stepped toward them and embraced Chris, he put his arms around me and patted my back, but it was like he wasn't even really there.

We let go of each other and I held him at arm's length,
"What's wrong?" I asked.

Chris met my eyes,
"Nothing, just tired." he said offhandedly.

I didn't believe him, but I turned to Darryl and embraced him too,
"Good to see you man." I said.

Darryl pushed me away gentle and examined my face with a grin,
"I like the new look." he said, laughter in his voice, "Sure as hell is an improvement." he slapped me on the back and hugged me hard, "We missed you bro."

We broke out embrace and I turned to Joyner,
"Am I going to get written up for being late?"

He cracked a smile and patted me on my right shoulder,
"I guess I can let you slide this time. Just don't let it happen again."

The crowd of Ponies all around us fell silent. The difference in noise caught my attention and I turned around, back toward the carriage. Twilight had just stepped off the carriage and the Ponies were bowing. Twilight stepped to the side and Celestia came next, followed by a Pony I could only assume was Princess Luna and finally the pink Alicorn stepped off as well.

The four of them stood together in a row for a brief moment before Celestia spoke,
"You may rise."

I noticed that not a single one of the Humans bowed to the Alicorns, though many seemed to favor the darker colored one.

The valet hopped down from . . . I couldn't see where and cleared his throat,
"Ahem, presenting Princesses Twilight." Twilight nodded her head, "Celestia," Celestia nodded her head, "Luna," Luna nodded her head, "Cadence," the pink Alicorn nodded her head, "And Prince Shining Armor."

The Unicorn stallion stepped off the carriage and nodded his head as well. I wasn't surprised the valet had spoken in Velensovth, but I was disappointed.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Cadence began softly in American, "I am Cadence and this is my husband Shining Armor. It is an honor to be here with you all today. Even though the circumstances are far from what any would consider ideal or even acceptable, my husband and I felt it was the right thing to do to honor those who fought so bravely." she performed a full bow then rose.

Shining Armor cleared his throat,
"This is an occasion both to celebrate and to mourn," he spoke in American and I shot Celestia a puzzled look as he continued, "A great many live have been lost and for that we weep, but those individuals who perished, did so knowing that their actions, their choice to protect others, was the right thing to do. They were not soldiers and none of the Humans were Guards, but one thing stands tall above differences of species or height. Their bravery and sacrifice will be remembered, not just with tears but with quiet solemnity for their honor, sacrifice, and bravery." he too bowed to the ground.

Twilight spoke next,
"I am afraid I have yet to meet you all, I am Twilight Sparkle. I've been living with Dan for some time and in that time, through him, I have begun to understand a little bit about your culture and people. You are an amazing group and the challenges you've faced have been tremendous, but you kept on and you never gave up. Your valor in putting yourselves at risk defending those around you is to be commended to the very highest degree. Those who lost their lives, did so for the only reason that exists for such a tragedy. Their dedication, bravery, and selflessness will be remembered for ages to come. Thank you. Thank you for keeping Equestria safe." she bowed deeply then rose.

Luna spoke next,
"Most of you know me and I am proud to say I know you as well. I fought with the defenders during the battle and I can honestly say I have rarely, if ever, seen such bravery or dedication. Once the situation became obvious, nobody, Human or Pony among the defenders, said a single word about themselves in concerning any matters of selfishness. You and those who fell have my gratitude, but more than that you have my respect." she bowed as well.

Celestia spoke last,
"I have spent some time contemplating what could have been done differently. What actions could have been taken to lessen the number of lives lost in this, what can only be described as both an unmitigated disaster and a triumph beyond expectation." she hung her head and lowered her eyes, "I have reviewed the actions of all involved and found myself lacking." she raised her head and looked out over the crowd, "Nothing more could have been expected of you! You all performed far above and beyond the call of duty! You have bled and died in the name of self sacrifice! Things might have been different before, they certainly will be now!" she stomped her right fore hoof, "As soon as the town is completed all of Equestria will know of you! Not only of your bravery and your sacrifice, but of your honor! For you you have placed yourselves in harm's way for those to whom you held no allegiance and to whom you owed no obligation! Other things may be overlooked but your actions will not be! By my oath, the names of all who fought in the Battle For New Humansville will be recorded in the Royal Guard Hall Of Valor for future generations to see and bear witness to your honor!" she lowered her voice and finished, "Thank you."

