The gray hills, flecked with snow, were witness to tragedy. In a clearing, at the top of the tallest hill, stood a small gathering of people. They had, unusually for this faction PVP server, changed skins so they wore black, on request of their leader.
The PwnzarKnights had allowed their guard to slip up a second too long, and one of their own had been cut down by a rival faction. The dead man's most prized possessions (his enchanted iron sword, his first leather helmet almost worn through, and his journal) had been placed in a chest and buried twenty blocks under. A cobble gravestone marked the spot, with a sign on it that said: "HERE LIES JOSEPH6801: A FRIEND." And below that, in heavily misspelled lowercase: "ill miss u, stay storng." And the mourners had each planted one flower on the burial site.
The leader, Regitalonet, felt a stab of grief as he looked at all that remained of his best friend, through the snow-covered dirt. A tear coursed down his cheek and landed, making a small crater.
Then someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"Chief, it's time," a voice whispered.
"Alright, alright," Regi said. His voice was emotionless, wooden. As he turned, he gazed upon the faces of the mourners. They were blank, trying to hold back tears.
"We all knew Joseph," Regi began. "Some knew him as 'that bloody drill sergeant who don't give a crap.' Some knew him as a valiant fighter. But I remember him as a good man, and I'm sure some of us knew him that way too."
A girl with bubblegum pink hair and a somber black dress began to sob.
"Before we lay our friend to rest," Regi continued, "I want to share a story. It was a long time ago, before most of you fellows joined. At that time, we only had three people. We were weak, on the run perpetually, no courage between us. Then... Joseph came. He just joined us, out of the blue, and he helped us create a fortress with his skill and expertise. The first night, we were attacked by a faction, the richest and strongest in this server. We withstood them. We fought them off. They were left running at the end, and that's when we became strong. I'll never forget that, and I'll never forget Joseph either."
Regi reached into his inventory, and pulled out a lilac. He bent down and placed it in a blank patch of dirt. And then he turned away.
"Joseph," he whispered, "my dear friend, may you rest in peace, and may Notch bear you to the Aether in his arms. Amen."
The snow fell softly. The people left the funeral site, releasing their grief, wailing at the sky, with red tear-streaked faces. Regi was the last to leave.
Behind him, the grave became covered with snow.