A Wind in the Petunias

by Super Trampoline

Angry

There are flowers on the windowsill. Petunias. Bright, almost garish purple petunias that wave in the breeze of my open window. Gifts from three of my brightest. Scoots, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle. Bless their little cutie mark-obsessed hearts, they brought me flowers.

Now somepony else is here to see me. She trots in meekly and removes her crown with a burst from her horn, setting it down on an unoccupied slice of the credenza otherwise choked with get better cards.

She just stands there, so I begin.

"I'm angry. I'm dying. You would be angry too.

"I shouldn't be angry. I know. I wish I wasn't angry.

"But I'm dying, and that makes me angry.

"Life isn't fair. I know that. Even in Equestria. Even in Equestria, one of the fairest kingdoms in all the land, life isn't fair.

"Sure, death takes us all. I know that. Well, if you're a pretty pink or purple or white or blue princess it doesn't, at least as far as I or anyone else can tell. But excepting them, or you, I should say, death takes us all. I get that.

"But why does it have to take me so soon?

"Why me? I'm a teacher. I'm the type of pony who's supposed to die peacefully and happily when I'm ninety-three. I help ponies grow. Why am I being punished for that? Huh? Tell me princess. Why am I dying?"

Twilight just stands there, giving me pity. She has no answer, because she doesn't know. She doesn't even know if she's immortal. She'll certainly live longer than me.

"Well, anything? You're a princess. You're supposed to know these things!"

Still, she stands there. Elysium knows she's in no position to answer. But I want answers, even if they're trite pleasant lies. And I sure am not going to ask these questions to the foals. They don't deserve that. That's why I called in her.

"I'm sorry," she mutters under her breath.

"Pardon?"

"I said 'I'm sorry,'" she repeats, louder. The princess of friendship has a lot of public relations work to do yet. But hey, she'll have a lifetime to work on it, unlike me.

"You're sorry, Princess?" I ask disdainfully. "You're sorry cancer is spreading through my lymph nodes and will kill me in a few weeks, maybe a month at best? Is that the best you can offer me, Twilight Sparkle? Sorry?"

She hangs her head. Reluctantly, her haunches sink to the floor. Even sitting down, she's regal and impressive; she's really growing into that probably-immortal body. Good for her, I guess. It's my turn to sigh.

"Twilight, I asked for your presence because I want somepony to talk to. You know I can't throw these questions at my students or their parents. I have to be strong for them. I have to tell them there's hope. I have to tell the CMC that I'll live to see them get their marks. But baring a miracle, probably involving tree sap, I won't be seeing that. Do you have any idea how hard that is?"

"No. I wish I..." She stops herself in time to consider the implications of what she was about to wish for. "No, I don't," she finishes plainly.

"Get used to these kinds of questions, Princess. It only gets harder from here on out. Ponies look up to you, like they look up to me. So they're going to throw the ugly horseshoes your way."

She finally breaks. She starts to cry. Good. She's always so analytic. I don't know the last time she actually showed emotions. Okay, that's not fair. She's the princess of friendship. Friendship is built on emotional camaraderie. I should shut up. But still, I'm glad to see her cry. If she's going to lead our nation, she needs to take the good and the bad.

"Cheerilee," she says with a not-quite-sob, "I'm so very sorry this is happening to you. You don't deserve it. No one deserves this, these things. And yet... and yet it's happening." She lifts a fetlock to dry her tears.

"This morning I thought about what I should, what I could say to you. I wish I could make it better. I really do. I've done research, trust me. But magic has it's rules, and there's some things I can't change."

I never had Twilight as a student, her being raised in Canterlot and all, but I'll always respect her as a fellow academic. She's always been devoted to her studies as much as I've been devoted to my students.

"However," she continues, "I do have a story for you. I'd like to deliver a report on purpose. Maybe it will help."

Maybe. I make no motion to interrupt her, so she begins.

"Seven, no, eight years ago, I became friends with an unlikely group of mares, and together, we were chosen by the magic of this world to become bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Together, we helped reunite Luna with her sister, purge her of the Nightmare, and save Equestria. We didn't do this because we wanted to, though we would do again in heartbeat if needed, I'm sure. No, we did it because it was our role to play in the grand unfolding of events."

She's in lecture mode now, in the zone. Never change Twilight.

"More misadventures followed, and then one day I accidentally became a princess. Believe me, it was, and still is a great surprise to me, and likely to everyone perhaps save Celestia, because she always seems to know things. But I was again assured by her that I was to play a pivotal role in the... running of? Politics?... Happenings. Let's say happenings of Equestria. I was in over my head, but as the first new alicorn princess in 350 years, I managed to not mess up too badly. Always I was playing my part.

"Even more adventures and misadventures followed. There was the application of Rainbow Power, when I was reassured of my position in Equestria, and the Great Voyage, and the Second Transgenic Symposium, and all the other stories I'm sure you're aware of.

"Of course, through that all, my friends and I have stayed loyal to each other. It hasn't always been easy. In fact, it usually hasn't been easy. But you better believe that's only steeled my resolve to fight for these friendships. As I've grown as a leader, and a pony, I've found more and more that it's love and friendship worth fighting for."

