Friendship After Ages

Chapter Three

It was another month after Fluttershy's funeral until the weight of guilt crushing Twilight eased ever so slightly. The service was ragingly beautiful, but it was still a funeral. Bright, yellow sunlight laminated the closed casket weaved from delicate flowers. It was a small service with only a few ponies dressed depressingly in black. A cluster of animals sat in the back, being a choir of mournful croaks or roars or barks. Twilight wore a black veil over her face and a nice dress that covered her wings. She didn't recognize most of the ponies there- only Applebloom, who was silently crying in the crowd. The last thing she needed was somepony to recognize her and cause a ruckus. None of Twilight's former friends were there, nor did she ask anypony of their whereabouts.
Looking back on the funeral, Twilight hated how beautiful the weather was. It was exactly the way Fluttershy would have loved it. Warm, with a cool breeze that brushed your mane gently, and full off the music of nature. The only thing missing was the cheerful chirping of birds, for they sang tunes of woe. The thought of such a nice day on such a bitter occasion filled her with mixed emotions.
The princess sat at her desk in the office writing a letter to Princess Celestia. She was in charge of scheduling the meetings for the Counsel of Harmony, and there had to be one soon. Her mind wasn't one the meeting for a while, or really anything for that matter, but she was a princess and she needed to get her duties done. Twilight dipped the quill in her ink and started writing on the crinkled parchment:
Dearest Princess Celestia,
I apologize for the lateness of this letter, but my old friend Fluttershy recently passed, and I needed some time to recover from the loss. I'm sure you understand.
Anyway, how about a Harmony meeting this Friday (it was currently Tuesday) so we can discuss the upcoming Summer Sun celebration? Please inform Princess Luna, Princess Cadence and Discord of the event if the time is efficient.
Your fateful subject,
Princess Twilight Sparkle
Automatically, she sent it to Celesia using her magic.
For a moment, Twilight sat at her desk. An odd weight was settling on her shoulders, and when she looked in the reflection of the crystal walls, the princess thought she looked old. Not necessarily wrinkly and droopy, but her eyes had a timeless, dull look in them, and her eyes felt baggy and restless. But of course, Twilight didn't look any older than she did from when she was first made an alicorn.
She pushed back her chair and stood up. Slowly, Twilight made her way to her bedroom. She felt very heavy and weighed down. It was probably best if she rested. Through grand stain glass windows, the moon made the pictures on them glow colors across the floor.
One of them was a remake of Twilight's crowning. Her feathery, purple wings were spread across the smooth glass and a smile rested on her muzzle. She remembered when she first saw the image in the Canterlot castle, thinking how ridiculous she looked with wings. Now, she couldn't picture herself with out them.
Another window displayed a splash of multiple colors. It was one made in honor of the Council of Harmony. It had five sections for the five members. They ponies and Discord were crystallized against varying backgrounds. Celestia's was gold, Luna's dark blue, Discord's blood red, Cadence's sky blue, and Twilight's was a deep purple similar to Rarity's mane.
The third was Twilight's favorite. It was the only one she demanded was in her castle. Shining the brightest of them all, doused in the purest golds, the richest greens, and the most handsome browns was the Golden Oak library. There hasn't been a day that her heart didn't ache for the fate of her original home. Tierek destroyed it in cold blood. Minus the fact that there were hundreds of Twilight's favorite books in there, most of her fondest memories took place there. Pinkie Pie's welcome party, where they found the Elements after Discord hid them, when Twilight raised the sun with the power from the princesses.
But they were all only memories. Twilight passed them and continued to bed. She used her horn to open a series of double doors, not paying attention to where she was going because she walked the castle halls millions of times before. Soon enough, she was tucked in bed. The eerie glow of a candle cast playful shadows across the walls. They danced and twirled and laughed in the light, until Twilight snuffed it out with a brass lid.
Surrounded by darkness, the princess slide under the covers of her plush bed. It was silent in the room (for the thick, crystal walls of the castle blocked most outside noise). Luna's white moon shimmered down on Twilight as if it were another blanket. Strangely, when Twilight thought of that, she felt protected, like she was being comforted by a mother.
She fell asleep to the soothing glow of the moon.

A/N: Hey guys, sorry I haven't really updated. My muse to write is limited as well as my time to write. I'll try to write as much as I can here and there. Thank!