Duskfall wanted to be anywhere but where she was at that moment. It was a small venue in the courtyard of Canterlot Castle. Everyone was wearing black. Neither Tom nor Twilight had ever been to a funeral and now Duskfall was attending theirs. It made her feel sick to her stomach and lightheaded at the same time. She could barely focus as Celestia took her place at the podium.

“Friends and family of Twilight Sparkle and Tom Williams, it is with a heavy heart that I must officiate this funeral service. Given the circumstance of their death, we will move directly to opening the floor to any who wish to speak. Please remain orderly and respectful,” Celestia requested as she stepped to the side. The first to speak was Night Light, Twilight’s father.

“There are few things in this world more terrible than when a parent has to bury their child,” Night Light began, “It seems like only yesterday that Twilight had earned her Cutie Mark. She was so full of life, so beautiful. And now she has been taken from us in a cruel twist of fate. I know that if she were here, she’d tell us not to grieve for her. Yet it is the nature of the living to mourn for those who have been lost.

“I did not know Tom very well, but my heart aches for him all the same. He had friends and family from his home and none of them could be here for his funeral. Those who knew him best are unable to say words of farewell. Although he was only here for a few scant months, he proved himself to be a good friend and together with Twilight, they made the ultimate sacrifice for not only Equestria, but all of Equuis. I am sure neither of them wished to die, but if they were given a choice in the matter, I am sure it would have been either this or to go into that eternal slumber in the embrace of their friends. Thank you,” Night Light stepped down. Shining Armor took his place.

“As I’m sure you all know Twilight was my little sister. At first, I saw Tom as only a stranger, but as time went on, I began to think of him as a little brother as well. Both were vibrant, full of life. Over the course of my tenure as Captain of the Guard, I have had to deal with loss, both those directly under me and of those out in the furthest corners of Equestria. I have grieved for every lost life, yet the death of my younger siblings hits me harder than any before. Maybe it was because there was a degree of separation before, but I would not wish even a fraction of this hurt on anyone.

“I am sure they would wish for us to stand together in this trying time. Through our bonds with each other, we are made stronger. I know the hole in each of our Hearts may never heal. Some days we will feel it more keenly than others. We will endure, because that is what they would want. Thank you,” Shining Armor gave the floor to Luna.

“Twilight Sparkle and Tom Williams were both extraordinary. Twilight heedlessly braved the Everfree Forest to confront the Nightmare and with the help of five others, she freed me from it. Shortly thereafter, Twilight was the one who gave me the push I needed to start acclimating to these modern times. Time and again trials were presented to her and she triumphed over them, big and small. She stumbled, as we all stumble, but with the strength of her friendships she was able to pick herself back up.

“Tom being brought to Equuis was partly my own doing. Had I thought to clean out my old room in the Castle of the Two Sisters, Twilight would have never found that summoning ritual and would likely still be with us today. As for the human himself, Tom would have been entirely in his rights to hate us, to curse our names with every breath. He did not. Instead, he chose to make the best of a bad situation. He made friends and worked hard to let Twilight have her body back. Tom would have been justified if he had decided our problems were our own and not lift a hoof to help. Yet he dove headfirst into helping us even at his own cost. He could be reclusive, irritable at times, but he strove to always make time for his friends. Both of them were more wonderful than I can put into words. I can only hope they rest in peace. Thank you,” Luna backed away from the podium. Chrysalis took her place.

“I owe Twilight and Tom more than I can put into words. When they needed me most, I was unable to help them. I hope to never fail that way again as that debt passes to what most would consider their next of kin, Duskfall. Without Tom and Twilight, I may have very well fallen to madness. They sent my best friend to me when I needed her most. After what happened at Cadence’s and Shining’s wedding, I would have expected resentment at the very least from Twilight. Yet she reached out in friendship. It is not by perfection that she became Princess of Friendship, but by her willingness to forgive.

“Tom was a stranger in a strange land. He was isolated from all he had ever known. Instead of lashing out, he adhered to what he believed in, even with no one to hold him accountable. Both Tom and Twilight were scholars and they shared their love of learning with those around them. I desperately wish I had one last chance to see them smile or to hear them laugh. All I can do now is trying to help share the burden of our grief. Thank you,” Chrysalis stepped down. Twilight Velvet stepped up next.

“My baby girl is gone. It feels like my Heart has been ripped from my chest. Someone I was beginning to see as a second son is gone. I’ve cried until no more tears would come. My Heart will continue to break and I will continue to cry, but I know I have to remain strong for those who are still here. My husband, my son, and my granddaughter. Thank you,” Velvet returned to her seat. A Changeling took her place.

“I am Drone #13458604 but I am also called Royal Flush. I know many of you won’t recognize me, but I begged Queen Chrysalis to come. I was assigned to Ponyville prior to the wedding. I observed Twilight and the other Elements for almost a month. I saw them struggle and I saw them triumph. Twilight was quick to take action, a beacon all could rally around. The way she cared for her friends was something special. I was not present at the attack in Canterlot, so I remained at my post in Ponyville.

