In every life, one thing is for certain, it's the one thing that all mortal beings will inevitably experience in one shape or another. For some, they do everything in their power to avoid this day, for others, there was a tradition held for the recently deceased.

For the Unicorns, their remains are turned to pure mana and cast into the Aether, to be a part of the world's energy to heal it, to nurture it. For the Earth Ponies, they are buried in special coffins with an assortment of belongings or foods to fertilize the soil, to give back to Equis for the life she creates. For the avian races, cremation was the way to go. They lived in the air, free and unchained. They move the sky, give the Earth the waters of life, and played to their heart's content, and so, their ashes are lifted by their families into the Heavens so that they could fly, one last time.

Today, on the twenty-sixth of December, was such an occasion, however. The family only had the feathers of what remained of the deceased. Some of the feathers had to be cleaned, while the rest were fine on their own. The former owner of the feathers had taken great lengths to keep her wings at the top of their game while maintaining their beauty. The feathers were all kept in a single, brown box with the cute mark of the former owner on it, well, all but one.

The biggest feather was cleaned, preserved and attached to an ornamental clip. The clip itself was attached to a bright, pink, wing. Normally, this was a sign of marriage between two Pegasi, but in this circumstance, it was a sign of deep mourning.

The filly in question supporting the wing walked in a straight line behind an older, fiery orange mare, who was carrying the box and in front of her walked three Alicorns; Luna, Twilight, and Celestia.

The third Alicorn was recently cured of her insanity with the help of the Elements of Harmony, but at a cost. She doesn't remember what she did nor who they were mourning. All the teenaged Celestia knew, was that a very important mare died to save the world.

Celestia would have felt more strongly about the whole ordeal, but with the mind of a sixteen-year-old that held a lot of angst for being the younger sister of her family, that was not to be. Though, the mother of the deceased was glad she was there, despite the hate she was receiving from the others. Speaking of others, walking in the line were the many families touched by the deceased.

Feather Flight and her adopted daughter, Nightingale walked beside the fiery orange mare, known as Spitfire. All of which shared the same, blank stare as they walked through the light flurries to their destination.

The filly walking behind them would have had family beside her, but Summer Rose only had one member, and she lost her a few days ago. She didn't show it, though. Instead, she opted to walk head held high, eyes forward, and wings straight. Oh, who was she kidding? She dragged behind the trio in front of her, tail limp and wings scraping the snow beneath her.

She wanted to be strong, especially for the one she lost, but try as she might, she knew that it wouldn't have made Winny happy. Honesty, trust, and Loyalty were what the one she lost viewed the highest. Winny would have wanted her to be honest with her feelings to the very end, and if she wasn't? Then what trust and loyalty did she have for the love of her life?

Her body shuddered to a rogue gust of arctic air and a familiar wing, one that held her for days on end after her connection was severed, covered her trembling form. Summer looked up and saw Spitfire giving her a weak, but reassuring smile. Summer leaned against the older mare as they walked, letting out choked sobs every now and again.

Walking behind the Princesses and the family of the deceased were the friend of the family. Rainbow Dash, Firefly, Daring Do, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, the Apples, the Maples, the House of Astral, the Autumns, the Springs, the Eclipse's, and many others; all of whom were walking to the grand garden of the Temple of Alta.

Many of the families walkings didn't understand why the deceased wished to fly her final flight in such an accursed place, not even the reformed Demon didn't understand all that much, but from what they all saw the grand beauty of the former palace, they had a good idea.

"I still can't believe she's gone," Autumn Rose muttered quietly. The former duelist sluggish in her once perfect movements.

"Me neither," Night Shade solemnly replied. Solar and Lunar Eclipse, Astral Aria, Maple Leaf, Umbra Eon, Spring Rose, and even Priceless Jewel nodded together. Though, most of the other and older ponies knew how gone the deceased was, Spitfire the most.

When she heard her daughter's friends all share the same thought, all she could do was remember the green sun erupting to life for a few short minutes before dissipating into nothingness. In those minutes, she waited to be consumed by the magical fire, but when it didn't happen, she let out a sigh of relief.

