-=Dedicated to the best (pega)sister ever. Rest in peace, brony.=-

Lily had been the one to find her. It had been a good portion of the day, and none had seen her, so naturally, a few eyebrows were raised. Lily assured them she'd go check. She told them it was probably okay. They laughed as she left, smiling. The walk to the apartments was brisk, made her smile as her bare feet crossed the warm carpet.

She hadn't been expecting it. None of them had.

The prone form was stretched out underneath the covers, and Lily gently sat on the edge of the bed, running her hand over the frail shoulder underneath. What she felt was cold. Gently, she pulled the covers back, saw the peaceful face turned up in a smile, felt the cool flesh of her wrinkled cheek underneath her fingertips.

"No... No, Maggie, no!" Detached. That was the word for it. Lily saw herself shake the woman, heard her screams rip through the mid-afternoon air, drawing security guards and girls in equal measure. Calls were made. Ambulances wailed. It took three paramedics to pry her fingers off of Maggie, even more to restrain her until she was reduced to a whimpering, sniveling mess on the floor of her mentor's apartment. Her freind. The closest thing she had had to a mother.

Detached.

She floated on, words of sorrow and sympathy came from others, and it was Brenda that drew her out of her reverie. They sat in the emergency room, and all Brenda did was draw her close, rub her back softly. Sniffling, Lily finally stopped crying, just wrapped her arm around her friend and sighed.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Lily whimpered. She already knew the answer to her question.

"I guess we'll find out," Brenda lifted her chin as the doctor walked towards them, his face grim.

"Ladies. I've been Maggie's personal doctor for years now. Ever since she moved to Canterlot. Her case has always been unique, and while we knew it was imminent, we never knew exactly when it would happen. I'll be blunt in saying this. It was quick, painless, and uncomplicated. Years of abuse had left her heart in an unstable condition, giving her irregular heart beats and times she would skip. She entered cardiac arrest in her sleep, her heart began fibrulating, and stopped beating altogether. In her sleep, she wouldn't have felt a thing." The words were little of little console. Lily hung her head and nodded, sniffling.

"Funeral arrangements?"

"I know a good family." The doctor said softly. "They can help you out. I'm sorry for your loss, Lily. Please, may I be informed of the service?" Lily nodded softly, looking up at the doctor.

"Yeah, I can call you." She said softly. The doctor, in a moment of unprofessionalism, embraced the puffy-eyed changeling, mumbled something about sorry, and left. She and Brenda left the hospital, called the funeral company, began making arrangements. When she slipped back into her apartment, Lily was not alone.

"Celestia." She said softly. The princess stood in the middle of the living room, looking as regal as ever.

"You've been told how everyone's sorry for your loss." She said softly. Lily nodded. "How they wish Maggie could have stayed longer. How they wish they could have had more time. Well I say they're full of it." Lily looked up, her eyes welling automatically.

"What..." She said, her voice quivering.

"Hear me out." Celestia raised a hand. "Only a selfish person would wish for more time with someone who's passed. I should know. I know where they go. I've seen it." She gently smiled, her lips curling in that serene, somewhat melancholy sort of way that seemed to calm Lily's heart, make her breathe a little deeper. "No one should ever wish for anyone to come back from that place. If anything, Lily, you should be a little envious. She's happier now than she's ever been before, though there are a few moments that have come close," Lily almost jumped as Celestia was suddenly closer, seeming to appear in the space before her. Her arms wrapped around Lily, drew her close. "Chiefly, the moment she met you... That was a high point in Maggie's life. Come now, Lily. You need rest. You have planning tomorrow."

Lily wasn't even aware of falling asleep. The princess' words rang through her head the entire night. 'I know where they go. I've seen it.' Lily began wondering... Was it so selfish of her to want Maggie back? To be sad she was gone?

Yes... Yes it was. Celestia was right, Maggie was in a better place. A much better place. She had enjoyed her time here, had suffered and prevailed, all of that leading to the person she had been. They had memories, they had wishes, and they had stories. Most of all, they had the comfort knowing the person they all loved was in a good place, with good friends, and good memories of her own.

