One Last Hearths Warming

by DakariKingMykan

Act 5: Sick Truth

ACT FIVE

The next morning, Starlight and Spike had awoken to find Twilight wasn’t in her bed.

They would have searched the castle from top to bottom had Starlight not discovered a letter on her nightstand.

“It’s an address…” she said to Spike, which made him confused. “Why would she go off to visit some pony in the middle of the night?”

Starlight wanted to investigate, and she levitated Spike up onto her back. “Come on, let’s go.” and she galloped for the castle gates.

“Wait… what about breakfast?!” wailed Spike.

Jangles slowly began to wake up, feeling something warm and damp covering his head-- a warm cloth.

“Ohh…!” he groaned.

“Shh… take it easy.” someone said to him.

Jangles opened his eyes to find he was in his own bed, in his own home, and Twilight was looking down at him.

“Princess… Twilight…?”

It was her, and she looked baggy-eyed and a little frazzled, but then who wouldn’t after sitting up all night with a sick pony that collapsed in the snow?

Jangles suddenly remembered having an attack and falling in the street.

“You were very lucky I came when I had.” she said, sounding rather concerned and a bit angry.

Jangles home was practically looking like a closing shop.

All the furniture was covered in tarps, rugs, carpets, and curtains were nowhere to be seen-- as he had donated them all to Rarity’s drive.

Even his kitchen was looking a bit miserable. He had hardly any food, or drinks, or utensils-- he had donated them too.

This forced Twilight to teleport back to her castle and bring back some of her own supplies to fix him up some soup and tea.

“Princess… how…?” asked Jangles. “How did you get me here?”

Twilight came clean with him, how she saw him outside in the night. “I heard you talking with Steel Pipe. I heard everything…”

Jangles looked nervous.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Starlight and Spike, and Twilight let them in.

“Twilight, are you okay?” asked Starlight.

“What are you doing here with Coin Jangles?” added Spike. Then he noticed the state the house was in, “…And what’s with this place?”

Jangles clutched his bedsheets shamefully, and Twilight levitated up a small letter, which happened to be the medical report from the hospital Jangles had said he received to Starlight.

“Is this the report about his colic?” asked Starlight, but then she and Spike noticed Twilight looked a little tearful. “…Read it.”

The friends looked concerned, and Jangles looked really upset, but there was no sense in even trying since Twilight obviously knew the truth now…

And that very truth made Starlight and Spike gasp very softly.

Jangles had terminal Cancer, and according to the report he would die most definitely by the start of the New Year. Even if he would be lucky enough to make it to Hearths Warming in a few days… it would be his last.

The trio all gawked at the sick pony with hurtful expressions, while all he could do was looked down at his hooves on the sheets sadly and remark in a low tone, “…Happy Hearths Warming… many happy returns.”

Spike began to panic and begged at Twilight, “You’ve got to do something! Cure him! Make him better!!”

Twilight shook her head, “You know I can’t, Spike. There are just some things-- some kinds of illnesses that magic can’t fix, especially if it’s terminal-- too late.”

Spike and Starlight both knew this very well. It wasn’t like Poison Joke, or Pony-Pox, or even a common cold. Cancer was just one of those few things.

“How could you not tell us?” asked Spike.

“I haven’t told any-pony.” replied Jangles. “You’re the only ones who know, except for the Doc.”

A moment of silence passed.

“I just wanted to go peacefully, and not worry any-pony, especially now of all times. It’s Hearths Warming. Nobody should be miserable at this time. I don’t want to ruin the cheer and joy for others.”

“But you’re so sick.” protested Starlight “You have no pony to look after you or help you. If Twilight hadn’t helped you, you could’ve been dead by now.”

“I don’t see what difference it makes. My time is just around the corner anyway, and there’s no point in fighting it.” He paused as he gazed down at he looked at the trio bravely. “I’ve done all have to do. I’m ready to go.”

“Don’t say that.” cried Spike, trying not to break out sobbing.

“And you’re wrong, too.” said Twilight “You haven’t really done everything.”

Jangles looked up strangely at her, and the others wondered what she was talking about.

Before Twilight could tell them about Sun Grin, Jangles had another painful attack, and he began to cough and wheeze.

“We’ve got to get him to the hospital, now!” cried Twilight.

Starlight agreed and dashed out the door like lightning to get help.

Twilight didn’t dare teleport Jangles to the hospital; not in his condition, or it would cause him more fatalities.

Meanwhile, at the family’s home, everyone had awoken to find the sofa bed deserted.

“I can’t believe he would just up and leave like that.” said Sun Grin.

“I can’t imagine why.” added Steel, pretending to be in shock like the rest.

Bookcase was most disturbed. After all the plans she was going to make to help Jangles, he just up and left. “How could he just waltz out, and on such a night too?”

Sun began to wonder and worry where Jangles was. “In his condition, he shouldn’t be out there in the cold like that.”

Her father had no idea what to say, for fear of blowing the secret.

The kids came running through, playing like wild animals, and were heading straight for the decorated tree.

“Kids!” snapped Sun Grin, and her children skid to a halt.

“Now, kids, what have we talked about running wild?”

The children looked shameful, but at least they had stopped and hadn’t broken anything.

They sat on the floor with big thuds, giving the floor a tiny shake, causing an envelope up in the tree to fall out by Woody’s feet.

“What’s this?” he wondered as he picked it up.

“Oh-Oh-Oh… Wait a minute there.” said Steel, rushing up to his grandson so he wouldn’t try and open paper.

Woody and Lily sulked on the floor, but Steel gawked at the envelope. “This is addressed to you, Sun.”

His daughter took the envelope and read the address message on it. It didn’t take much for her and her folks to realize Jangles had obviously left it there.

“What is this?” she wondered.

“It says “Do not open until after New-Years.” said Bookcase.

Sun was never one to really disobey a warning, but she was very tempted to open it if it meant getting some answers.

Steel was now more than convinced that Jangles was behind this, and it was obvious he was trying to give something important to Sun.

He wanted to tell the truth, but he promised not to.

“Maybe I should open it now?” suggested Sun.

A long moment of silence followed as the grownups weren’t quite sure if it was right, especially Steel.

Just then, there was a knock at the family door.

Bookcase answered it, and it turned out to be Spike.

“It’s that guy.” chirped Lily “He’s with the Princess.”

Spike gave a weak smile, which then faded into concern as he looked up at Sun. “You need to come with me, Sun Grin.”

Sun blinked once. “Why? Is something wrong?”

Spike rubbed the back of his head, not wanting to tell the whole truth in front of the children. “…Well, you could say that.”