And with that, Celestia bowed and dug her horn through the cobblestones and into the dirt beneath. The Ponies were aghast, the Princess never debased herself in such a way. It was unheard of, unthinkable. Celestia raised her head and looked out over the crowd. Silence stretched for several minutes as everybody processed what had happened. Neither Luna, Twilight, nor Cadence had expected it.

"Thank you Princess." Chris said crossing his arms, "Are you guys all staying for the funeral?"

"And the meeting afterward." I said.

Darryl looked at me confused,
"That was today?"

I suddenly felt like an ass, 'Of course they wouldn't remember it. They've all been in shock from the battle.',
"Is there any way we can reschedule the meeting?" I asked Celestia loudly.

The white Alicorn nodded,
"Of course . . . "

"Bring it on!" Mike yelled, "Otherwise we're liable to get bored and just go home. I could be lounging on a beach with an ice-cold beer right now." he smiled and gestured with his thumb, "Besides, it would be a waste to tear down the stage and have all the caterers go home now. They're already setting up their tables."

Celestia was speechless at Mike's audacity, so Luna stepped for her,
"Are you certain? I would not ask you to make such decisions when you are not prepared for it." Luna asked.

Mike raised his arms,
"VOTE!" he exclaimed, "BY SHOW OF HANDS. DO WE SETTLE THE LAWS TODAY AFTER THE FUNERAL OR DO WE WAIT? ALL IN FAVOR OF DECIDING THE LAWS TODAY?"

Nearly every hand rose.

Mike crossed his arms and turned back to the four stunned Alicorns
"We're in."

* * *

Chris was leading me around the town while Razor Wit and the girls walked around mingling,
"The town has seen a huge influx of Ponies since the battle." Chris said as he gave me the grand tour, "Queenie over there," he gestured to Celestia, "Said she was going to have the town finished and up and running before she turned the place back over. She also said she was going to send in a bunch of counselors who can speak English. A lot of people are messed up in the head." Chris sighed, "If I'm being honest, I'm one of them." he ran his good hand through his hair, "You should have been there Dan. There was blood everywhere . . . so much blood . . . the dead bodies . . . the sounds . . . the smell . . . "

I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed,
"It's over Chris."

He turned to me and shook his head,
"That's just it, it ISN'T over," he pointed to his head, "Not in here." he turned away from me and gazed out at the rest of the town, "Every time I close my eyes I can still see it." he lapsed into silence.

"I know what it's like Chris." I said, "I put a bullet in a man's head remember."

He didn't turn his head,
"Does it ever go away Dan?"

"No." I said honestly, "You just learn to live with it. If it ever goes away, something is wrong with you."

"How do you do it?" he asked.

"You have to force yourself to go on with your life. I'm not saying it's easy, it's not. It's one of the hardest things you'll ever do. Keep yourself busy and it will eventually fade into the background. You'll never be exactly the same, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Once you've killed for whatever reason, you realize exactly how easy it is and if you're wise, it will make you respect life that much more. Those who are weak won't have any issue with killing again, but those who are strong will become much more wise. It's a weight, and now it's one you have to bear, whether you like it or not." I said.

"That wasn't particularly helpful Dan." Chris said blandly.

"Wouldn't you rather know beforehand if you were facing a hard slog up a rough hill?" I asked, "The same is true here." I decided to change the subject, hoping the distraction would take Chris' mind off his memories, if only for a few minutes, "So" I said pointing to a series of buildings that were being constructed by a gaggle of Ponies, "What's with these buildings?"

Chris seemed to all but snap back to himself,
"Oh, those are going to be homes. There aren't enough foundations for everybody to have one yet so the Ponies are expanding the town. They have to uproot the whole orchard of orange trees and move them to make room for all the new buildings. We don't have any foundations large enough to function as a hospital so one of the new foundations is going to be big. It's going to be tricky too since the whole town rests on a shallow hill. We've had a few discussions about how the town will run after it's finished." he stopped and waved all around the Town Square with his good arm, "Imagine this whole flat area filled with vendors selling things: carts, kiosks, blankets on the ground, it'll be like a bazaar." he turned and gestured to the two story tall stone buildings all around, "All these will be bars, taverns and Inns. That way they're all in one place and each business will have to improve themselves in order to generate the sales they need." he gestured to Town Hall, "Imagine this thing filled with offices for various city government officials. Sewage, Zoning, Treasury, all under one roof. They would be on the second floor. Top floor would be the mail center so the Mail Couriers could have a central location to work from. The first level would be for town meetings and the courtroom."

