Standing alone amidst a hilltop, A brown pony looks solemnly at the freshly dug grave. The tree behind him softly rustles as the evening wind blows through, the leaves waving through as the grass moved in unison of amber waves. A single tear rolled down the pony's face, the drop falling on a bouquet of flowers placed upon the tomb. He took a seat and began to speak as he looked up in the sky.
"I thought we would have more time..." He sighs, his voice cracking a bit.
Coming up the hill, The cutie mark crusaders were playing a game of tag, Scootaloo and Applebloom being chased by Sweetie Belle.
"You're gonna have to try better then that, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo taunted.
"Cmon, Sweetie belle, before ya get stuck with being tagged for life!" Applebloom also taunted.
Scootaloo kept laughing and running, never noticing the pony standing over the solitary grave by the tree that she was headed straight for. Knocking into him, she tumbles onto her back, dazed. Applebloom saw this just as she rounded up the hill and gasped.
"Scootaloo! Don't be bumping into ponyfolk like that!"
Sweetiebelle finally caught up and forcefully tagged Applebloom.
"Ha! and you thought I'd never catch up to you!" Applebloom quickly shushed her as Scootaloo was approached by the mourning pony. Scootaloo got nervous, not knowing this pony and afraid of what his reaction would be. She was never relieved or scared when the pony replied in a very discerning voice,
"You should be more careful when playing, little filly."
"I'm not a little filly!" Scootaloo remarked, though instantly regretting the outburst to a complete stranger. "Uh... I mean I'm sorry for bumping into you mister."
Applebloom tried saving Scootaloo's hide, stepping in, "Yeah, she wasn't looking where she'd be headed, and I'm awful sorry 'bout that."
Sweetie belle was about to join in too, but the stranger cut her off. "Now it's all right, but this isn't a place for you kids to be playing. So you should run home, It's almost evening."
"You're right mister. It'd be best if we were out of yer mane and on our way..." Apple bloom said as she pulled Scootaloo away, back down the hill. Sweetie didn't budge and asked,
"Were you here for the funeral?"
Applebloom and Scootaloo froze, afraid that Sweetie might have started to irritate the stranger, but the stranger replied in a low but gentle voice.
"I still am...it won't be a while until I do leave though. Everyone may have gone, but I'll stay until I can't anymore."
Sweetie belle sat down by the stranger, and read the tombstone's heading out loud.
"Tia. Now gone, leaving a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal."
The stranger began to tear up a bit to Sweetie's reciting of the tomb's epitaph. Sweetie looked at the crying pony and gave him a hug. Scootaloo and Applebloom were touched by this sight, and went over to hug the stranger too. He began to cry softly, then told Sweetie.
"You recited it beautifully. Thank you." Looking back to the grave, he began to reminisce. "I had chosen that phrase, to be written on her stone. It was something she told me whenever I had to leave to a far off place, and wouldn't return for a time to see her again. I did make a small change though, since this time the one leaving isn't coming back... "
Scootaloo asked, "I'm sorry to hear that..."
Applebloom added, "Me too. Must be hard to lose someone dear."
The stranger went on, "She was my aunt. I had loved her very much. Oh I remember how when I was just a small foal, I'd run all the way to her house, where she'd be waiting for me with some sweet candies. It wasn't the sweets which kept me coming back, but soon I felt guilty that maybe she thought that that's the only reason why I ever came over. Once, she offered me candy, but I refused. Confused, she asked me why, and I remember telling her,
"Tia, I don't come here for the sweets you give me, I come back because I love you and wanna keep seeing you."
She began to tear up and hugged me. She said that she knew that, she just wanted to do something nice for me since she loved me so. Rid of my guilt, I stayed with her all day, sharing with her."
He cleared his throat and chuckled. "Oh listen to me, ranting on and on. I must be boring you kids."
"No no, not at all, mister." Applebloom said.
"Yeah, we think that's a very sweet thing, and totally not boring at all."
Sweetie elbows her, thinking she sounded a bit too sarcastic. The stranger didn't think so and smiled.
