"Saying Goodbye to a Loyal Fan"
"Rara?" Applejack called, knocking on the door of her friend's apartment in Manehattan. "Rara? It's AJ! I came as soon as you asked me to come!"
A few moments later, the door opened to reveal Coloratura, whose face was stained with tears and her eyes were bloodshot and red from crying. Almost immediately, Applejack couldn't help but feel sorry for her friend.
"Thanks for coming, AJ," Coloratura whispered as she let Applejack in and pulled her into an embrace. "The past few days have been such a nightmare for me, I can't even stand it. But, at least she is at peace."
"This pony was a fan of yours, Rara?" asked Applejack as they both sat down on Coloratura's sofa. Coloratura merely responded with a silent nod as she felt her emotions build up.
"My biggest fan," answered Coloratura, quietly. "Her last wish was to see me, not as Countess Coloratura, but just plain old Coloratura. Most fans would turn their backs on a star like me when I would change or give up my identities, but she didn't. It's just too bad she won't see me perform more as myself."
Applejack watched as Coloratura bent over and once again let her emotions run out. The farm pony was no stranger to death as her beloved parents had met the same fate. But, all that mattered at the moment was being with Rara.
"Rara, I can understand what your going through," she remarked. "It's never easy, losing a loved one. But it's darn important to remember the good times we had with our loved ones, Rara."
"That's just it, AJ!" cried Coloratura. "I didn't have good times with her because I never saw her very much! Had I known her longer, then…"
But, Coloratura couldn't finish her sentence as more tears came out of her eyes.
"When I saw her in the hospital," she cried, through her tear filled sobs. "She was…just lying there…so helpless…wired up like a Hearth's Warming tree…trying to keep her spirits up. I even have a picture of her with me only an hour before she passed."
Coloratura reached down and gave Applejack a picture of herself with the young filly, weakened by the medication that was being pumped into her body and the look of death was in her eyes. Applejack could see that the pony was trying to smile despite the condition she was in.
"Her last wish, AJ," continued Coloratura. "Was to hear me sing The Magic Inside. So I sang and as I finished the song, she drew her last breath and died right there."
"Rara, I'm so, so sorry," sympathized Applejack, patting her friend on the back. "When is the funeral? I want to stay as long as I can to help you get through this."
"Tomorrow is the funeral," answered Coloratura. "Tonight is the wake. I just can't bear the thought of seeing my biggest fan in a casket."
"Well, how about if I go with you, Rara?" suggested Applejack. "You know, just for support as well as to make it easier for you."
Coloratura couldn't help but smile at this, but knew that it was not going to be easy nonetheless.
…
Later that day, Coloratura and Applejack left the apartment and made the long slow walk to the funeral home. When they got there, Coloratura was left face to face with the site of an open casket flanked by her biggest fan's family, who were just as equally sad as Coloratura was.
"Ready?" whispered Applejack and holding Coloratura's hoof, they walked up towards the casket and they saw Coloratura's biggest fan lying on her side, wearing a dress similar to Coloratura's, but pink and her mane was done in an elegant bun. Coloratura struggled to keep a brave face as she looked down at her deceased number one fan, but it wasn't easy. She knew that she needed to be brave, for this young filly and her family.
"Double Clef," Coloratura whispered, briefly touching the dead filly's hoof. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I want you…to know…that you will always be my biggest fan. I…will…never forget your brave…spirit…fighting…this disease…called cancer."
And at that moment, Coloratura became inconsolable and was led away by Applejack. It took a while for Coloratura to calm down, but once she did, Double Clef's mother came into the room where Coloratura and Applejack were.
"She always loved you, Coloratura," said Double Clef's mother. "Thanks for being there in our daughter's final days. You were her… inspiration on becoming a singer."
Hearing this made Coloratura feel a little better, however it was very obvious that the pain was not going away so quickly.
"I…hope that me being here…" replied Coloratura. "Was helpful for you all. If…you want…I can perform at the funeral…tomorrow."
"Are you sure about that, Rara?" asked Applejack, but despite her emotions, Coloratura knew what needed to be done.
"I need to do it, AJ," she said, wiping away a tear from her eye. "For Double Clef."
…
The very next day, Coloratura, clad in her signature black dress, sat in front of a piano and performed The Magic Inside, her signature song and once the last notes were played, she left the piano and walked towards the closed casket.
"Goodbye, Double Clef," she whispered. "May the heavens welcome you and may you live your dreams as a singer. When I get up there one day, I will be honored to see you perform."
And Coloratura walked away from the casket and sat down for the remainder of the funeral. Later that day, Coloratura reflected on what had transpired.
"You got through it, Rara," said Applejack. "It wasn't easy, but you did it."
"I did what I had to do, AJ," replied Coloratura, sitting down at her sofa. "Double Clef is at peace now and that's all that matters. And you're right, all that matters is that she is at peace, AJ."
And Coloratura and Applejack broke into an embrace at that moment, putting an end to the toughest period of Coloratura's life and career.
THE END