"I could imagine it better if we could go in there." I said.

Chris shrugged,
"Sorry man, the building isn't sound, and I didn't need Queenie to tell me that either."

"Why do you keep calling her a queen?" I asked.

"That's pretty much what she is. Granted most queens are married but I'm not inclined to ask." Chris said with a shrug.

"So when is the funeral supposed to happen?" I asked.

"Here before too long." Chris hesitated for a brief moment, "Did anyone tell you who died?"

I shook my head,
"No, I neglected to ask too." I had a sinking feeling that Chris was about to tell me something I didn't want to hear, "Why?"

Chris sighed and scratched the back of his head,
"It was during the battle . . . of course it was during the battle," he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "We lost Spearman."

I took a deep breath and nodded,
"Alright," I nodded again, "Alright."

My mind began replaying all the times I had worked with Spearman. The first time we met, hearing him talk about his kids and how he never cursed or listened to dirty jokes, even around us, because he didn't want to get into the habit of it and slip up in front of his kids. He had always wanted to set a good example for his five kids and now he was dead. He never had a chance to say goodbye to his own children and now he was dead on some world he never belonged in, in the first place. I closed my eyes and said a short prayer for my friend.

I heard a sudden burst of sound from above and I turned my eyes skyward. A dark blue, almost black flare streamed in the clear blue sky. The direction of the flare seemed to be a signal. Chris wordlessly headed off in the direction of the flare and I followed him.

We made our way through the developing town, weaving around buildings and foundations, toward a destination that was unknown to me. Chris seemed to know the way so I followed him. We headed into the orange orchard and emerged from it on the other side, overlooking a long line of Humans and Ponies filing toward the distant tree line. Leading the procession was Mike Joyner carrying a liter that had a white sheet-covered form on it. More and more liters followed the first, fifty-eight in total. Behind the bodies the Humans and Ponies intermingled in a straight line. Toward the rear of the line were the Princesses. Chris made his way through the growing fields of crops and followed the gathering group.

The procession was slow and somber as was proper for such an occasion. Chris and I took up our places at the very back of the line as we all headed toward the treeline to the South-West of New Humansville. It took quite a while for us to reach the shade of the trees and still, even then, we continued walking.

After what I judged to be close to an hour, we emerged into a clearing. The small field was barely large enough to hold all of us. Chris and I couldn't see what was happening so we moved around and politely pushed our way through so we could see.

There were more than fifty-eight freshly dug graves, though all of them were facing East to West. I wondered who the additional graves were for, since there looked to be just over a dozen of them. A second, smaller procession came from the South-West. It consisted of all Ponies and they carried thirteen liters, all covered with white sheets and was led by a Pegasus stallion in Guard armor. I noticed that every single pall-bearer Pony was dressed in the golden colored armor of the Guard. Unicorns levitated two of the liters with their magic, Pegasi carried five liters with their out-stretched wings, and Earth Ponies carried six liters using poles stretched across their backs.

Following the liters was a line of Ponies, many more than I would have guessed. They were all different breeds, ages, and sizes. Nearly all of them were already in tears. Mares and stallions supported each other, some nearly collapsing from their grief. I saw foals crying, some so hard they had to be carried by their parents, and I earnestly hoped that none of them had lost a father.

A presence close to me made me turn my head to my left,
"Would you do the honors of translating the Pony eulogy for the Humans? Razor Wit already agreed to translate the Human eulogy for the Ponies." Celestia asked.

I nodded, it was appropriate enough. The second procession filled up the remaining space in the field and the ones in Guard armor carried their comrades to the thirteen graves that had not had any bodies set next to them yet. The Pegasus stallion who led the second procession took up a place standing next to Joyner. I walked out of the crowd and approached the stallion. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Razor Wit break off from the crowd and approach Joyner.

