Scootaloo woke up with a shiver of the body from the cold air in the room. The lamp was still on, although the morning light had overtaken its role. She also noticed that she was still lying under Copperbolt's wing, though it seemed rather cold. Of course Copperbolt must have been freezing through the night, seeing as Scootaloo fell asleep while leaning up against her, so she could not reach out and grab her own blanket to pull over. It was just like her mother's kind heart to let her sleep like that, even though it meant for her to freeze herself.
The filly then looked back up at the brown mare's face to see how she was doing, smiling at how peaceful she seemed. Copperbolt seemed to sleep like a log, and judging by the wide and sweet smile on her face, she must be dreaming the most amazing of dreams. Steadily and quietly, Scootaloo dragged herself out from under the wing, so as to not wake up Copperbolt. She reached out behind the brown mare and got the blanket between her teeth, and then proceeded to cover her mother all the way up to her neck, slowly and neatly.
Letting her breath seep out between her almost closed lips, Scootaloo took a second glance at her mother's smile, wanting to see just how sweet and peaceful she looked while sleeping. True enough, she looked like the happiest of ponies, but this time Scootaloo also noticed something off: Weird stripes from the corner of her eyes, running along her face downwards and ending in a small spot on the pillow that had a darker shade than the rest of it. She had been crying, that much Scootaloo could tell, but as to why she had done it, and how she could have without waking her up, the young filly had no idea.
"Mom?" Scootaloo said with a sweet and low voice, still smiling even though she was a bit worried about the tear tracks. "Wake up mom. Did you have a bad dream?"
The mare did not react in the slightest, still lying with the same sweet smile locked on her lips. Using one of her hooves, Scootaloo gave her a gentle nudge in an attempt to physically get her up, but all that moved on Copperbolt's body was because of this very nudge. "It's morning mom. There's a clear blue sky and all. You really wanna sleep through this?"
Still nothing. At this point, Scootaloo was beginning to feel a little worried. Sure, Copperbolt can sleep deeply too, but she usually wakes up after being called out to, or at least reacts to Scootaloo's voice. "Mom? Mom, get up will you? You're starting to freak me out."
The smile on Copperbolt's face suddenly lost all meaning, while the dark tear tracers became Scootaloo's point of interest. There was definitely something wrong. Her cold body was even colder, and her fur seemed dull and bleak compared to its ordinary radiance. The filly's smile was gradually changing into an expression of panic as she began pushing harder and with two hooves instead of just one. "Mom, wake up! Please, mom, you're scaring me here! It's not funny!"
It was almost provocative how the mare's expression stayed still no matter how much she was being shaking around by the frightened filly, whose voice was becoming louder and more panicky by the second, and whose eyes kept getting more and more watery. "Mom! Mom! Please wake up!"
After a while, Scootaloo decided to stop with the showing and instead try to make the final test. She was panting, sweat running from her forehead as she looked to the chest of the pegasus. Biting her own lips, the filly finally managed to muster enough courage to remove the blanket and pressed her ear against the cold fur. She could not hear a heartbeat. She stayed like that for longer than was necessary to confirm her terrible suspicion, desperately listening for the drumming sound that was supposed to come, fruitless as it was.
"No…" she whimpered with a squeaky little voice. "No, mom… Don't do this… DON'T DO THIS!!"
She cast her hooves around the cold mare's head, screaming and letting out endless streams of her own tears, never intending to let go. "You said you wouldn't leave me, remember!!? You said there was no way you'd leave me!! Was that a lie!!? Did you lie, mom!!? Why did you lie, mom!!? WHY DID YOU LIE!!! MOM! MOM! PLEASE WAKE UP!! MOM, PLEASE WAKE UP!!"
For hours this was the mantra for the orange filly. She screamed, she cried, she pleaded and she even tried begging Celestia for help, though not even she had ever been able to bring anypony back like that. Helplessly sitting alone with what used to be her mother, Scootaloo spent the worst day of her life, sobbing.
sooo sad! i want to cry so hard
372168 lol i was listening to dubstep
Ch. 7 (Single Wing pt. 6) hit me hard... It reminds me of when my own mother had a stroke a year ago and we almost lost her. Luckily, we got her to the hospital in time and she recovered (but is still somewhat disabled). Thank you, askesalsa, for writing such a touching story and reminding me of how precious our loved ones are.
That... hurt.
We knew it was coming. We knew it was going to happen. I knew it was going to be now even.
And it still hurt.
No, she isn't treating like it was her mom's dying wish... It WAS her mom's dying wish...
Oh you asshole you made me cry
Next chapter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CzcOcBb_ms
I stupidly listened to this whilst reading this. Christ I am a big girl.
BUCK, I KNEW SHE WAS GONNA DIE, DEAR CELESTIA WHYYYY?!
[youtube=http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2ubIhAlF46g] my childhood resurfaces. It hurts....it feels....good
301st Liker :D
372168 Oh snap its the piano guys :D
I Cried... I am now sad ;_; i was listening to its the end of the world as we know it befor ei saw that song and clicked it >_> So sad... Second fic that has ever made me cry first was my little dashie and the second one was this wow dear sir you have made me cry wow i am impressed...
Well, the moment that I feared has finally come to us. I was pretty sure that she was going to be dead in the morning but was optimistic that she would still be alive. Sadly, I was wrong. I cried during this oh so very short and powerful chapter. Great job with building up such a sweet character. I wish that you did not have to kill her off like that though. I think that this is the first story that I got to meet Scoots' real mother and get to know her more. Very well done!
The manly tear fell from Hotwingspony's eye as he clicked to the next chapter, preparing for the sadness that ensues.
The feel.... they hurt!
This chapter made me think of this:
. However, I did like the new take on why Scootaloo was an orphan. It reminds me of an experience in the real world that happened to a friend of mine.
Don'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcry!
Too late. Damn it! Why do you do this to me!!!!
It's so sad, and it's made me really curious. I'm making sure I read every chapter. (good job btw.)
This chapter's comment section has already said all that can be said.
WHYYYY???!!
*ahem*
By the way:
shaken around
1115939 That was surprisingly haunting
reading this story to this
the feels are to fucking high
May her soul find peace among the stars.
1115939 That was haunting and fitting for this chapter, due to my terrible memory I cannot draw comparisons easily, but in my mind this progressive disease whilst putting up a strong face is more tragic than the usual one minute they are fine next they are dead sort of story telling where diseases are used, that or the disease is given almost no context or the character is just there, dying from some disease, yeah the main character is all sad and stuff, but there's really no attempt to show us why they are so sad besides the super obvious.