The Black Squirrel Brigade

by Lamasioux

Act 4 - Reunification

Once you become desperate,

All questions are out.

So once they are,

What should you ask?

---

January 4th, 1014

With however ordinary life with the war had become, it did not prepare anypony for the death of Celestia and what ramifications that might bring to not just Equestria, but the whole world.

By now, word had spread to all corners of Equestria, controlled or not, and every country around. No creature was left in the blind with the news. Creatures down in the far south of Zebrica to even the Knights of Arcturian and their wall all knew about Celestia and her demise. Nothing stopped word of it from spreading.

While most countries and their leaders sent their regards, there were others that didn’t. The Changeling Hegemony spewed radio broadcasts and newspapers into the void about how alicorns were no longer rulers of the new world and were to be removed from it, bastardizing and doing all they could to influence creatures' thoughts. Then there was the Griffonia Empire, who cared not about the ongoings of Equestria and the alicorns since they believed in their own gods. The Riverlands sent their condolences, but that was all they could do. Surprisingly, Grenclyph, a small changeling hive that controlled an island to the east of the Riverlands, had spoken out against the Chrysalis and Sinister regarding their involvement with the death of Celestia.

There was no help coming to Equestria though and Luna knew this. They were now locked into a war between two countries on two fronts, coming from both sides of the continent, and it was Luna’s responsibility to manage it and Equestria now that her sister was gone.

Luna obviously knew that there was no point in trying to manage both, so she was quick to drop her position as Field Marshal to pick up the void that Celestia left her. Prince Blueblood had already gone back west, while Sunset Shimmer was quick to go east to manage the now new eastern front, but before both left, Luna announced she would be promoting General Pinkie Pie to Field Marshal. Luna left the discussion to Prince Blueblood and the other western Generals to figure out what Pinkie’s new role would be.

Despite all of the new duties that Luna had taken up over the past two days, there was one thing that was imperatively important that she got done. Celestia’s funeral. A small one.

It had been two full days since Celestia’s death, but there were only a few select ponies allowed to attend the procession that was being held in Canterlot. Only two photographers were allowed in and two cameras to capture the event.

Twilight and Rarity were able to make it since they weren’t held down by any obligations. Pinkie Pie was dealing with her new promotion and the western front, so was Applejack. Rainbow Dash was shot down behind enemy lines a week ago (for the seventh time) and had a Wonderbolts team going out to rescue her, while Fluttershy had her plate filled with managing important business and Discord.

Princess Cadance had also come down to Canterlot for a quick in-pony visit after Celestia’s death and happened to somehow have time to stay until the funeral. Ponse, the president of Puerto Caballo, also came to visit. He happened to be in Canterlot for a meeting with Equestrian military officers until the fifth. Bipen was also there, as she made quick work of getting back to Luna upon hearing about Celestia’s death and has sworn to never leave her side from this point forward. The other few attendees were important figures or friends to Celestia and Equestria.

The funeral was being held in the throne room of the Canterlot Castle, and a closed coffin casket was laid out just a bit after the stairs that lead up to the throne. There were two Royal Sun Guards standing on either side of the casket. Along the walls of the room, both Sun and Moon guards alternated apart from one another at each pillar. At the entrance to the throne room, were two Royal Sun Guards that stood on both sides of the door, which was currently kept open.

Outside of some flowers that had been laid out on Celestia’s throne and the casket, there wasn’t anything else out of the ordinary within the throne room. It was kept simple and straight to the point on Luna’s order.

Luna herself stood at the top of the stairs, beside the casket while looking down at the small crowd of ponies that gathered in the hall. At the moment, everypony was observing a moment of silence for Celestia. Most of the crowd held their heads down low while the guards stood as stoic as always. What no pony knew was that a few of them were on the verge of tears. No pony would blame them if they did, they were royal guards after all and had sworn loyalty to their respective princesses.

After five full minutes of silence, Luna broke it.

“I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to lead a country a few years ago, before the Changelings invaded. I wasn’t in a position to help my sister in all of the work she put into the country. I was still adjusting to the new world after a thousand years of change, but the final major thing I needed to adjust to was war.”

“I became a field marshal to learn how that aspect of life was. In the process of it, I learned a lot and began fitting into the role perfectly, but now that Celestia is gone, I have to take up her position and ensure we continue to push onwards, I won’t be a perfect replacement and I will do many things differently than her, but the stability of Equestria takes priority. It will take me some time until I catch up on everything my sister managed, but please don’t let that misplace your trust in me. I will do everything in my power to protect everypony and everycreature that wishes to live in Equestria; Everycreature that wishes to live free from Changeling rule.”

Luna took a moment to catch her breath and let her small speech linger in the air for the crowd to absorb. After it was soaked up, Luna spoke back up, “But I don’t want to take from her anymore today than I have so far. If anypony wants to come up and say their goodbyes,” Luna looked at the closed casket with a saddened expression, the casket was empty besides a crown that lay inside, “Then this will be the time.”

Luna kept her gaze on the casket for a few moments before she looked back at the crowd. Luna dipped her head with closed eyes before she moved to the side.

No pony moved, and Luna took note of their expressions which made her swallow. Luna sat to the side of the casket for just a second longer until she forced herself to stand up and walk to the front of the casket and face away from the crowd, towards the casket.