Lily had never slept more soundly in her entire life.

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The ceremony was relatively small and held outdoors, just the girls and guys from the establishment, Jason and the other two security guards, the six wielders of harmony, whom were all close friends to Maggie... Nyralith, Applebloom, Big Mac, and the two princesses. As the ceremony started, Lily stood at the podium at the front. The soft piano music died, and Lily looked at the medium-sized group with a soft, brave smile.

"We gather, not to mourn today, but to celebrate. The life of a woman who impacted all of us in so many ways, many of them good." There was a soft murmur of a chuckle. "Maggie Yarwick lived to be fifty-seven years old, was friend to many, lover, fighter, a talented magi, and successful businesswoman. Her life, like many around her, was simple. She enjoyed fine music, good food, better company, and making others laugh. She had a remarkable talent to draw anyone out of a bad mood, to empathize with young and old alike, to identify with their pain and help them through it. What's more, she was kind and compassionate, adamant in her beliefs, and ferociously protective of those she held dear. Thanks to her, our lives have been made that much better." Lily smiled at the body in the casket next to her.

"We gather today, not to mourn, but to be happy. To celebrate a life. To celebrate the continuation of life. To be the bearers of the principles Maggie lived her life by, to carry the things she taught us into future generations so they, too, can know the joy that Maggie has shown all of us. Our final words to you are this, Maggie... Thank you. For everything." Gently, Lily lowered the lid, drew the shroud over the rest of the casket. She stepped back as Celestia and Luna stepped forward, each laying a hand on her shoulder as she withdrew to be with the others. Using twin threads of magic, the princesses lifted the casket into the air, held it there in a firm grip. Hands moving in tandem, they began to weave an intricate spell, the likes of which left everyone stunned.

Twilight's hand gently found Lily's.

A pure, golden light poured forth onto the casket, almost seemed to be spun from the very daylight falling down upon them all. It twined and wrapped around the casket, crossing the wood in an elegant pattern. The binding finished, and Lily watched as Celestia released a breath from her mouth over her hand, which held a glowing pattern in midair. Her breath washed over the spell, turning into pinpoints of dazzling light that glimmered as they fell. Where they touched the wood of the casket, they glowed even brighter, until magnificent golden-red flames burst forth. The blaze quickly consumed the casket, began burning away at the ends. There was no ash, but instead, glittering pinpoints of brilliant light rose into the sky, glimmering all the way to the heavens. When the blaze was finished, Lily held Twilight's hand tight, necks craned to watch the last bits of a beautiful soul rise into the heavens.

And so passed Maggie Yarwick, friend to many and enemy to none. She lives on, though, in the memories and stories told about her life, the laughs she shared with friends, the lives she impacted so. Lily, the wielders of harmony, none who knew her would forget. They would go on to tell children, if they had any. Thier children would share stories, and their children after them. The lives impacted by Maggie numbered well into the thousands, and for her dedication and commitment to life, the princess wove her name into the stars, forever immortilizing the life of one who had helped so many. Her constellation is seen over the southern horizon, the stars glimmering faintly in the fading twilight of every spring night.

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Written in loving memory of Tasha Williams, my sister, my mentor, and my friend. She lived her life serving others, and has impacted many for the greater good. Tragic as her passing is, I don't mourn her loss. I celebrate the life of someone who was a friend to me, who helped me through dark times and darker depressions. I will remember her with a smile, and share her story for all who care to hear it. Simple and uncomplicated as it is, it is a story of happiness and love.

Tasha suffered a great deal in her life. Her inspiration to become a police officer stemmed from a traumatic incident that involved her being greviously wounded. Throat cut, left for dead, naked and used, Tasha fought on, and continued to see the good in people, in life. She fought to protect others, put her life on the line more times than she cared to count, and still made others smile and laugh every day of her life.

I'm no longer sad at the passing of my sister, tragic as it was. Instead, I remember her fondly, with a great deal of happiness and a stupidly big smile. The fanbase is better for having known Tasha Williams, a devoted officer of the law, a woman full of life, a lover, a fighter...

A Brony.