When she got the news, Windy Whistles almost had a heart attack. Scootaloo and Spike had brought the bad news to her parents, who received it as if the younglings were trying to play a bad prank on them, before realizing that they were being serious.
The gamut of emotions that they went through on the following hour covered a whole rainbow of emotions. From rage, to impotence, to a powerful, all consuming sadness. It took them a while before Scootaloo and Spike could leave the room.
Their daughter's funeral was held two days after her death, and presented by none other than Princess Luna herself. As it was custom in Equus, her body was to be laid to rest at night. It was appropriate for her to be the one preceding the event.
As Dash's friends, relatives and co-workers reunited to give her body their last goodbye, something became abundantly clear for Luna. She was the only one in the whole place that wasn't looking downwards.
She had to do something….
"Mares and Gentlecolts. As we are here reunited to lay Rainbow Dash down to rest one last time, We have noticed something. Downward stares, crying eyes and sad expressions. And we cannot allow this to stand."
Luna started walking around the ponies present. "Long ago, back in the time before Discord, before the elements. Before our beloved sister grew a horn, and before I grew wings. Over a thousand years we when were normal ponies, funerals and burials weren't a cause for such sorrow. We mourned our departed, yes. But the occasion was a cause of celebration."
Luna saw the confused look In most of the ponies faces, and the downright offended one in her parents face, and continued. "We celebrated because even when their presence had left us, parts of them were still with us." Luna walked towards Scootaloo and Spike "The ponies she taught", Luna moved onto Spitfire and Soarin.
"The ponies she worked with and the experiences they shared" she moved onto Rarity.
"The ponies she loved deeply" and then, she referred to all others present "and of course. The ponies she cared about, and those who cared for her the most"
The tears in Bow and Windy's eyes didn't stop, but they were looking at her attentively.
"Yes. We will mourn the lost of Rainbow Dash for years to come, and maybe the guilt of the many things we didn't say or do will eat us away at night. But right now, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. Even when Rainbow Dash's mood and mind went to dark places in the last few months, she died calmly, peacefully on her own terms. She left without regret, leaving behind a life of accomplishment, hard work, of loved lovers and cherished friends. And of family that she will spend eternity bragging about to the fausticorn.
I want you all to know something. Dying, and going beyond the veil is not the end. She is still here, in your hearts. And above. If you ever feel down, in need of the words of that friend. All you need to do, is look up at the sky at night, where spirits shine through to guide those that loved them in life. She watches over you, just like you all did with her. So do not despair. Just like you now have to enter one without her, She is merely entering another stage in life"
Having finished her speech. All the present ponies gave their regards, and offerings, condolences were given. But spirits felt lifted. Dash's casket was lowered and covered with soil. After that, most of the ponies started to walk back towards the graveyard's entrance. All except for one.
Rarity the alabaster pony, who looked upwards to the sky above her lover's grave. She wasn't crying anymore, but the marks of her runned makeup were still there. She couldn't bring herself to smile. But she wasn't frowning. She just… looked.
"Rarity are you coming?" She heard Twilight yell, from what seemed to be a decent distance.
She stopped looking at the sky and with a properly vocalized "Coming!" she walked up to her friends.
"What were you doing?" asked Twilight
"Wishing upon a star" was her answer. Her friends didn't dared to laugh, but they all gave her a smile back.
Applejack added "In honor of our little Dashie, lets go drink some cider. Tonight, they're all on me"
Rarity couldn't help but be amused by the cheers of her friends. It was going to be weird to start drinking without Rainbow Dash. But somehow she would manage, she had promised herself to do what Dash asked her in the moments before her passing, and while she didn't know if she would ever be truly happy again, this was a fine first step.
As the mane five trotted on their way to the nearest bar, in the sky above, a star shimmered with seven different colors. Shining brighter than all the stars around it, lighting the way for the ponies below it.