//------------------------------// // Chapter 56 - Closure // Story: The Pony Dreadfuls // by No one is home //------------------------------// It was a small ceremony. Nothing big or fancy. Why would there be? We were just there to bury an empty box. That’s twice now I’ve buried an empty box for Uncle Train Wreck. It’s just… he’s not coming back this time. The Goat confirmed it. The card I used to make the Nopony mortal again opened a new path for Uncle Train Wreck. He chose to disappear to save Carrot. His life for hers. I want to be mad at him, for leaving us… for leaving me, but I can’t. It’s the same path he chose on the night of the fire. He dove into the flames to save that filly, even though he knew it meant he would never see us again. He was a hero. He was the hero Charlie never was. If I regret anything it’s that I never told him that. He always lived in the shadow of a ghost he could never be. In the end he brought Carrot back to Z. I saw Carrot at the funeral. They made me wear my muzzle of course. Carrot’s alive, did I mention that? She’s burned pretty bad, but she said the doctors told her she’ll heal with time, and eventually her fur will grow back. She’s going to live with Z and Chitin at Sweet Surprise. They said there’s even a room for me and Thirteen when the teachers say we’ve learned how to “embrace friendship and harmony”. Right… like THAT’S gonna happen. Fast Change was there. She didn’t have anything to say to me, I didn’t have anything to say to her. I was there to bury the most important pony in my life. I don’t know why she was there. Train Wreck never belonged in her pretty little world. Neither did I. Maybe that’s what she was burying. I’m the foal of a crueler creator. All my screaming, all my fighting, it was just the thrashing of a moth in the flame. And here were the pretty ponies to bury the ashes of the rejects. Maybe I’m being unfair. I know she was friends with mom and Uncle Train Wreck. Maybe she really was sad, at least Z seemed glad to see her. But why in Tartarus did she bring HIM? Prince Silver Prick had as much business at my uncle’s funeral as father. I know mom wanted us to all get along, and she always told us how great Silver was and how they were such great friends. And then he couldn’t even be bothered to go to Ponyville for her funeral. The only reason he showed up this time was to chase Fast Change’s stupid tail. He wasn’t Train Wreck’s friend. He didn’t even know him! He shouldn’t have been there. Jake, the human was there. He poured a bottle of cider over the grave, and that drew some glares from the ponies, but Z hugged him and let everypony know that was, in her words, “a for real thing that humans do because Z-978 was told by the Train Wreck that it is a thing that mohawkian humans do.” That blue rainbow pony said some things to me that ponies say at funerals to ponies they don’t really know when they want to be nice. Some yellow mare that I didn’t know said Discord was really sad, but that he “doesn’t handle grief well.” Whatever. She was nice enough. I don’t know. I guess she was Discord’s mare-friend or something. She was obviously afraid of me, but it didn’t annoy me as much as most ponies do when they’re afraid of me because I got the idea that she was kind of afraid of pretty much everything. Starlight talked to me a lot about reforming, and being a better pony, and moving forward. I didn’t really know her that well, but she spent a lot of time talking to Uncle Train Wreck back when we were in Ponyville. And I guess she meant well. Princess Twilight says she knew what I was going through, but somehow I don’t believe it. But she was nice, and she was friends with Uncle Train Wreck, even if it was just while we were in Ponyville. I wish we had stayed in Ponyville. It was probably the best time of my life. We were happy. There wasn’t any drama with the nobles. There weren’t any reporters chasing uncle Train Wreck trying to get a picture of the “monster prince”. We were happy. But then mom got sick… I guess she was always sick. And then everything just fell apart. I just wish we could go back to that. Baking with mom and Aunt Pinkie. Watching Princess Twilight test Uncle Train Wreck’s undestructableness (it was “for science”). Nuzzling with Carrot and Z. We were happy then. It was like whatever horrible story we were trapped in had just stopped. I just wish I could go back to that, back to before everything was finally broke for good. But it’s too late to go back now. Watching that empty coffin going in the dirt… there’s no going back anymore. Aunt Pinkie gave the eulogy. I wish I could say it was beautiful, or touching, or… I wish I could have heard it. I wish I could have heard anything past my own sobs. I broke down. Z had to hold me up or I would have collapsed right there. My escorts wanted to take me back right then and there, but Princess Twilight stepped in. She was always nice to our family when we were in Ponyville. I begged her to just let me go home with Z and Chitin, but she said she couldn’t… that it was out of her hooves. So here I am, back at the school. I guess it’s for the best. Somepony has to take care of Thirteen. I haven’t seen Alice since I got back. I guess it was too late, she’s probably gone back to her room for the night. I’m sure I’ll see her at breakfast….