Later, dawg [Open!]

[meat_mooks]

|| Attention, crew. Those who wish to attend the funeral of Matthew O'Connor, please report to the Observation Deck. ||

Another death announcement so soon after the last. It's a sad day.

Once again, the Observation Deck is arranged for the launch. The departed crew member, better known as Punchy in his lifetime, is encased in a central pod. The deck is lit by the starlight pouring in from the open window, a blazing blue star that will soon be Punchy's final resting place.

Another life lost. Time to say farewell once more.

Comments

[appletastic]

"I did laugh with him once," Applejack remembered, settling down in front of said couch. "I'm sure I would've done more. He got his hooves dirty to help out. A gal can really respect that."

She bowed her head, covering her eyes with the brim of her hat.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"He and I could talk about where we were from," Hit Girl said, grinning. "Unlike most of the crew, when he spoke with slang I knew exactly what he was saying. It was nice, having that piece of home still there on the ship. It makes you feel a little less naked, knowing someone is just as out of place and from somewhere you can both share."

She stretched her neck. "You guys ever have to deal with this kinda stuff, where you're from?"

[appletastic]

"And it sure means a lot, having somepony from home," Applejack agreed. She was fond of some of the crew, sure, but nothing beat time with the people she knew best from home.

The question struck her as odd. Her ears drooped. "Dying, you mean? 'Course. Everypony dies, same as all y'all. We didn't usually have wars, but accidents happen. Ponies get sick. We get old."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Hit Girl looked a little distant, certainly older than her age. "Yeah," she said. "So if you don't have that, like me, you find it in other ways with other people. "So it sucks when you lose one."

She shook her head here. "Not dying like gradual old age dying. I mean dying like Punchy. That ever happen there, in Equestria?"

[appletastic]

Applejack nodded. "It's rare, but it does. Accidents can happen to anypony."

That particular subject was personal to her. She kept her head pointed at the ground.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Damn. The Mindy part of her wanted to reassure her, tell her that it was all right, that she could keep that to herself if she wanted to. But she also knew there were things in Hit Girl in that she WAS, that she would always BE and no one could change that.

"Those accidents happen more than they need to in some places. I'm guessing less so where you're from. Well, here it is: ugly truth is we're flying by the seats of our pants, and the victory of not dying so we get by is getting to be a doomed way to be."

[appletastic]

"No. It ain't over yet." Applejack stomped a hoof into the deck. "I miss Punchy. He shouldn't be gone. But that don't mean we're all going. He wants us to live."

It was hard to say it through her grief, but someone needed to. They had to dig their hooves in and fight harder.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Never said it was," Hit Girl said, hiding a smile. It was something she liked about Applejack that she thought Rainbow Dash lacked a little bit: conviction. "But its one of those times where we have to reflect on how easy it is to lose somebody."

And considering the circumstances, they were lucky. Hit Girl put her flask away. "Those pony people are lucky to have you reminding them you're strong enough for this."

[appletastic]

"Just like I'm lucky to have them."

Applejack looked out at the crowd, remembering, hoping. "They remind me that I need to let loose once in a while. I won't do it now, but later on."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Eh, I dunno about that, you seem to be able to adapt more than you give yourself credit for. From what I've seen, you have Hydroponics down pretty well."

That, and she handled this better than most. Hit Girl was not sure how to deal with criers.

"Yeah, best time would be later."

[appletastic]

"Think you'll swing by the farm? I might even have some cider."

It was coming along nicely with everypony's help! She was proud.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Oh, she knew about the cider all right: she'd been itching to try some of it herself.

"Yeah, most definitely. Hey, that reminds me: have you tried displaying that stuff via that Mindy girl with the restaurant?"

[appletastic]

Oh, that was right! Mindy. That other lady she hadn't seen in a while. She was about Hit Girl's size. Most of the humans here were taller---full-grown, Applejack reckoned.

"Nah, but I oughta. We'll have enough to get it rolling soon enough. I'll let you know."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Better to keep one person from the other: the last thing Applejack needed to find out was exactly what Mindy was capable of, push come to shove. She was pretty glad the Overlord couldn't see her though: likely he wouldn't have been able to stop laughing his ass off.

"You do that," she said. "A little more understanding with the people on the ship ain't gonna hurt anyone."

[appletastic]

"Yup. Hopefully we can all knock our heads together and feel better."

Actual knocking would hurt, but a meeting of minds? Coming together and sharing stories sounded good. "It'll all be at the diner soon enough."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"We'll see." Being drunk didn't mean that Hit Girl suddenly looked at the brighter side of things. It was seriously times like these where they could use a Batman.

"Sounds good. Maybe you can even ask for some kind of compensation for you and your friends."

[appletastic]

"I don't know what kind of compensation we could ask for, but it's worth a shot." Applejack shrugged. "I'm gonna send out a poll. See how many want some cider, so we know how much to make."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Cider. I haven't had that since...back home, actually. Had it in winter all the time with d-wth the person that trained me. But seriously, think about it, but you might wanna start with a free sample, to make people want more."

She shrugged. "If you're into that kind of thing."

[appletastic]

"That could work! I'll offer it all for free if I have to, but there might be something I could trade for."

Applejack sat back in thought. The barn could use some fixing...maybe.

"Anyway, you'll know where to find it. It'll be with Mindy. You know her? Girl about your height, brown hair?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Nah, you start free, just so people know you have a good product. Once they get a taste, that's when you actually start to charge. They already knows its good, so that gives you the edge."

Besides, where else would you get Cider besides Kang's?

She snickered. "That should be pretty easy then. There aren't as many kids as their used to be."

[appletastic]

"Yeah. Ain't as many of anybody as there used to be," Applejack sighed. "You lost friends too? Before...before today, I mean."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Might be better though. I don't know about that Mindy girl, but I wonder how many of the other kids on this ship would be able to deal with all of this stuff. It'd be a lot harder to keep them in good spirits, that's for sure."

Poker face. "Yeah, you could say that. Guy I owe all my training thanks to got iced. It was during a pretty heated moment, and he led me to taking out the bad guys. He just didn't make it."

[appletastic]

"I'm sorry." Applejack bowed her head. It was hard. She knew loss well, but somehow you were never really fully prepared for it.

"Best we can do now is protect each other."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Don't be. That man expected the best from me. If I sat and cried about him all the time I'd only be dishonoring his memory. I'm better than that. He'll know that, wherever he is."

She nodded. "That's the ideal, if we can manage it."