Princess Twilight Sparkle, former Element Bearer and current Princess of Friendship, sat with a book in her lap. Thaumic Processes of the Mind was the name of it. A rather interesting title detailing how magic can affect the mind. She sat, cuddled with a blanket and some warm tea, enjoying the informative novel.
A soft knocking came from the door to her bedroom, announcing the presence of Spike the dragon, her loyal drake and #1 assistant. "Come in!" Twilight cheerfully allowed.
"Hey Twilight," Spike said. He walked in, carrying a scroll embalmed with Princess Celestia's royal insignia. "The Princess sent this. It says urgent, but I'm not sure what it's about."
"Thanks Spike." Twilight took the scroll in her magic, deftly unraveling the ribbon tied around it and unwrapping the scroll's contents. The drake watched his surrogate sister's expression slowly change from a peaceful smile to a troubled sad frown. As she reached the bottom of the letter, she let it fall onto her desk, barely holding back tears. With a restrained cry, Twilight leapt from her blanket, wrapping her forehooves around Spike's body and at the same time charging her horn for a teleport.
Letting out a sob, Twilight released the magic and teleported, Spike in tow.
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
It is with great sorrow that I must inform you of your grandfather's condition. Shining Sparkle just this past weekend
has suffered from a heart attack, sending him into a comatose state. He was found by his landlord, coming by to check on the old stallion. She found him lying on the floor of his house, with a cup of coffee spilled upon the ground.
He awoke just past 8 this morning, and has since asked for his family to come to his side. As of this writing, your brother, Shining Armor, is on his way towards Canterlot General with Princess Cadance in tow. Your parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, arrived almost immediately upon hearing the news. Shining Sparkle is weak, and the doctors predict he will not last through the night.
With sorrowed regards,
Princess Celestia.
Twilight Sparkle arrived in the atrium of Canterlot General, still holding Spike. She looked around, taking note of the many surprised faces of her fellow ponies in the hospital, looking for somepony to guide her. Standing near a doorway without her regalia was Cadance, her old foalsitter. Forgoing the traditional greeting the two shared, Twilight rushed into Cadance's hold, taking comfort from her sister.
"H-how is he?" Twilight managed to get out, muffled by Cadance's chest fluff.
Carrying a downtrodden expression, "Not well," she answered. "Shining and your parents are with him right now, playing with Flurry Heart."
"W-where is his r-room?"
"It's just down the hall, Auntie is in front of it." Cadance hugged Twilight a bit tighter, trying to comfort her. Letting go, she watched her smaller sister race down the hall, towards the inevitable. Sighing, Cadance saw Spike waddling up to her, asking what had happened. The alicorn wrapped her wings around the drake, preparing herself for a long talk.
Twilight Sparkle ran the hall's length, looking for any sign of her former mentor. After what felt like hours but was only a few seconds, she saw Celestia, looking through a window and holding her crown in her hooves, looking for all the world so weak. The smaller alicorn rushed into the bigger one's grasp, who had just turned in time and dropped the royal symbol, cradling the crying Princess.
"There, there, Twilight. Let it all out now..." Celestia comforted her former student, rubbing a hoof along her back and in between her wings. The purple pony cried for some time, trying to let her grief wash out and over the white pony. Celestia held Twilight all the tighter, letting a few tears drop from her muzzle as well.
After quite a few minutes of comforting her student, Celestia let her go, allowing Twilight to look through the window towards her Papa. He calmly sat wearing a gown, playing with Flurry Heart and making the young alicorn giggle and laugh. The stallion was a light blue, his mane having turned grey years before.
"How long does he have?"
Celestia sighed, pained at the question. "He still has a few more hours. The doctor will administer a euthanizing agent, allowing him to pass painlessly. Otherwise, his last hours would be pain and anything but peaceful."
Twilight felt tears threatening her again, but let out a sigh and a smile, happy to be with her Papa in his final hours. Putting on a brave face, she opened the door to his room and entered.
"Hey Papa."