I stepped up to the stallion and stood next to him,
"I'm your translator." I said simply.

The stallion did not move or answer, his eyes were straight ahead, focused and intense. We had to wait for the second procession to come to a halt before anybody spoke.

Joyner cleared his throat loudly and Razor Wit's horn lit up,
"I am Michael Joyner and I speak for those who have died. We are here today, to lay to rest, those who died in The Battle For New Humansville. These honored dead committed themselves to the defense of both Ponies and Humans alike. Many of these people did not have the benefit of any sort of military training or mental preparation yet they stood their ground and didn't give an inch. They placed themselves as a shield against a foe which before now we had not faced. This is the truest form of selflessness and should be remembered as such. Let us not remember them in the chaos of the battle, but rather celebrate the lives they lived which led up to that action and strive to emulate that essence in everything we do. They should not only be mourned but also celebrated, for their's is an example to follow, of the highest caliber. Their memory, we honor today. We pray that in death, they will find the peace they fought for in life. They did not fight for war, glory, or recognition, but for peace. Let us all work toward that same goal in our everyday lives."

He turned to the graves and threw a sharp salute,
"Rest well. May you find your reward in that place beyond this life, we have yet to go." he lowered his hand and turned back to the gathering, "In this time of sorrow we may feel angry or bitter toward the Diamond Dogs, but let us not forget that they were victims in this, just as much as we are. They lost an entire city's worth of civilians and it was their soldiers who gave us what little time we had. Let us not consider them an enemy, but a people whose suffering is even greater than our own, for we are all as one in this time of loss.

The Pegasus stallion spoke next, and I began translating,
"I am Stiff Breeze, Captain Commander of the Civil Guard. All Pegasi in attendance, rise on the wind for the delivery of the eulogy, as is tradition any time a Pegasus is put to rest." he said in a loud clarion voice.

There was a stirring within the entire crowd and Pegasi began rising into the air. The multicolored group pulled up, on an even level with the tree tops and provided a bit of shade. Each and every one of them was silent.

The stallion began,
"The families of these thirteen Ponies who perished in the Battle For New Humansville have all agreed to have their lost loved ones buried alongside those they fought with as a symbol of honor to all who gave their lives. Let it be known that these thirteen, along with the rest of the Civil Guard volunteered to be placed here. They received no extra monetary compensation and were not coerced into doing so. They fought and died to protect beings they had no prior knowledge of and toward whom they owed nothing yet their decision was as firm as their commitment and they proved that beyond any shadow of a doubt. The sorrow within the hearts of their families is matched only by their solemn pride at the honor of their actions. That honor is the greatest any being can ever hope to be given: to give their all, the highest price any may be asked, so that others may live. Let them be remembered as dutiful sons, honorable brothers, dedicated uncles, and loving fathers as appropriate. As I call the names of each, would their families please come forward and perform the final rest as you have arranged."

"Stone Wall, Earth Pony, age nineteen." the stallion said.

Eighteen other Ponies emerged from the gathering. They were of all breeds, Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns. Mares and stallions of all ages were in the family, as were three crying foals carried on their elder's backs. The Ponies stopped in front of the rows of graves and Stiff Breeze stepped up to one of the covered forms. He bit the white sheet and reverently pulled it down, revealing the still form of a white Earth Pony clad in gold colored armor. Stiff Breeze stood to the side and the adults of the family began carefully removing the Stone Wall's armor. Once it was removed, Stone Wall was revealed to be a bright reddish-orange stallion with a mane and tail of very light sky blue. The family set the armor aside on the grass then formed a circle around him, their shoulders touching.

Every adult in the family gently planted their noses against the body and spoke loudly in unison,
"As you once were, so shall you be once more. Let the dirt embrace you for your time is done, go and be one with the earth. The world has dimmed with your passing and the rivers weep the song of the ages as an eternal lullaby. Go now to your final rest. When you awaken, it will be to the infinite fields of eternity where the souls of your forebears wait to welcome you with rejoicing and gladness. You have made them proud, as you have honored us by joining the gift of your life to ours and making our lives full and plentiful. We thank you for the laughter and memories and we vow to keep you in our alive in our hearts and minds so long as we shall live. Be at peace, child of the earth." with their words spoken, they all nosed their snouts under the body, lifted him up, carried him over the grave and reverently lowered him into the ground.