Luna lowered her head and pressed it against the top of the casket and whispered to it. It was unknown what Luna said, but she held herself against the casket for a good minute before she finally stepped away from it and moved to the side.

Without a word from the crowd, Ponse was the first to come forward and walk up the stairs to the casket. No pony else followed.

Ponse stopped before the casket and dipped his head, “Thank you for taking me in.” Ponse then raised his head, took a deep breath and spun around before making his way back to the crowd.

Once Ponse returned to his spot, another pony followed suit and went up to the casket and said something to it before returning. Again, no pony else joined them.

This went on for quite some time as pony after pony took their turn going up to the casket to say something before returning. Some cried as they walked back, others looked defeated, some chose not to go up at all.

Finally there was a lull in ponies who chose to go up, but before it lingered for long, Cadance took the opportunity to go up.

There, a second alicorn stood before the casket, looking down at it. Luna noticed that Cadance had next to no expression on her face as she stared at the box. The only expression she seemed to show was tiredness, which she had been showing the entire time she had been in Canterlot. She had dark, deep bags under her eyes and a mane that looked like it could use a real royal upkeep. Her movements looked like they had no energy to them but like they needed more than normal effort to exert. Just looking at her, it seemed like the aura around her was dull and bleak. She did not look like she was in good shape.

Luna knew about Cadance’s condition, along with many others. The war had taken a toll on her the hardest of all the alicorns, even before Celestia was killed, but it was the first time Luna had seen her since she got like this. It was sad to see her in this state and situation. It was sad to see anypony here. This shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Cadance didn’t seem to acknowledge Luna’s presence as she stood up there at the casket. She lifted a hoof and placed it on top of the casket and dragged it along its edge. After tracing a section of the edge, Cadance removed her hoof and placed it back down before she turned around and went back to her spot in the crowd.

There was another moment where no pony stepped forward and it seemed like there wouldn’t be anypony else until Rarity took up the courage to go forward.

Rarity wasn’t wearing anything fancy for the funeral, or well, anything. She didn’t find it appropriate to pick out anything special so she chose nothing, just as most other ponies had chosen, but that did not mean she didn’t have something. Rarity had her composure together a lot better than Cadance and some others. While she was at the casket, she floated a small piece of jewelry to the top of the casket. It was a sun shaped gem. One of simple design that she had made herself.

Rarity then got close to the casket and whispered quietly to it, “Oh darling, what you have given for us all.” After letting the moment settle, Rarity stepped away and went back to her spot in the crowd.

At this point, everypony within the crowd who had wanted to go up to the casket, had done so, except Twilight. She was the last pony who still had the opportunity, and all she did was stand next to Rarity in silence. That didn’t last long as Rarity gave Twilight a small little nudge, which caused Twilight to take a single step forward.

For how subtle the nudge was, it was enough to bring the eyes of other ponies within the crowd. Luna looked down at Twilight with sadden eyes of her own while Cadance couldn’t muster the strength. Twilight noticed the lack of eyes from Cadance, which caused her to back up into her spot next to Rarity.

“Twilight, this is your only opportunity. Please don’t miss it,” Rarity had leaned into Twilight’s ear and whispered to her before giving her yet again, another small nudge.

There was a very quiet whimper from Twilight as she went one hoof forward again. She was putting some effort into keeping her emotions down until she took her own step forward and began to cry.

At this point, no pony else looked at Twilight as she took slow steps down the hall and towards the stairs. Every step that brought her closer to the casket, brought a few more tears until she finally stood before the casket, just as every other pony before her. Suddenly, Twilight found herself frozen as she stared down at the casket, unable to move as uncontrollable crying began pouring out from her.

The crying went on for a few seconds, which was enough to make Luna step forward towards Twilight and wrap her wing around Twilight in a hug. Luna didn’t say anything as she embraced Twilight in her grievance, simply letting the young alicorn cry out her heart. This went on for a few minutes, which everypony saw, but none were bothered by.

Eventually Twilight finished crying and was able to go back to her spot in the crowd, at which, Luna became the only pony besides the guards that stood up top.

Luna went back to her spot and stood next to the casket for a moment as she let anypony else from the crowd have any final opportunity to come up, which none took. Luna quietly made her way back to the casket and stood in front of it one last time as she stared down at it.

“Goodbye,” Luna said. Without anything else, Luna turned around and walked down the stairs and between the ponies in the crowd, through the center of the hall, towards the doors and left.

There was a moment of stillness between everypony that had been left behind, but it was quickly broken as some ponies also began taking their leave. One-by-one, each and every pony that had come for the funeral left, doing so in quietness without saying anything else to Celestia or each other.

Despite the emotions that Twilight had, she also was able to leave in silence with Rarity after they had chosen to stick around until everypony else had gone, but Cadance. Even though it had been a long time since Twilight saw Cadance, she did not take the opportunity to speak with her. At the end, it was just Cadance and the guards who were left in the throne room.

Even as the moments passed, the guards didn’t budge and stood where they were, but even Cadance finally took the opportunity to leave as well. With slow movements of exertion, she made her way out of the throne room.

And with that, the funeral of Celestia was held and over with. It was nothing spectacular or grand as one might think, but there were more pressing matters to deal with as it was and a dead alicorn couldn’t get in the way of things, and it didn’t get in the way of Luna as she waited for Cadance just outside the throne room.