All gathered in the room turned to look at Twilight, who only had eyes for her grandfather. Eyes warm and wet, the alicorn walked to him and wrapped a hoof around him in a hug, to which he happily reciprocated.
"Hey, princess. Thought you wouldn't make it for a moment there."
"I wouldn't miss you for the world, Papa." She released him, only to be met face to face with a baby alicorn. She wrapped a hoof around Flurry Heart, pulling her into a warm embrace. Twilight let go, saying, "And how could I forget my little niece? How are you?"
Little coos and baby babble was her reply. "You've been giving mommy and daddy a hard time, haven't you?"
Shining Armor stepped forward, greeting his sister with a hug. "That she has. How are you, Twily?"
"A bit tired. I heard the news and came as fast as I could." The alicorn rubbed bloodshot eyes, weary with tears. She turned back to Shining Sparkle, asking, "How are you, Papa?"
"I'm doing good." The old stallion lied back, resting a hoof over his abdomen. "How's Spike? I haven't seen the little fella in a while." Twilight blushed, remembering the fact that she had left her little brother behind in the confusion. Just as she was about to explain this, the door opened and Spike walked in, followed by Cadance. "Well, speak of the devil! Spike, get up here and give your Papa a hug!"
The drake, tear tracks staining his cheeks, rushed up and onto the bed, being helped by Twilight and Shining Sparkle. He wrapped his little arms around his Papa's neck, tightly holding on. After a few moments of Spike letting out a few sobs, Papa tapped him on the back, saying in a humorously tight voice, "Ease up, I ain't dead yet son." Spike let go, wiping his cheeks of tears. Gesturing around to all gathered in the room, the old stallion said, "Gather round, y'all. I've got some things to say."
Night Light, Twilight Velvet, and Cadance each gather around the bed, Shining Armor moving beside his wife and Twilight staying on the side with her parents. "Now then, just because I may be dying doesn't mean I can't still offer some advice to all of you." He pointed a hoof towards his daughter and son-in-law, gesturing for them to come closer. "Velvy, Night, I'm proud of you. Both of you. Not only have you managed to raise two amazing children, they both became royalty! I can't ask anything more out of either of you two. I love you, and I'm proud." Night Light and Twilight Velvet both hugged Shining Sparkle, wrapping each other and him in a warm embrace.
"Now then, Shining Armor." He turned to the large white stallion, regarding him with a critical eye. "You treat that there wife of yours like the princess she is, you hear? I don't want to have come back up just to buck some sense into you."
The younger stallion saluted, barking out, "Yes sir!" He had tears in his eyes and his salute was shaky.
"Twilight Sparkle." The alicorn drew close to the stallion. "You've done so much and I know you'll do even more before your time is up as well. Take care of your friends, take care of your family, and take care of yourself. I know of those all night study sessions, young filly!" Twilight nodded, her eyes filled with tears again. With a kindlier voice, he gave, "Remember the Sparkle motto. 'Live long, Love young, Fight to the End.'"
"I will, Papa." Twilight was taking shuddering breaths, tears racing down her cheeks.
"Now, for the youngsters." He wrapped a foreleg around Flurry Heart and Spike each, drawing them closer while still on the bed. "I want both of you to promise me something, alright? Never stop smiling. A world that you can't greet with a smile is a dead one, and I don't want to see a future like that."
"Why can't you stay, Papa?" Spike asked. Flurry Heart cooed sadly, a frown on her face.
"It's my time to go. You'll understand when you get to be my age, son." Shining Sparkle hugged both of them close, Spike and Flurry Heart hugging him tightly.
When Spike refused to let go of him, sobbing, the old stallion allowed him to stay for a moment, hearing the question, "Will we ever get to see you again, Papa?"
He hugged the drake closer, answering, "You will, Spike. I promise, we'll meet again." He looked around the room, smiling at his wonderful family. "We all will."
Author's Note
I wrote this in dedication to my own grandpa. He passed almost two weeks ago and I wasn't able to say goodbye. There's not much I could say in testament to him, since I wouldn't be able to finish once I started.
This is my way of coping with the fact I'll never be able to say goodbye. I love you Papa.