"Thank you, little ones. I'm feeling better now, thanks to you three. What's your names anyway?"
"I'm Sweetie Belle, This is Applebloom and Scootaloo, and we are the cute mark crusaders!"
He raised an eyebrow with a playful smile. "The cutie mark crusaders? I think I've heard of you, those three little fillies working so hard to find their cutie marks. Had any luck?"
All three shake their head, and the stranger laughs it off.
"You shouldn't worry about it, I'm sure that you'll get your marks in due time."
Scootaloo replied, "Yeah we will, but that won't stop us from trying to get them as soon as we can, right girls?"
Sweetie and Applebloom cheered, "YEAH!"
They instantly lowered their voices, remembering where they were, "Sorry about that mister." Applebloom softly said.
"It's quite alright, Applebloom. Although you don't have to keep calling me mister."
Scootaloo asked, "What's your name?"
With a smile, he said, "Charming Drifter."
"How'd she die?" Applebloom and Scootaloo both inhaled sharply, looking surprised at Sweetie belle. Charming just smiled, shaking his head.
"It's ok for her to ask. I don't mind, really. " He took a deep breath, the memories he would call to his mind just as fresh and painful as they where when he first rose up the hill to the sight of his aunt's grave.
"It started a few months ago, when my aunt fell ill. It had been quite some time since I had last seen her, and didn't remember her very well. They told me that due to her age, the illness affecting her, which could have been resolved with a major operation, couldn't be done. If she had undergone surgery, her chance of survival weren't greatly increased. It was a risk, and we had decided that it was too risky to go through. Tia agreed, and we waited. My family had decided to visit her and see how she was doing, but I didn't hurry enough and they had to leave me. I thought it wouldn't matter since she would get better, I had faith that she would. Upon their return, they told me that she had asked for me, wondering where I was. I felt an immediate pain of guilt, and wanted to run all the way to her house just to say I'm sorry, but it was too late for me to go out, and her house was too far away. I barely slept that night, the worse of situations running through my head. If I never got the chance to see her again before she passed away, I wasn't sure I'd be able to forgive myself. I never had something like this actually happen to me, I never even considered a thought of the possibility. I hadn't visited her until the news came through that her conditioned worsened. I thought that this couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening. We rushed over to her house, where many other family relatives and friends were waiting in her house also. There could only be a maximum of three people in the room with her, due to her medical condition, so I anxiously waited for my turn to see her. I felt my heart leap when they called me to see her. I instantly felt that leap turn into a shattering fall when I saw her. She had several machines hooked up, keeping her well enough to stay alive. She seemed like she had already passed away, from how still she was lying. She barely opened her eyes, but saw me and smiled. I couldn't help but cry a bit. I greeted her and immediately apologized to her for not having come when everyone else had. She tiredly smiled and said softly, "It's OK, Charming. You're here now, and I'm glad that you are." I couldn't help but cry, and she held my hoof and said. "When I get better, I'll get you some of those sweets you love so much." Between a chuckle and tears, I told her that I didn't come for sweets, I came to see her because I loved her."
The cutie mark crusaders were completely engrossed in the story, and Scootaloo even began to tear up a bit. Chaming stopped and said, "Are you all right, Scootaloo?"
"I-its fine just got something in my eye..."
Charming smiled. "It's ok to cry Scootaloo. It doesn't make you weak."
Scootaloo nodded, and Applebloom asked, "Could ya continue, please? with what happened?"
Charming nodded, and continued. " I had told her that I didn't come for sweets, that I had come to see her. She laughed just the tiniest bit and said to me, "I know, but I want to do something nice for you, because i love you so much too." I cried and hugged her as softly as I could, due to her frail state. My time was up, and I had to go in order to give somepony else their turn. As I left, I turned to her and said, "I love you so much Tia, goodbye." She blew a kiss good bye, her weak hoofs struggling to do such a simple task. I smiled and closed the door. On one side I hated to see her like that, but on another I was glad to finally be able to apologize to her for my absence. Some time passed, and good news sprung up. Her condition was stabilizing, and even showed improvement. Oh I was so glad to hear such news! We were already planning a get together with Tia in order to celebrate these good news. I was immensely joyed! Tia was getting better! She wasn't going to die!..."
