From Crown To Halo

by unicorn92243

4. Pictures

Chapter 4

Pictures

Apple Bloom woke up the next morning, Sunday, and stretched, rubbing her eyes before going downstairs to have a hearty breakfast with her family. It was another beautiful day, and after doing her chores, she fully expected to go out and have another fun filled day with her friends.

As they all left the house to get started on work, they saw Dark Star approaching them with a rather blank look on his face.

“Well howdy Dark Star,” Apple Jack greeted. “What brings you here this fine morning?”

Dark Star just looked at them blankly, and Apple Bloom started to get a really bad feeling.

“Dark Star… what’s wrong?”

“Last night, Bright Heart had a seizure. His heart it… collapsed.”

“What are you saying?” Apple Bloom whispered.

“He’s dead Apple Bloom. He died before they could even get him to the hospital.”

“No… no I don’t believe it.” Apple Bloom shook her head in denial.

“Do you think I would just make something like this up?!” Dark Star glared at her angrily for a moment before his face took on that blank look again. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” He turned and trotted away, leaving all of them stunned.

Apple Bloom felt like ice had filled her veins. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she felt her sister hug her, and then hold her up when her knees gave out. She felt her brother and grandmother join in and hold her, but she could only feel cold.

“Apple Bloom, please come out and eat something!” Apple Jack knocked on her door. “Please?” She sighed when she got no answer.

Three days. It had been three days since they got the terrible news, and Apple Bloom had only left her room to use the bathroom. The rest of the time she stayed in there with the door locked.

Sometimes Apple Jack could hear her softly sobbing, but other than that, there was silence.

They had all tried to get her to open up to them. Her family, her friends, but Apple Bloom was simply inconsolable, and she refused to talk to anyone.

Apple Bloom was glad when she heard her sister finally give up and walk away. She wanted to be alone.

She kept going back and forth from grief, to denial, to rage.

How was she going to go on without Bright Heart? She’d sob off and on for hours, only to turn around and think, no, he can’t be dead. This was all a mistake. Soon he’d show up and say that it was all a misunderstanding. Other times she’d think, those stupid doctors! They said he had two more years! It wasn’t supposed to happen this soon! Why didn’t they do their jobs and save him?!

Apple Bloom finally came out of her room on the fourth day, the day of the funeral.

It seemed that the whole town and then some had come. Bright Heart was such a wonderful pony that everypony had loved him. Ponies had even come all the way from Manehatten, his former home, to pay their respects.

One by one, ponies went up to the open casket to say their final farewells. When Apple Bloom finally made her way up, she stared numbly down at her love. It was Bright Heart, no doubt about it. She could not deny it any longer.

Her prince had traded his crown for a halo.

He looks peaceful, she thought. As if he’s only asleep. But when she gave him one last kiss, his lips were cold with death. She clutched the necklace he’d given her for a moment before moving on.

The rest of the funeral was a blur after that. Ponies trying to comfort each other, her family and friends trying to comfort her, but she was having trouble holding onto reality. Everything just kept fading into the background.

She was glad when they finally went back home. She still hadn't spoken a word.

Locked back into her room, she picked up a photo of them together. Bright Heart was holding her from behind and they were both beaming. They had been so happy together. It just wasn’t fair.

Apple Bloom got out an empty photo album and started to put in all the pictures she had of Bright Heart in it carefully, to preserve his memory. When she was done she felt tears start to fall as she looked at them and she cried her heart out, her sobs filling the room.

When she had no more tears left, she got her diary and wrote a new poem.

Pictures

I look at some pictures, the prints on a page,
Some glossy and new, some yellowed with age.
On some you look happy, a few you look sad,
But I’m happy to know that on most you looked glad.
They hold memories stuck in that present.
Sometimes I wonder what they must have meant.

I never thought you would become a picture,
I knew it must be but I never was sure.
Where your touch was is only cold paper.
I wish things are the way they were.
You didn’t want to leave I know,
But when death calls you have to go.

It still hurts to think of you,
But it’s all that I can do.
I will never let myself forget,
And I do not have a single regret.
Your picture, your memory, is inside my heart,
And though it sometimes falls apart,

I’ll sew it shut with silver thread,
For in my heart you are not dead.
I treasure the gifts you chose to give,
For in my heart you’ll always live,
And when I become a picture too,
Then I will go to be with you.

Comments

[APoeticHeart]

Heartwrenching chapter, and such a beautifully sad poem by Apple Bloom.

[Zelda Spectrum]

Bright Heart...is dead?
NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
If you will excuse me, I'm going to go sit in the corner and cry.

R.I.P Bright Heart
A True Gentlecolt

[dav956able]

So what happens now?
the story aint over?

[Flaring Dawn]

R.I.P Bright heart. why him..... why... poor AB.... my heart goes out to Applebloom and the family of Bright heart. Such a heart wrenching chapter. i never cried like this before. :

[Word_Smith]

The proverbial shis is falling from the sky

[KrishnaKarnak]

Dark Heart was so cold :( poor Bloom!

[MajesticPoniesEverywhere]

Fuck you. You make me sad.

[iamthewriter]

This is the second fanfic to ever make me cry...