By the next day Ghost felt so much better, her decision had been made and she’d had a long conversation with Pen on the phone last night. Maybe it would work out for her, maybe not, but at least she had done it, and now she would live with the consequences.
The hospital seemed rather crowded as she entered, ponies of all ages were bustling around, had there been some sort of accident last night? There didn’t seem to be any more patients that normal. She looked around for Carrot Heart as she made her way towards Cheerilee’s room, she saw the mare hurry by looking glum and gave her a nod and a smile. The nurse looked up in surprise then turned towards her. “Oh, you’re still here?” she asked.
“Well almost done, maybe another day or two and I’ll have all the notes I need to finish, I can run through anything else with Cheerilee later.”
“Oh, you haven't heard?”
“Heard what?” A shiver ran through Ghost.
“Miss Cheerilee, she had a turn for the worst, she... she doesn’t have long.”
“How long? A month? A few weeks?”
The nurse hung her head giving a silent reply.
Suddenly Ghost found her hooves dragging her down the corridor towards the room she’d spent much of the last week in. The path was crowded, packed with ponies, it seemed like most of the town were there, she rudely shoved her way past and burst into the room. She realised that it was just as crowded as the corridor outside, she was greeted by a flash of steel as two royal guard ponies pointed their weapons at her. All heads in the room turned towards her, she recognised Carrot Top and a chunk of her family, but there were also other ponies of all ages from new-borns to ancient mares and stallions almost as old as Cheerilee, and there towering over then were three of the princesses! Ghost’s legs locked not knowing if she was supposed to bow, or prostrate herself, or beg for forgiveness.
“Ah, Ghost,” came a weak voice from the bed. “Come to see me off to have you. You can put your weapons down gentlemen, what’s she going to do? Kill me?” She gave a weak laugh.
The guards looked towards the royalty present who nodded and they stepped back opening a path to the bed. Cheerilee led there propped up on thick pillows, Ghost hadn’t noticed how thin she looked or how faded her coat was, still the old mare seemed to have an aura of peace around her.
“I’m sorry, I heard how you were and...” Ghost’s voice trailed away.
“I’m very lucky to have so many friends who wanted to see me before I go,” she gestured around the room. “So did you talk to your stallion friend?” she asked conversationally.
“I think I’ve sorted things out.”
“Good, don’t tell me what happened, I like to have some surprises in my life. How’s the book going?”
“I... I’ve almost finished it,” said Ghost her voice cracking.
“I think it’s going to do rather well, given the timing, you might have to work quickly though. As you’ve done most of the work you should probably get the writing credit for it.”
“I doubt the publishers would agree...”
“Given our esteemed company,” she weakly tried to raise a hoof towards the princesses, “I think they’ll probably comply with my last wishes, don’t you? I’m sure you wrote it down somewhere, but I like to help those around me bloom, special talent, cutie mark, and all that.”
“I guess they will. I’d like to thank you, for the time you spent with me, your life... your life was... is inspirational.”
Cheerilee gave a little chuckle. “I was just in the wrong place at the right time, again and again and again. Nothing more, but thank you.”
“I guess I should be off, there is a whole crowd of well-wishers outside, I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” she turned from the bed. “Goodbye, Miss Cheerilee,” she said.
The ancient’s mare’s face scrunched up for a moment then it was as if a lightbulb went off over her head. “Of course! Class of ‘61! Second row, third seat from the right. You were only there for one term. I never forget a foal! I told you!” She started to sink back into the bed, seeming exhausted by the revelation.
“Yes, dad kept us moving, never in one town for long, it was his job.” She paused, there was one extra thing she wanted to ask, but wasn’t sure if it would be respectful, still she’d never get a chance to ask again. “Do you regret it?”
“No, I regret nothing!” cried Cheerilee weakly almost by instinct, she blinked, “Regret what?”
“Not having a special somepony, not having foals of your own.”
“Don’t be stupid,” said the old mare closing her eyes. “Who needs a single special somepony when there are so many special ponies I’ve known? And I’ve had thousands of foals, thousands of them.” With effort she waved a hoof around the room seeming to indicate not only the ponies present but the ones in the corridor outside and maybe all of Ponyville and even beyond. “Others may have birthed them, but I raised them, saw them blossom, made them the best they could be, all of them mine. All of them,” she hissed as the last breath left her body.