The students and faculty of two different schools, the Sunbeam and Nightdream Academies, stood on a rainbow bridge between the magnificent castles in mourning. Everyone was draped in black, including the normally colorful Phenomena Willow as she watched her ex boyfriend, Prince Tal, travel in the Lollypop Funeral Procession in an open casket. He wasn't the first victim of Anguish the Blood Siren, but Tal was the first student to die as a result of her machinations.
Tal's handsome face lay at ease; his body turned up towards the stars. Despite a traumatic wound, he had died peacefully in Mena's arms.
Sunbeam Academy students flanked the profession to the left side and the female Nightdream Students stood on the other side. Tal's classmates, the fop Doogey (who had an insatiable crush on the prince) blew into a hanky and Tal's close confident, Billy Bones, looked mournfully at his fallen comrade.
The teachers and staff all stood on the far end of the platform. Ranging from the replacement headmistress of Nightdream, Stellaris and the current Sunbeam headmistress, Ms. Electra to teachers like the Dulian fishysauz teacher, Scalia, the uber tough gym teacher, Nebula, elixirs and potion teacher Apo Carrie and the nightcreeper defense teacher, Caligari, they all had their arms folded and their heads bowed in prayer to the Dream Goddess.
Positioned further back, much to Mena and Trudy's relief, was Janus Harvestar with Grimm, her towering father with childlike eyes. As reapers, they oversaw a proper casting off of the dead, but Mena had a feeling that Grimm was also keeping watch on Janus. The pixie-like reaper girl had slain Tal in a fit of deathlike puberty and it was unknown if she could be provoked into that state again. Mena was on rocky grounds with Janus, and her presence at the funeral opened a fresh wound in the young witch's mind.
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The short, curly haired reverend of the Lollypop Funeral Procession read a speech directed at the deceased shadow prince in a respectful and dignified voice.
"Tal, Prince of the Shadow Nomads," the reverend said extending his tiny hand to the casket. "You are now reunited with your family after all these years. Even though you have returned to your mother's womb, you will always be remembered here."
Mena nodded in firm agreement. Tal would always be in her heart.
"You had angst," the reverend declared. "More angst than any teenager should have, but you utilized it in the best ways. Your poems were filled with shadowy sayings and your dramatic monologues were best used for stunning performances of Grasspeare plays."
Mena winced. She didn't want to think about that traumatic play anymore... even if Tal (and Ashlan O'Ryan) both performed stunningly well.
"Your angst ends here," the reverend said at last. "As we send your casket into eternity, you will float forever in a peaceful rest. Now, we will allow for one final goodbye."
A lot of the girls from Nightdream (and Doogey, of course) whimpered goodbye to Tal.
Mena grimaced. They were nowhere close to knowing Tal like she did. But she took a deep breath, exhaled and bid farewell to her prince of d'aww-kness herself. She ran up to the casket in her platform shoes and touched it one last time. She stepped back in tears as Tal's casket was flung into the endless cosmos.
Everyone watched the casket as it slowly and blissfully drifted out of the rainbow plasmic space shield, leaving nothing but the living to pray for his eternal peace.
The reverend smiled and spoke in his deep voice. "Now, go in peace," he said,
"Like that's possible," Mena sobbed as May patted her on the back.
Mena turned to leave as the reverend called out, "Though he was consumed with angst, he would not want you to inherit it."
But Mena had already departed.
They walked past Janus and Grimm. Janus in particular smiled and offered her condolences, but Mena didn't speak. She wanted to forgive Janus, but there was still an open gash in her heart.
May gave Janus the cold shoulder too, but her reasons were very different. The two headed down to the infirmary where Janus's other handiwork lay.