A time of sadness

by Slick Dash

Aftermath

I had never been to a funeral before, let alone organised one. The girls helped me a lot. Pinkie went about finding the people who Tom had known reasonably well around Ponnyville, Rarity began fashioning suitable clothes for the body for when he was buried. As I watched her sewing the suit designed for someone who walked on two legs, I was heart achingly reminded of the clothes that we had given him when he was ill. From that moment on he’d never worn anything else, but Rarity said it was “improper” having his body dressed in anything other than a suit when he was buried.

Whenever the thought of laying Tom in the ground came to my mind, it felt as though a little bit of me died inside. My heart would cry out to hear his voice one last time, or his jokes to make me laugh, but its desires would remain ignored forever. Twilight was pawing through some of her many books, deciding what would be the best thing to say about him. I had asked her to say something on the day knowing that when the time came, I wouldn’t be able to bring my lips to move.

Fluttershy was attending to something she had said was of vital importance, none of us knew what it was. She may have just not wanted to help because it hurt too much, heck, I felt the same way! My friends were just taking on all the work because they knew I would simply crumble under it. Applejack had asked for a few of her cousins to come down and help with issues such as the coffin; how it would need to me made differently to usual coffins in Equestria, and that we needed strong ponies to lower it into the ground.

A couple days before the funeral, I pulled the orange pony aside while she overlooked her cousins working on the casket. I wanted to tell her how much she had meant to Tom, how much she meant to me because of how she had always been there for the two of us, and how grateful I was to her helping so much. But when the moment came, no words would come out. I choked on my tongue as it refused to move, and for what seemed like for the millionth time in that week tears began to form in my eyes. “H-he...I... I know what he would have wanted to say, to you I mean.” I struggle speak the simple sentence, but the pony stood there patiently as always. “He’d want to thank you for... for...” I couldn’t do it; my jaw felt like it was made of concrete and refused to move.

“Don’ worry sugar cube, I think I know what he’d have wanted to say to me.” I looked at her apologetically, unsure how to continue, but yet again the orange mare spoke, “He’d have probably thanked me for the work I gave him, for being there when he needed an ear to listen to him. An’ I’m pretty sure that he’d thank me... for you.” She prodded the end of my nose to make me smile. “He’d get all sappy and start telling me how much you meant to him and that he could never repay me enough.” She smiled warmly at me and with a gentle nudge to my side she told me to leave, she didn’t want me seeing the casket and upsetting me even more.

I returned to my...OUR home. A few weeks after me and Tom finally got together, he had decided it was time he stopped living in the guest room at the library. So him, Applejack and Big Macintosh had set out and built a small house for Tom to live in. I never really knew how Twilight had felt about him leaving her care, she had seemed fine, but you could never tell. She always kept her emotions very concealed. Soon afterwards, I had moved in with Tom, leaving my small cloud home to dissipate over the following months.

Now as I moved through the rooms, it felt cold. There were pictures lined the edges of the room, each of them of me and Tom. I had always loved having my picture taken, it made me feel like I was living the glamorous life of a Wonderbolt. But in these pictures my expression was different, instead of showing an outrageously happy face; my smile was small and content. I had been experiencing a completely different kind of happiness, all because of him.

I moved into the bedroom, it was more of a mess than usual. Seeing as the two of us had neither been too bothered about mess, we never did really pick up anything unless we needed it. A few clothes were spread across the floor, his purple, blue and white button shirts were all still there were I had left them. I swiped up the blue one from the floor, lay down on the bed and took my favourite picture from my bedside table. There Tom stood, on his own. He looked bashful as the focus was completely on him, this had been taken on his birthday. Pinkie had thrown a huge surprise party for him in the living room of our newly made home. After the initial shock all Tom could do was rub the back of his neck and smile like a goof.

This picture showed him doing just that, his mark was visible on his right hand as it hung by its side. He had been truly happy that day, I had been terribly worried that he wouldn’t enjoy it, being the first birthday away from earth. But he had smiled and laughed all night out of sheer joy!

I lay the picture on the pillow next to mine, where Tom should be sleeping. And snuggling under the covers I held the shirt tightly. It smelt like him. This was the only way I would remember him now, and soon enough his scent would fade from the clothes and I would only be left with the minimum proof he was ever here. My love was dead, my soul felt heavy, I hadn’t flown in days, and I didn’t want to. THAT’S how messed up I was! I slowly drifted off into sleep, with his scent filling my nostrils, and his face smiling at me. And as I reached that twilight state of reality and dream, I could have sworn he was here with me, lying by my side.

Comments

[Slick Dash]

267666 will do next chapter is the same time tomorrow my good sir

[The Professor]

I'm liking it. Keep going.

[SevenVenom]

I am sad.
Why am I sad.
This is so sad.
I am sad.

[Foxy Daze]

MANLY TEARS HAVE BEEN SHED
even though i am a girl
I CAN STILL CRY MANLY TEARS

[AcerMane]

Fuck manly tears! I'm cryin' like a lil' bitch an I'm proud of it!

[Skywind]

Fuck manly tears!