> Eulogy for the Forsaken
>  by DonkeyPumpkin
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> Why did it come to this?
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There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Today of all days. It just felt so… so wrong that everything else would be having a joyous day, and here I was, approaching a fresh grave whilst on the verge of tears. All around me, ponies were shaking their heads and leaving at my approach, as if I was a leaper.

But I suppose I deserved it. All the events leading up to her body being lowered 6 feet below replayed through my head constantly. All these effects and from what cause? Was it even just one? She had been acting a bit...different in the few weeks leading up to that horrendous day, and I had shunned her for it rather than truly discussed what was troubling her.

The thoughts of what I had done, and what I have caused to others and myself, almost made me lose whatever measly contents were in my stomach then and there. But alas, composure was one of the few things I had trained myself to have since I first began befriending her, for the sake of accepting her for all her faults and goofiness.

I will tell you the story of what occurred, but time is running short and I still have to accomplish what I came here for in the first place. I unlatched the instrument case, pulled out the bow and large cello, and began to play at Vinyl Scratch’s grave.






"Vinyl, you never listen! You're never here to listen!" I shouted as she stumbled in, half drunk. For the past week and a half, she had been going to the bar and clubs for "work" almost every night. 

"Tavi, you jusht don't under-undershtand. I wash jusht working! NO bi- *hic* big deal! Shee, I'm perfectly fine," she said with a heavy slur in her voice, and just before she tripped and landed face first in a pot of orchids. From the the rubble she rose, and stumbled up the stairs at half her normal speed. 

I sighed as I continued up after her. After all, someone had to make sure she didn't fall asleep in the toilet...again. As I reached the top, I found her sprawled out on the floor as if she were a bear rug. From that general direction,I heard a mumble. Stepping closer, I came to be standing directly over Vinyl.

"Vinyl," I whispered to her, "Vinyl, what did you say?" She attempted to stand, but tripped on herself and ended up in another pile. 

And now she was unconcious. I carried her up to her room, and tried to ignore the stench drifting off of her. I covered her up and slowly made my way back to my own room to contemplate all of these recent happenings. Vinyl, though she partied, had never come home as drunk as she had been. the onset of such actions were near immediate and surprising. Now it was to the point that if she wasn't drunk, she was hungover. If she wasn't hungover, she was going out. 

Each time she came home, it was something new. sometimes she would be happy-go-lucky, sometimes she would come home foaming at the mouth and violent. Sometimes she would just come home and pass out like she did tonight. Others she wouldn't come home at all, opting to sleep on a park bench. I despised the fact that she barely spent any time at home anymore. It always seemed so dreary when she wasn't up and about and spent all her time in her room asleep. 

I was getting ready to rest my weary head and get some rest, when I heard a loud crash from upstairs. Rushing up as fast as I could, I found Vinyl's window broken, and she all but gone. Running to the new opening, I quickly looked down and saw a white and red blur at the bottom. Nononononononononononononono I thought to myself as I ran. Through the front door, and then to the back. Only then Did I see how badly hurt she was. How mangled. How horrifying it all was. But something had to be done. I left her for just a moment to fetch an ambulance, and just as quick was in the waiting room of the hospital.





"She'll be out in a week. Just make sure to keep an eye on her and remember, no alcohol. I'm going to give her these pills when she gets out for the pain, make sure she takes only one every 12 hours." I nodded my head as I listened to the doctor give his instructions for what to do with Vinyl when she was released. After spending the night in the waiting room, I was happy to hear that the worse that had happened were deep lacerations and a few broken bones and that she would be better in several weeks. 

I went up to the third floor, where here room was on, and traversed the hallways looking for her room number. Passing beside patients young and old, and in varying states of bodily disrepair, I found the wooden door to room 326.Her room. I knocked several times before stepping into the room and taking in the scene before me. Vinyl was, unfortunately, unconcious still after falling. I looked down at the casts and bandages wrapped around her body and thought to myself, If only I had stayed with her last night and not left her alone, but alas, this is the pain I get for ignoring her. to me, all was justified, with the binge drinking and partying it seemed right to ignore her and only reprimand her when we did speak. But now it seemed to be the worst thing I could have done.

I laid down on the couch, and tried to remember the first time I decided to ignore one of my only and dearest friends.