Charming paused, visually choking up. Sweetie belle went over and put her hoof on his shoulder, trying to console him. Charming calmed and continued. "...We never got the chance. Several weeks later, an uncle of mine came by unexpectedly. He told us that Tia's condition suddenly took a turn for the worse, much worse. Some of her organs failed, and she was in a state not quite comatose, but could have been very close. Worried, we rushed over to her house as fast as we could, sprinting with all our might. I ran ahead of everyone, my worry propelling me farther and faster then everyone else. I rounded the bend and saw her house, the door left opened. I quickly darted up the stairs, past the living room and up anther flight of stairs. My heart pounded, my mind raced. I finally reached her room..."
Charming breathed heavily, his eyes shut closed. Obviously reliving those moments, both Applebloom and Scootaloo go to him, trying to console him too by hugging him. Eyes still shut, Charming continued, his words slowing down from their previous quickness.
"...I was too late. Her heart monitor flatlined, the sound piercing my ears and my heart. Her face was calm and a bit pale, a smile left on her face. I couldn't believe it, i didn't want to believe it....but there was nothing i could do. It impacted me with the force of a freight train: Tia was dead, and she would never be coming back. As the I heard the others run past the front door, I fell to my knees and yelled, yelled out of frustration and pain, yelled because it was the only thing i could think of doing."
The cutie mark crusaders were crying into his shoulders, moved from such a heartfelt story. He hugged them back, him trying to console them now.
"It's ok, girls...let it out..." He began tearing too. "Let it out..."
He cried, though the words were meant less for them, and more for himself. After a good while of crying, the sadness died down. As Applebloom wiped her tears, she said to Charming,
"Ahm...so sorry, Charmin'. Ahm so sorry..." Charming shook his head and looked at the three fillies.
"Don't be sorry. In fact I should be thanking you."
Scootaloo tried to compose herself for a question. "W-why thank us?"
"Because, you three stayed with me here, when everyone else left. You may not have known my Tia, but you girls cared enough to stick with me as i mourned her loss. For that...I thank you."
The CMC hugged Charming again, a feeling of bittersweet happiness shared between them.
A brisk wind began to flow through the hill, as the sun set and darkness began to unfurl.
Charming looked up at the sky and said, "It's getting rather late. You girls should be getting home."
Sweetie tugged on his arm. "What about you?"
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine here. You girls run on."
Applebloom, Sweetie belle and Scootaloo all said goodbye to charming, but Sweetie moved a few steps then turned.
"Come walk us home? We need someone to help us get home. Also, for a reward, Rarity could fix up some nice hot cocoa for you. Whattya say?" Scootaloo and Applebloom pleaded alongside her, until Charming caved.
"All right girls, you win. Just give me a moment to say goodbye..."
He turned to Tia's grave, the look of the moonlight reflecting its hard surface gave off a relaxed, peaceful aura.
"Goodbye, Tia. I'll see you soon...because i love you so much." He moved his hoof over the dirt by the bouquet, bowed his head, then turned to the girls.
"OK girls, let's get you home now."
Charming walked alongside the cutie marked crusaders, trotting down the hill. Sweetie felt a wind blow behind her and felt the need to stop and look back. She didn't see anybody, but looked upon the grave and smiled.
Charming called out, "C'mon Sweetie, don't want you to fall far behind!"
"OK,I'm coming!" She took one last look at the grave and said with a smile, "Goodbye Tia. Love does make a memory no one can steal..."
She ran to catch up with the others, a tear softly falling down her cheek as she smiled.
She smiled for back on the grave for by the bouquet of flowers, left by Charming Drifter its wrapper glistening in the moonlight, was a single sweet candy.
Author's Note
This story is based on actual events, the story retold by //charming actual story from my childhood.
Although not said in the story, my aunt had final words before she died.
She said, "He is calling to me...."