She stops and looks at me expectantly. "And?" I say, raising my eyebrows.

"Cheerilee, I may be a princess, but you are a teacher. You have played a different but just as important role. I've fought for love and friendship. But you've fought for the future."

"I have?"

"Yes, you have. You have made such an amazing impact on countless ponies' lives. You were, are, and will always be a shining star of our community, an exemplar of serving others. We will not forget your contributions. Ever. That is my promise as your princess. You have not lived in vain. That is my message to you."

Now I'm crying. Darn it, I'm not supposed to be crying. I'm a grade school teacher. I'm supposed to be tough as hooves. So why am I asking the princess to hold me, and why is she taking me up on my offer?

Why is she hugging me and whispering, "Cheerilee, you've played your part. Thank you."

I guess that's her job as princess.

"No," I say in between tears, "Twilight Sparkle, thank you."

Author's Note:

Further Reading:
Lymphosarcoma in Horses
Equine Cancer Society

Dedicated to my late Uncle Bob. R.I.P.

Comments

[Knight of Lycaeus]

While short I felt that it did itself well for discussing briefly cancer and some of the impact it has on both the ill and their friends. Seeing Cheerliee or really anyone like this is a topic that can be both sensitive and difficult to deal with. I enjoyed the notion of Twilight and Cheerliee as peers of sorts and Twilight's reassurance to Cheerliee at the end, cancer can strike at any age and regardless of the outcome it is difficult to cope with but also how Twilight promising to remember her and her contribution, something that can be reassuring to those near their end.

[Super Trampoline]

4447138 thank you for the review. I'm glad you felt it worked despite its short length.

[RainbowDash2012]

Aren't you disgusted at least a little with the fandom's association with the far-right and nazism these days though? I'm not saying all bronies are, but there sure are plenty. I'm a little disgusted with the fandom these days, I don't even care I got banned anymore. I'm convinced it's a fandom that leans a bit right these days. This fandom fucking started in a horrifically toxic nazi-loving place like 4-chan, though I know it's not fair to entirely judge it that way I guess. Also maybe not fair to judge the fandom after the Indianapolis Fedex Shooting guy last year being a far right extremist brony among other publicized events that give it a bed rep independent of its content, but just a good amount of the anecdotal stuff I see too makes it near impossible for me to stay apart of or value this fandom anymore and I feel honestly a little but stupid of myself for not really noticing/caring for several years when I was an ignorant teenager/college student. These days it seems like a a bit of a breeding ground for the alt-right like other fandoms since its full of geeky single young white men and I know that demographic is heavily recruited in the alt-right.

Perhaps this is blown out of proportion and most people here aren't right wing pieces of shit and the fandom is just getting more of the same misunderstood bullshit it always has. But I can't help but get that impression a bit these days. Since you've been much more involved with the fandom in the last couple years, perhaps you could enlighten me more on this issue since I don't know who else to ask who I know is also a leftist in the fandom. I admit maybe this is really media bias and blown out of proportion but I just want to know the thoughts of someone like you who almost certainly knows more about this. I don't doubt that the majority of people in this fandom are still peaceful and not extremists, I just think the general ideology of people seems to ironically lean a little right these days on average for a show that's all about getting along and acceptance.

Also, I didn't even read the subject of this story, I just chose one at random so this comment wouldn't be noticed and get flagged or something like it might on your userpage. I didn't realize it was kind of a grim premise until after I posted the comment so I apologize. I probably should have just sent you a PM but I haven't sent or received one in so long (several years) I honestly forget they existed here.

[Super Trampoline]

11208202
First of all, no worries about picking a random story.

Second of all, in regards to shitty right-wing brownies, here's a copy and paste I wrote while really high the other day I only ended up sending the first paragraph of it to the person who inspired it on twitter, but I think it all applies here:

Hi, I'm a communist, and in late 2021 I realized being a dick to people you disagree with, while sometimes satisfying, almost never improves a situation. But love, hope, and kindness do.

While at times history has suggested otherwise, I truly believe that, flawed though we may be, most humans at their core are good people, with good hearts, who want to build a better world. But what exactly that world looks like, and how to go about creating it, is a quite contentious subject for most folks..

If my thesis is true, then so much of that toxicity and vitril and fear and hate ironically come from our very efforts to fight it. Sadly, some people really are just trash humans (and what this entails and how it happens are themselves two of those aforementioned contentious subjects),but if most of us simply want good for ourselves and others—to love and be loved, if you feel so inclined—then we are not each others enemies. Hunger, hatred, suffering—those are our enemies.
And together, we can defeat them, as allies

I may be an overly optimistic dreamer. I know minds are hard to change and values even harder, and that sometimes there are simply irreconcilable differences in worldview. And it's neither fair nor reasonable to expect those who are persecuted or marginalized to be diplomatic with their tormentors. Or, more broadly speaking, for anyone to constantly be the kindest version of themselves.

But like Pandora, I have hope. I believe in people, and I believe in a better future. I believe we all have something to offer and something we can learn from every person on Earth. To quote a certain TV show, I definitely believe that Friendship is magic.

And what's that friendship,