The family slowly retreated back to the crowd and Stiff Breeze spoke up again,
"Stern Gale, Pegasus, age twenty-nine."

Twenty-two Ponies broke away from the crowd. Just like before, the family was of all breeds, genders, and ages. I noticed many more foals in the second group and, as if only to strengthen my sorrow, I heard three of the fillies cry out, 'Daddy' when Stiff Breeze removed the sheet. The Ponies gathered around the body of a Pegasus stallion and they began removing his armor. Stern Gale turned out to be sea blue coated stallion who had a mane and tail of royal blue. As soon as the fillies saw him, they broke forth into renewed sobbing. I supposed that seeing him as they knew him only made the scene that much more real for them. My heart went out to those three fillies, but I held back my own tears.

The entire family gathered around the body and I initially expected them to repeat what the first family had said. They did not.

"Nose to the wind, wings spread wide, fly now beyond sight and into the sky beyond the sky. Linger not here for your home lies above. A flight of your ancestors is waiting to find you. Join their flight and explore the wind, for the earth is but a speck, but the sky goes on forever. The winds of eternity are wild and untamed and a great gale threatens all. Go and tame the wind once more, as you did in life and may you fight on until all is tame and safe. We thank you for the laughter and memories and we vow to keep you alive in our hearts and minds so long as we shall live. Be at peace, child of the wind." as before, they nosed their snouts under the body, lifted, carried it over a grave and slowly lowered it down into the ground.

The family retreated back to the gathering or into the sky.

"Shiver, Unicorn, age twenty-two." Stiff Breeze said.

The family that came forward was much smaller than the others, only eleven Ponies. None were foals. Same as the first two, they gingerly removed his armor with their teeth and set it on the ground. Shiver turned out to be an ice blue Unicorn with a snowy white mane and tail.

They gathered around him and, just like the others, placed their noses against his body and spoke in unison,
"Born to die, the cycle continues as you knew it would. The time given to every life is different for all and your time has passed. May you join with those who found the highest roads of knowledge and wisdom and may you bring them that which they sought, that it might be added to their own and grow in strength. Join now with the magic of the world that conceived your light brought you forth to us for a time. Let it guide you and lead you on the great journey that lies ahead. Discover the truths of all things and take your rest, knowing all was as it should be. We thank you for the laughter and memories and we vow to keep you alive in our hearts and minds so long as we shall live. Be at peace, child of magic." they nosed their snouts under the body and did as before, lowering him into the ground.

Each and every family came forward and performed the same rite according to the breed of the deceased. After the families were finished Earth Ponies came forward and filled in the graves which held other Earth Ponies. The Pegasi dispersed and landed all around and began gathering sticks then throwing them into the graves which held Pegasi. Unicorns of the families of the dead Unicorns gathered around each of the Unicorn's graves and lit their horns. I couldn't see what they did, but a strange golden light shone from each of the Unicorn's graves. The Unicorns finished and filled in the graves with dirt. The Pegasi stopped gathering sticks and stood back as one Pegasus from each family flew into the sky and brought forth a cloud over the graves. The Pegasi pounded down lightning into each grave, setting the sticks aflame.

Stiff Breeze stood still as a stone as the Guard pallbearers surrounded all the graves in the field. He stomped his right fore hoof and the Guards saluted in perfect unison. They held their pose for exactly ten seconds the lowered their hooves.

A loud, feminine voice echoed up out of the crowd and I recognized Cessily's tone instantly,
"A-ha-maaaaazing graaaaace hooooow sweeeeet thuuuuh souuuuund . . . "

I felt myself immediately tearing up. I had been holding back as well as I could, but hearing Richardson's soulful rendition of my favorite hymn sent me over the edge. I blinked my eyes and the tears fell, staining my cheeks, but I kept my head up and watched as many, many others did the same.

