The walk to the hospital took way too long for Twilight’s liking. The supposed half hours time it took felt like one of her extreme study sessions, hours of time passing in the blink of an eye.
Doctor Stable met them halfway, and after a quick examination deemed they were safe to pick up the pace to a brisk trot. Ever the gentle stallion, Macintosh took extra precaution to miss the well known dips and holes along the road, with Rainbow scouting ahead to alert of anything that could cause grief.
Once out front, the hospital staff took over in transporting Earl, and asked that everypony wait in the lobby until Doctor Stable had any information for them.
The following two hours of waiting for word on Earl’s condition were nerve wracking for everypony involved, especially Twilight. Redheart was a blessing in disguise, offering words of comfort to everypony; and making sure the coffee pot was kept full and warm for Twilight herself and Rarity, some pillows so that Fluttershy and Applejack could rest. She even shared the breakroom’s day old donuts that were left over, Pinkie ensuring that there was nothing wrong with a stale pastry, especially when it was free. Big Mac silently agreed.
As the night wore on, however, Twilight’s friends began to depart. A part of Twilight knew they had their own lives to attend to, as did she, but she herself couldn’t leave. She was his charge. Self-appointed, nonetheless, and wanted to make sure she was there if he woke up.
When… when he wakes up.
Big Macintosh and Rainbow were the last ones to leave, simply because Dash had fallen asleep. Mac had Twilight place the pegasus on his back and carried her back to the farm. She couldn’t help but smile at the pair, and Earl’s words from earlier ringing ever true.
Thinking of Earl brought her down. She couldn’t explain it, the man had been a pain in her flanks all day… and yet, there were times where he shined. Dancing with Rarity, his stories with Rainbow, although grim, the pegasus enjoyed them. Even the singing at the Apple family farm. He was a troubled sort, and she’d only hoped when he opened up to her it was helping.
Now she wasn’t so sure.
The gentle patter of hooves brought Twilight out of her trance. She glanced up and noticed Redheart walking towards her. Twilight sat up straight, ears flat, awaiting the news.
Redheart gestured for her to follow. The lobby was empty, save for the two of them. It left a uneasy feeling in Twilight’s gut, but followed regardless.
The walk was silent, and Redheart stopped at a door. Twilight noticed two of the small flags were folded out: red and blue. She didn’t know what they meant--medical research wasn’t at the top of her studies--and only hoped they weren’t too serious.
Redheart licked her lips. “Princess-”
“Just Twilight, Redheart. You know that,” Twilight snapped.
Redheart’s ears went flat. “Right, sorry. Twilight.”
Twilight let out a sigh. “No, I’m sorry. I’m just, I’m not all here right now.”
Redheart laid a comforting hoof on the alicorn’s shoulder.
Twilight swallowed. “Can I see him?”
The nurse paused. “Yes, but I’d like to explain the situation first.”
Twilight broke her eye contact with the nurse to stare at the closed door. Through the small, narrow window she could see Earl laying on two hospital beds which had been pushed together.
“Is it bad?”
Redheart paused. She looked away from Twilight, and the seasoned nurse found herself at a loss for words. She opened her mouth to speak, but choked on air.
"Well?" Twilight insisted.
“We did every test we could think of, even sent magical probes through the bloodstream. Magical ultrasounds had no effect, so we’re mostly blind to the cause, but…”
“But?”
“We know his heart is failing. We’re almost certain it’s a vascular problem.”
Twilight continued to stare at the door, only the swivel of her right ear letting Nurse Redheart know she was paying any attention.
“I’m sorry, Twilight. He could have days, or hours, but we’re unsure. We’ve got no knowledge of his species, his genetics, his baselines--any real knowledge of him period. We inspected the bottle of pills you gave us, but we’re not really sure what they are. He’s on pain medication right now, to make him more comfortable. We can’t risk any types of surgery; we’d be flying blind, and Doctor Stable is worried that at his age there’s unlikely to be a recovery.”
Tears freely rolled down Twilight’s cheeks. “Has he woken up yet?”
Redheart finally took her eyes away from the floor to look at Twilight. “No, not since you left his side at the cart.”
Twilight finally looked Redheart directly in the eye. Feeling Twilight’s determination, the nurse moved aside meekly.“You can see him, Twilight. Just don’t expect… I mean, don’t…”
“He doesn’t have much time left.”
Both mares looked to Doctor Stable, who looked disheveled. It didn’t change his friendly smile to the alicorn.
“He’s mostly unresponsive. I’m sorry, Twilight, but he’s in the Faust Mare’s hooves now.” The stallion opened the door, allowing Twilight into the room. “I’m sorry to be so forward and blunt, but I’d suggest saying your goodbyes while you can. I’ve already sent a messenger to let your friends know, so they could come.”
Twilight nodded her head, and approached Earl’s bed like she was heading for the gallows. Dread. She was feeling dread. She hated this. She could barely remember when her grandparents passed away; it had happened when she was very young. Shining had taken their loss a lot harder than she had.
Is this what he’d felt then?
What was she thinking? She barely knew Earl. How could she possibly-
“Hey, kid.”
Twilight’s ears shot up, and she trotted to the bed, standing at his left side. Her muzzle found his hand, and gently, forced the appendage on top of her head. His support. Her support.
“I’m sorry, kid.”
Twilight remained silent.
“I failed you. I failed him.”
Realization dawned on Twilight. He wasn’t talking to her. Then who…?
“I knew, kid, for a while. The letters, the address. I knew you’d found him. I was just… too stubborn to comfort you. To make plans. For you to see him before…”
Twilight saw the tears running down Earl’s face. Using her magic, she wiped them away with a tissue. His eyes remained closed, and he didn’t move or acknowledge the gesture.
