And then there were two...

Sweetie Belle and Fluttershy left the family room, following Nurse Fetlockhart and Doctor Canter through the hospital towards the ER. The hospital had moved Magnum into the same room as his wife, both as a sign of respect to the married couple and to make any family visits easier. The doctor opened the door and held it open for the three mares to enter, which with a little reassurance from Fluttershy Sweetie Belle finally. He didn’t enter, instead closing the door to give the ponies some privacy and leaving the more compassionate nurse to her task. Reflecting deeply on the terrible morning he had had, he sighed and went to find himself a strong coffee.

Sweetie Belle looked around the room and saw two gurneys next to each other, but couldn’couldn't see anything from her lower position. Abby took a stool from the corner and placed it between the two beds. Sweetie Belle slowly approached the two beds, creeping slowly like a scared foal as the nerves overtook her. Having finally reached the stool, Fluttershy helped Sweetie climb up onto it so she could see her parents.

Sweetie first turned to her father, the cream coloured pony lying peacefully. A sheet covered his body with only his head and front legs exposed, the legs over the top of the sheet in a typical resting pose. Except for dirt and dust in his mane, he looked no different then if the stallion was sleeping, except for the overwhelming stillness of the body.

“He looks so peaceful,” the young filly turned to Fluttershy with a sad but clear tone “It doesn’t look like he suffered at all!”

The pegasus nearly started weeping on just how grown up the young filly was being given the current circumstances “No Sweetie Belle, I think the doctor was right that they didn't suffer any pain!”

Sweetie Belle then turned round to look at her mother, the pink mare having her body covered by a sheet as well, only her head and one of her forelegs exposed. Her mane which was usually up in a bouffant was a complete mess, but that’s not what caught the filly’s attention the most and she turned to the nurse “Why does she have a tube in her mouth?”

Abby put a hoof on Sweetie’s shoulder “When the doctors were working on her, she stopped breathing so we put that tube in to help her breath using that machine there” and she pointed to a ventilator.

Sweetie Belle looked over her mother, who looked as peaceful as her father. “Can I touch her?” the filly asked quietly.

“If you want hold her hoof, that’s fine,” the nurse replied, and watched as the filly slowly took her mothers hoof in hers, before extended the other forearm to grab hold of her fathers. She stood there for a moment enjoying the comforting touch of her parents, and tears started to reform in the corners of her eyes.

“Mum, Dad, I don’t know if you can hear me...wherever you may be...but I’ll make you proud!” Sweetie spoke to her parents “I know I didn’t always do exactly what I was told, and us crusaders got into trouble more often than we should..." her hooves were starting to shake a little at this point "...but hopefully you knew that’s because I was so eager to find my cutie mark, and become famous just as you wanted!”

The nurse had seen her fair share of death in her job, and had been in a number of similar situations before. Some ponies would break down in tears, and she would comfort them, whilst others would be emotionless and she would help them come to terms. This young filly seemed to be coping so much better than most ponies she saw, but was worried if it would last.

Fluttershy on the other hoof had put a wing around Sweetie to help her keep her balance, but the pegasus was crying by now, any pretence of being a strong confident pony had completely evaporated by this point. She knew she had to try to be strong for her friend Rarity and especially for Sweetie Belle, but the young filly’s words were gutwrenching as it reminded her of her own parents death.

Sweetie held her parents hooves in silence for a while, just the sound of a few sobs coming from the filly every so often. The two elder mares let Sweetie Belle just spend a last few moments with her parents, but eventually Abby suggested that they go back to the family room. Sweetie slowly placed the hooves back to her parent’s sides saying “I will always love you…always, please remember that!”

Sweetie extended her arms towards Fluttershy and was half lifted, half hugged down from the stool. As they were leaving the room, Sweetie Belle turned her head back “Goodbye mother, goodbye father” the filly wept as she walked out into the corridor, the door closing quietly behind them.

She walked next to Fluttershy and the nurse back to the family room in silence, the filly seemingly to be all cried out right now. Fluttershy desperately wanted to get the pony talking, wanting to somehow help out, but she simply couldn’t find the appropriate words so thought it best to say nothing. As soon as Sweetie Belle entered the family room, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo went charging over to give their friend a hug, Sweetie Belle thanking them with a croaky voice.

“Well, I have to go now,” Nurse Fetlockhart spoke softly “are you sure there is no final requests or anything?”

“Wait a minute” Sweetie Belle pleaded and going to the side of the room, she returned with Rarity bag in her mouth, placing it at her sisters feet “Rarity, I think you should go and help. You know how much mother loved it when you did her mane, and nopony could trim father’s mane and moustache as good as you!”

Rarity’s eyes welled up again “Sweet Belle, how…just…can…” she was stammering to get her thoughts sorted out

The younger sister looked up at the pony she adored, and found the comfort of Scootaloo and Apple Bloom standing next to their friend “I think it’s what mum and dad would have wanted. You know nopony will do as good as job as you!”

“Rarity, I think Sweetie belle is right,” Applejack turned to Rarity “I know it was different for me and Apple Bloom, but we never got a chance to say goodbye to our parents, at least not one we can remember!” Applejack took Rarity’s front hooves in hers, “It’s not my place, or any of us, to tell you what to do but I think you’ll really regret not going in there and seeing them one final time.”

Fluttershy came over and stood next to Applejack to give the pony support as she continued “And I know that you and I eye don’t exactly share the same thought on this, but regardless I can’t see a more fitting tribute than one final makeover from you…I know that’s what I would want!”

Rarity looked at one of her oldest friends, her eyes bloodshot from all the crying she had done, and saw the puffy eyes of the kind earth pony that always spoke the truth, and a pegasus that was full of kindness. She tried to find words, but she simply couldn’t speak so just nodded in response. Applejack helped her friend up from the chair, adding “And I’ll be right there with you Sugarcube!”

Sweetie Belle handed Rarity’s bag to Applejack, and the nurse led the pair out of the room. When the door closed, Sweetie Belle started talking about her goodbyes to her parents to the two other crusaders, and both of them welled up. The elder ponies listened in and were all surprised on how mature Sweetie Belle was doing, but all had a similar thought That filly is going to need all the strength she can get now