“Soon after Twilight ascended to an Alicorn, I noticed something odd about Twilight. On the surface, her behavior seemed the same, but something about her word choice and the way she held herself seemed off to me. Soon thereafter, I learned from Queen Chrysalis that this mysterious difference was due to Tom inhabiting Twilight’s body. I learned that the mare I had come to admire was, in part, responsible for saving our queen.

“I call Tom and Twilight our champions. Not only for their actions in rescuing us from our hunger and our Darkness, but for saving Equuis from a terrible threat. If not for their sacrifice, many of us would not be here. Changeling culture is pragmatic, generally speaking. We bury our dead and move on. I find myself unable to do that. I did not know either of them personally and now I know it was a terrible mistake to not try and do so. My hesitation to act cost me friendship with two very special beings. I hope we can all avoid similar mistakes in the future. Thank you,” Royal Flush bowed out. Applejack was next.

“Ah had foolishly hoped, when Ah was younger, to never attend another funeral after mah parents passed away. Now Ah stand here speakin’ at the funeral of one of mah best friends and one who was quickly becoming another. When Twilight first came to Ponyville, Ah’ll admit, Ah was somethin’ of a workaholic. Ah knew everyone in Ponyville, but Ah couldn’t honestly claim to be close to any of ‘em. Twilight and the others helped me learn ta stop and smell the roses. Now Ah have friends like Junebug, Carrot Top, and more recently, Octavia. That’s in addition to the other Elements. Truly, mah life is richer fer knowing Twilight Sparkle.

“When Ah first met Tom, Ah didn’t think much of him. He was just someone who had unfortunately gotten caught up in one of Twilight’s experiments. During his first couple o’ weeks, he was quiet, subdued. Maybe it was his way o’ dealin’ with the grief of losin’ everything he’d ever known. After we came back from the Crystal Empire, somethin’ began to change. He was still generally quiet, but he started ta open up. He could be sarcastic, bitingly so, but was never malicious about it. He was always willin’ to go the extra mile fer a friend. Ah feel that Ah didn’t have enough time to truly know either Twilight or Tom. Now, I’ll never get the chance. Ah’ll still miss both of ‘em something fierce, but they’d want us to be strong. Thank you,” Applejack left the podium. Rainbow decided to go next.

“I’m not so good with words and I know I put my hoof in my mouth a lot. Tom and Twilight, they saw past that. I’ve done some pretty dumb things and I’ve said things that might be worse. Twilight has gotten me out of more than one tight spot, even if I dragged her into them and they were my own fault. I…I’m gonna miss her telling me off for practicing stunts too close to town.

“Tom and Twilight both helped me so much when it came down to my Wonderbolt’s exam. If not for them both and all of Ponyville helping out, I would’ve flunked for sure. I’ve been a leader of the Ponyville weather team for a few years now. I like to think I know a thing or two about leadership. Twilight, when the chips were down and all hope seemed lost, she was the one to step up. She was a real leader.

“Every leader needs support. Twilight found that support in her friends, but these last few months, I think she was getting more support from Tom than anyone else. I guess that makes sense, now that I think about it. They were in constant contact with each other. I can only imagine how many times Twilight almost self-destructed after the accident but Tom brought her back. I think Tom was great second-in-command material, even given the circumstances he and Twilight found themselves in. I can only imagine how the pair of them could’ve taken the world by storm once they separated. I’m really gonna miss them. Thank you,” Rainbow walked away. Moon Dancer chose to move towards the podium.

“I’ve probably known Twilight for the longest of anyone here, save her family and Celestia. We went to CSGU together from a very young age. As the two at the top of the class, we were constantly pushing each other to be better. For a long time, that was all that mattered to either of us, learning as much as we could. To this day I’m still shocked Minuette, Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, and Lyra Heartstrings put up with us. Then, on little more than a whim, I decided to host a party. I wanted all my friends to be there and wound up looking forward to it more than I expected.

“When Twilight was a no show I felt betrayed. If I wanted anyone to come, it was her. I would learn much later that she had been off saving Equuis from certain doom, but she hadn’t even sent me a note saying she wouldn’t be at the party. I shut myself away. Books couldn’t betray me.

“A full year went by and my hurt festered and grew into something much darker. I cut all contact with my other friends and all but locked myself in my house permanently. I only left for food and books. It was pure serendipity that Tom and Twilight ran into Lyra on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration. It was Tom who spotted the warning signs of my behavior. He confronted me and refused to leave until I proved to his satisfaction that I wasn’t destroying myself. Of course, I was able to prove no such thing. I had been destroying myself. I don’t remember exactly when it started, but eventually I was cutting myself just to feel something.