As Cessily continued, I raised my voice and joined her,
"Tha-hat saaaaaved a-ha wreeeeetch li-hike meeeeeeeeee, I-hi ooooonce wa-has looooost, bu-hut nooooow aaaaam fouuuuund . . . " I cried all the harder as a chorus of voices joined in, it sounded like a perfect choir, "Wa-has bliiiiind bu-hut nooooow I-hi seeeeeeeeee . . . "

I could hear more and more voices joining in, not just Humans, but Ponies too. They sung not a single word of the song, but they lent their voices to the tune all the same. It was beautiful and perfect. I blinked to clear my eyes and I beheld a sight as if from heaven itself. The entire crowd, Humans, Earth Ponies, Pegasi, Unicorns, and even the Alicorns were glowing with a bright golden aura. All eyes were closed save mine and I fell to my knees in reverence of what was happening all around me. I closed my eyes and sung out with all my heart, my own voice lost among an ocean, completely joined together for the first time, hearts, minds, and souls in mourning.

"Twa-has graaaaace tha-hat tauuuuught myyyyy heaaaaart tooooo feeeeear, a-hand graaaaace myyyyy feeeeears re-he-leeeeeeeeeeved, ho-how preeeeecio-hous diiiiid tha-hat graaaaace aaaaappear the-he hooooour I-hi fiiiiirst be-helieeeeeved . . . " during the third verse, the voices rose to a crescendo and I would swear I heard music from somewhere, "Throu-hough maaaaany daaaaangers, toiiiiils, aaaaand snaaaaares I-hi haaaaave alreeeeeady coooooooooom, twa-has graaaaace tha-hat broooooght meeeee saaaaafe thuuuuus faaaaar a-hand graaaaace wiiiiil leeeeead meeeee hoooooooooome."

The entire gathering lapsed into silence and something that had long ago hardened in my heart shattered to pieces. I had shed some tears when I told Razor about how I missed my family, but I hadn't been able to actually let out anything significant. When something broke apart inside me, it let loos everything I had kept pent up inside, not just some of it, all of it. I wrapped my arms around myself and rocked back and forth on the ground. I was weeping so hard I thought I might die. I was helpless against the onslaught of emotion. I felt myself begin to tip over, but I could not care any less. I felt a pressure against my right side holding me up and a second pressure against my left. I didn't care who it was, I wrapped my arms around them and pulled them close, unable to see through my tears and unwilling to care enough to try. I cried and cried until I could cry no more.

I slowly calmed down and finally cracked open my eyes. Chris was knelt down on the ground on my left and his arms around my shoulders were a bulwark against my slowly ebbing feelings. To my right was Razor Wit, muzzle burried against my chest as she held me up with her body, pressed against my right side. The rest of the field was mostly empty, save for a few families who were still at the graves of their loved ones.

'Chris and Razor,' I thought, 'You two stayed with me until I was done.' I smiled and hugged them once more, 'Thank you.' I thought, holding them tighter, 'Truly, thank you.'

Comments

[Triv_]

Feels. Feels everywhere.

[mickal9090]

well...all of my emotions are scattered on my couch, hope your happy because some of it went inside of it

[Truthseeker]

I take it then, the breed-specific burial rites were at least acceptable?

[Iron Sky]

Tears status: manly, shed.

[Scarheart]

The eulogies moved me. Very compelling writing.

[TheTownCrier]

That was hard to read through the tears.

[kotor511]

4397619 If the canon series were ever rated PG 13 or higher, those would be bulls eye accurate.

[No I Will Not]

canitbesaturdaynow.com/images/fpics/1409/1245528985239__large.jpg

[Fawkes]

i.ytimg.com/vi/PCdKlnXCP94/hqdefault.jpg

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

*Salutes fallen while marine squad does 21 gun salute*
May they be remembered for their bravery....

[Dark Shade 75]

The lyrics to the song were VERY awkward to read because of how you did it. We know how it's sung, you don't need to do that.

[Eliseo221]

So...let me get this straight...they were going to be in the same carriage for 2 hours, and they decide to postpone introductions untill hey got to their destination...?

That makes no God damn sense...

People normally talk during long trips like that, specially if they don't have any other distractions like cellphones. Are they just going to akwardly sit in the cabin just not talking to each other?

It would have made much more sense Celestia, Luna, cadance, and shining would have just waited for twilight and company outside the carriage just to get introductions out of the way, or even have two separate carriages...

[Kevin Lee]

Nicely done.