"She did it!" she screamed at the top of her lungs at the time, and soon after she, and a few others, prepared a party for their little hero. They had everything set up too; music, streamers, performers, the works, but when minutes turned into hours, everyone started to get worried.

Word came in that Equestria was no more, and that the High Council wanted to integrate into Arcadia. Princess Twilight took the reigns as per Empress Rose's orders. Then word came in that Asriel and Wolhanna mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

Panic was quick to consume the worried mother, thus she burst down the halls in her armor in search for the Demon known as Alta, who she quickly found was enjoying the company of Snowball in the Royal Library. In a fit of rage, Spitfire demanded to know where Summer or else she would end their lives. Alta, with a dismissive flick of her hoof, pointed the fuming mother in the right direction.

With a disgruntled, "Thank you" Spitfire found a whimpering mess of a filly, curled in a tight ball uttering the words "Our link is broken. She is gone." Over and over again. At first, she didn't know what to think, but once her armor was off and information from Princess Luna, wherever she was at the time, confirmed her greatest fear. Spitfire held onto the filly that night, sharing her sorrows with the young mare at the loss.

With her daughter gone, and the two mutants nowhere to be found. Spitfire had lost all hope of recovering what remained. Even though Luna clearly stated from her hospital bed that the Balefire Bomb would have wiped her entire body clean from existence, Spitfire would not have it. She flew high into the sky, looking for the Jetstream as a quick means of finding her little girl, but it wasn't there.

The great river of the sky was no longer there, however. In its place was a raging hurricane that spanned from east to west. That was the final nail in the coffin for her. Defeated, she spent the next few days in her work, guiding the guards to unify Equestria and Arcadia together with Luna and Twilight as the ruling leaders.

So many questions, so many will go unanswered. No one will know exactly how her little girl made an entire country in a month and those that do know knew that Discord had a huge role in its creation. He will never admit it, of course, but it made everything easier to understand how her little Rose was able to do what she could do.

Airkinesis? Discord helped. Sonic Rainboom despite no ability to fly afterward? Discord. Insane mana reserve? Discord. It was so frustrating to learn that Discord helped her little girl in so many places, but when her life was on the line? HE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!

If it wasn't for Fluttershy and two Princesses keeping her from annihilating that twisted freak of nature, Discord would have become her cum rag for the rest of her life! When the anger subsided, Spitfire began preparations for her daughter's funeral. It was the least she could do as a mother.

"We have gathered here today to honor a person of love, kindness, and a libido that had no off switch," Luna began, bringing Spitfire back to reality.

Standing at the center of a large, snow-covered garden thanks to the wild weather her daughter created when she broke the Jetstream, next to a cherry blossom tree still with its flowers in bloom, was a heavily bandaged Princess Luna. Everyone laughed a little at the last thing the Princess said to lighten the mood, but only just.

"She gave her life to stop the flames of destruction from consuming our world, our home..."

'Why her? Why couldn't it have been me?' Spitfire thought before walking towards Luna with the box once it was called up.

"...Despite our best efforts, we could not recover anything that was left of the young, Winter, Ruby, Hawkfire Rose..."

Spitfire closed her eyes as she prepared the fire, tears streaming down her face once she heard her little girl finally accepting the family name in death. She knew, Luna knew, that Winter Rose was just a made up name from the get-go, while Ruby Hawkfire was her real name given to her by Lunaris herself.

"...Friend to few, soulmate to the young Summer Rose, bounded eternally in the purest form of love..."

Spitfire placed the box on top of the fire and stepped back to join the sobbing form of her fiance, Feather Flight. She draped her wing over the hysterical mare with the other pulling her second daughter, Nightingale with the other.

"Momma, where is Big Sister?" Nightingale asked oh so innocently. "She promised to take me sledding and make snow ponies. When is she coming home?"

"She...S-She isn't coming home, Sweety. She...She is in a better place," Spitfire choked on her own words as if uttering them was the cruelest thing she has ever done.

"...Her genius with weapons of all kinds, I am proud to call her my student..."

"Is it because of me, Momma?" Nightingale squeaked as her own dam began to break. She hugged Spitfire's leg, afraid that if she ever let go, she would be sent away to wherever her sister was. "Did Big Sister leave because of me?"