“It was only by Twilight’s kindness that I’m here and not in a psychiatric ward. Tom readily admitted to me that his first choice would have been to have me in the care of professionals. I don’t know why Twilight decided to take a risk on me and now I’ll never get the chance to ask. Whatever her reasoning, I’m glad that both of them have helped put me on the road to healing. Thank you,” Moon Dancer traded places with Duskfall.

“I know some of you may find it disrespectful for me to speak here, wearing her face and using her voice. It might be more disrespectful of me to say nothing at all. I wouldn’t be here if Tom and Twilight were still here and I wish more than anything that I wasn’t here. If I could have had a choice I would have spared you all this terrible heartache. I didn’t have a choice and I’m sure just the sight of me brings a lot of you pain. Even so, I would like to say a few things about my originals.

“Tom was a theater nerd. He enjoyed learning so that he might teach others. He had a wicked sense of humor. I’m sure I’m not telling anyone anything new. Maybe what you didn’t know was that his favorite color was forest green. His favorite song was Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce. His favorite poem was the epic Beowulf. I know many would have reacted with fear or anger or panic if what happened to Tom happened to them. Instead, he took it on with a steady Heart. He did not rail against the Heavens, but took comfort in them. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path’. Tom chose to trust and in the short time he was here on Equuis, he found joy.

“Twilight started as a very anti-social pony. Why spend time with others when she could be reading a book? Even those she spent time with she didn’t consider friends. Twilight lived a life of little to no passion before moving to Ponyville. Everything had become a dull, gray, lifeless cycle of repetition. Then she found the foretelling of the Mare in the Moon returning to Equestria. A wild idea took root in her mind. The story had to be true! There were so many little crumbs of evidence she could point out to prove her case, but if anyone knew anything about the Mare in the Moon, it would be Celestia. Celestia directed her to Ponyville.

“What once was gray was suddenly assaulted by a rainbow of color, in some cases literally. Even at what many might consider one of her lowest points, the strength of her personality caught five other mares in a desire to save the world from eternal night. At first Twilight saw them as annoyances to be tolerated. Adversity has ways of drawing people together. Almost every step of the group’s journey was harassed by the Nightmare, yet together they were able to overcome. Twilight saw the first spark of the Magic of Friendship in her life and the rest is history.

“Both Tom and Twilight were thrown together without warning or fanfare. They had their struggles, but they worked together, finding a way to survive and thrive in their new circumstance. I believe that is the most important thing they could have taught. Together, we are stronger than the sum of our parts. We may have lost them but their memories and lessons are still here for us to learn from. Thank you,” Duskfall walked off. After a few minutes of no one else stepping forward, Celestia returned to the podium.

“Before we finish today’s ceremonies, I would like to say a few final things. I taught Twilight for years. She was a joy to teach, always absorbing her lessons like a sponge. At the same time, I was distant with her. I didn’t want to admit to her how much I had grown to love her in such little time. I was repeating the same mistakes for different reasons.

“Ever since I saw her Cutie Mark, I started grooming her to take the position as Element of Magic and eventually a princess in her own right. I never asked if she wanted any of these things, instead thinking that I knew best. If I had asked, I believe she would have taken up the Element of Magic, but Twilight had no desire to navigate the mires of politics. That is something I forced upon her knowing she would likely wish to continue her life with her friends in Ponyville.

“Twilight helped to return my sister to me. I repaid her with duplicity. I asked her to solve problems she had no right being asked to solve. An incident with a dragon shortly after her stay in Ponyville began springs to mind. I sent her on dangerous missions with little to no help. Despite everything, she and her friends always came out on top. She was a good mare despite me, not because of me.

“For the first month or so Tom was here in Equuis, I fear I treated him rather abominably. I suppose a part of me just saw him as another Nightmare, threatening to spirit away Twilight for a thousand years. There is no excuse for what I said and did, yet he forgave me. One apology and it was as if it never happened, save a sarcastic remark every now and then. I have heard it said that holding onto a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. If anyone took those words to heart, it was Tom.

“Though they are gone, they will never be forgotten. I am sure they would appreciate the outpouring of love you all have shown. Thank you all so much and good night.”

Author's Notes:

Internet cookies for anyone who guessed Dusk was chanting "I will get Tom and Twilight back" in the back of her mind all chapter long.

I'm not entirely sure how well I represented this portion of the funeral. The only one I've been to that I was old enough to remember was my grandfather's and seeing how my favorite person on the face of the earth had just died... I was distracted.

A number of you are probably disappointed that I didn't state over and over again how people are sobbing and wailing and so on. There are only so many ways I can say it and it's kinda implied, since it's a funeral and all. I just didn't feel the need to put in thousand of ellipses and dashes. It would work if this were a TV show, but in text it would just look cluttered.

As for some characters not speaking, they just had no desire to do so. I poked and prodded the crew and those who wanted to speak did so. Would I have liked to have Pinkie talk on the subject of grief when her Element is Laughter? Sure, but she flat out doesn't want to talk right now and I'm not gonna force her. I may be dumb, but I ain't that stupid.