“I tried to… take you to him. I know you’d want that. But I… the home said I couldn’t leave. The doctors… they said I wasn’t long for the world. What do they know? Stole Harvey’s amigo when he was out golfing. Dumb prude shouldn’t have left the key in it.”
Twilight couldn’t help let out a giggle. Even on his deathbed… he still was sassy.
“I just hope those kids I met find the letters, and finish what I couldn’t.”
Twilight’s memory shot to the suitcase.
“Not the brightest in the world,” Twilight huffed at Earl’s words, tears still streaming down her cheeks, “but they’re good folk. You’d have loved them. Reminded me of that town we stopped in, on our way to the Grand Canyon. Our last road trip as a family.”
Earl was silent, and Twilight rubbed her head against the palm of his hand.
“I sang for the first time since before you passed, Darla. They are a fine bunch of kids. I was so glad to know, that even in Kentucky, there were humble sorts like them.”
Twilight continued to weep, but some struggled humming made her ears perk up.
“Kiss me once… then kiss me twice…” Earl’s grip on Twilight’s head loosened, “it’s been a long… long…”
----------
Princess Celestia walked into Ponyville Hospital with a neutral expression on her face.
She’d received Spike’s letter hours ago, but she hadn’t gotten a chance to read it until moments ago. An alien creature had appeared in Ponyville the previous day, quickly befriended the Elements of Harmony, and now laid in a hospital bed, dying.
And Spike had had no clue until this morning about it. He was beside himself with worry over Twilight, and could only think of one pony that could really help her.
As Celestia walked through the halls, she couldn’t help but notice the downcast looks on the hospital ponies faces.
It didn’t take her long to find a mass of ponies sitting outside of a single room.
Applejack and Rarity were the first to notice the tapping of shoes on tile, and looked up from the floor, cheeks stained with tears, and in Rarity’s case, mascara.
The other elements soon took notice, but didn’t even move to bow as they watched her approach. There were a few others there as well: Applejack’s brother, who comforted a trembling Rainbow Dash. Granny Smith, who held her youngest granddaughter, and even the schoolhouse teacher, Miss Cheerilee.
Celestia knew the situation was grim, but somepony needed to be cheerful, even if Pinkie was indisposed, laying on the ground next to Fluttershy, hooves covering her face. “Good morning, my little ponies.”
Most everypony said simple greetings, while others remained silent. There was one missing, though, who she needed to see.
“She’s still in there with ‘im,” Applejack said, pointing to the half open door.
Her ears perked as, music began to come from the room, the tell tale signs of a record player.
“She’s…” Rarity sneezed, then continued, “she’s been playing that song on and off for the last several hours.”
Celestia nodded and turned to the door. With a gentle push of her hoof, it opened with ease and she entered the room.
The medical equipment all sat mute and useless. A chair off to the side held a gramophone, playing a song the princess couldn’t recall ever having heard. A nearly-empty suitcase rested against the legs of the chair, its contents neatly arranged on the bedside table and across the floor.
Celestia finally turned to the bed’s occupant, and the pony whose back was to her.
He lay motionless, mouth slightly open, not unlike a fish out of water. Beside him, on a table, sat a decorative hat, a black and white photograph in a silver frame, and a small blue and white urn.
“He died two hours, thirty five minutes ago.”
Those were not the first words she expected out of her favorite student’s mouth.
“I… this song, was important to him. I wanted him to feel comfortable. Applejack brought his things when they came earlier. I couldn’t teleport them, my magic, it didn’t…” Twilight swallowed. “Never mind.”
Celestia stepped closer, and sat down next to the young alicorn. Studying Earl, in all her thousand plus years, she’d never seen anything like him.
“I found the letters. He wanted to talk to his son, one last time… and now…” Twilight broke down in tears once more.
Celestia knew well off that this was not the end of such things, and wrapped a wing around in comfort, pulling her close to her side.
“He was… such an asshole…” she said through coughs.
Celestia nearly choked on her own breath. “What?”
“He… he was rude, and mean, and insensitive… kept calling me a Oompa Loompa. I don’t even know what that is, but he thought I was one.” Twilight continued to cry. “And yet…”
“He was my friend. Our friend. The girls and I. Even Cheerilee came, and he was rudest to her.” She let out a pained laugh. “There’s a friendship lesson there I’m sure, but I just don’t have the energy to research it.”
Celestia rested her head on top of Twilight’s, tightening her grip with her wing.
Celestia was quiet, while Twilight simply cried until she could no more. The mare pushed her mentor’s wing aside, and pointed to a urn on the table.
“I was able to scan the contents… they’re ashes, organic in nature. I think they’re a pony-er, person’s. I’m guessing his wife, Darla.”
Celestia noticed the white noise of the record spinning absentmindedly. Twilight used her magic to lift the arm off and place the brake on the disk.
Strewn around Earl’s body were a mass of photographs, all black and white, of a couple and a child posing around many different cliff edges. Some of a single male, holding a fancy wood stick in a sort of uniform, along with others where he stood along side similarly dressed others.
Celestia recognized a war zone when she saw one. The others, their significance lost on Celestia, although Twilight surely knew what they were.
“I want him cremated, too.”
Celestia nodded her head.
“And I’m going to fulfill his last wish, even if it takes me forever.”
“How can we help?”
Both Celestia and Twilight look behind them. Her group of friends all stood in the doorway, with Rainbow at the lead. She was still shaking, but a fierce, determined look upon her face.
For the first time that morning, Twilight smiled. “I have some ideas.”