"No, love," she replied as she tightened her grip on the trembling ball of fur, desperately clinging onto her leg as if her life depended on it. "She would never leave because of you. She loved you with all her heart."

"...And so, with the blessing of her family, Winter, Ruby Hawkfire Rose, shall take her final flight here at the Temple of Alta. May her ashen wings cleanse this place of what darkness that may remain and guide the forgotten spirits to the loving embrace of Mother Lunaris..."

"Then why can't she come home?" Nightingale bawled. "I want my sister."

"I know, Kitten. I-I want my little girl home too," Spitfire replied before breaking into hysterics as Summer lifted the ashes of what little remained of her daughter into the air and danced with her one last time amongst the ruins of the old temple.

Ten Years Later....

In the center of a large garden where hundreds of different types of roses surrounding a cherry blossom tree was a light pink mare with a mane and tail made out of the sunset itself. She sat in front of a tombstone marking the final resting place of where the only love of her life slept.

She was taller now, though, not by much. She was still a bit shorter than your average mare, but she didn't mind. She was more attractive that way. The mare in question wore a black collar around her neck with a little, silver bell and locket in the shape of a heart-shaped shield. Her mane was tied in a ponytail to keep out of her hair, while everything else was plain and simple, just like how she liked it.

"Hey, Winny. It's me, Sunny," she said with a weak smile to the tombstone in a practiced tone. It wasn't the first time she visited the grave and nor will it be the last. Every year on the thirty-first of October ever since the death of her soulmate, she came to spend time with her. Each visit she told the grave of the events that had happened over the year, and every year she left one of her feathers, even though they will always get blown away by the wind.

"I got some good news! Do you want to hear it?" she asked. No answer.

"Well, Arcadia is doing great now that Discord finally stopped advancing it faster than possible, oh and we found Asriel and Wolhana! Turns out, they were thrown into a mirror world by a changeling assassin and were stuck on the other side for a decade. Cool huh?"

No answer.

She rolled her eyes. "Anywho. I heard Stephan finally got married and is now the clan leader of his pack. She is a cute Pomeranian with a total hard on for the torch if you know what I mean, hehe."

No reply.

"Redbeard got remarried as well, had a couple of foals of his own. The dear princess Eve sure drilled it in his skull to finally mount her," she scoffed at the thought of the young, adventurous doe that kicked ass and didn't have time to take names turning into a submissive housewife. "Man he was thicker than a snail swimming in the mud with all the signals she was giving him."

No laughter.

"In other news, the wars overseas have finally settled and new treaties were signed. The changelings can now walk around in public, although with some scrutiny, without much worry. Princess Twilight had foals of her own with Sunset Shimmer, and Rainbow Dash also has twins coming. Says she is going to name one of them after you. Which I don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing. Cause, ya know. You were kinda a nymphomaniac."

No comment.

"I miss you," Summer sighed as she laid down in front of the tombstone. The grass cold to the touch from the cold, sea air. She rested her head on top of the stone tablet like a pillow, closing her eyes as she did so. "And so does Nightingale, Spitfire, and even their youngest Steel Feather, your little brother."

"He wants to be like you 'ya know? Be the big hero that saves the Princess in the old stories. Thank Luna he is nothing like you. I'd hate to see a stallion with a boner that never went down, hehe," she giggled lightly.

"Celestia, or Rocklestia as she is calling herself has started a death metal band. Who would have thought the Elements of Harmony would do that to her? Thank Lunaris that Fluttershy's foals were alright. Those two are insanely adorable. Makes me wonder how ours would have looked liked..."

"Anywho. I'm going to have a nap. I have a show in an hour followed up with my date, and as much as I don't want to let go of the love we once shared. I have to move on."

"If only things could be different. You were A Winter's, Rose. Surrounded by ice and Windigo winds, your beauty was forged from misery and hardship. While I'm A Summer's, Rose. Surrounded by the warmth of the morning sun, my beauty comes from within."

"We were made for each other, but in the end. It was never meant to be. I'll still visit you. I still love you. My Winter's Rose."