I figured it out this mornin’. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I looked a mess. Not just the bags under my eyes from a sleepless night; I noticed wrinkles formin’ and—I know, I know, I sound like Rarity. Really, though. I noticed the wrinkles and thought to myself how everypony gets old, and eventually, we all die. At least, most of us do. That’s when I knew. I couldn’t believe it, but I knew. Why has Celestia never done anything about it? She must have figured it out before me! Unless… no, it can’t be, it just can’t! But...
Applejack grabbed Ambrosia and ran. Every closed door could mean a fatal delay. Every shadow reached out to grab her. Fluttershy lived closest. Applejack desperately hoped her friend could help her.
She got out of the house without seeing anyone.
She made it to the path.
She could see Fluttershy’s cottage.
Her path was blocked.
Applejack barely stopped before crashing into the figure in front of her. She didn’t have time to see who it was. She couldn’t hold on to Ambrosia and managed only to set her down without injury next to whoever had stopped her.
Granny Smith put one hoof protectively over Ambrosia. “Careful there, Applejack! How’d you know I needed your help out here?”
Applejack was too winded to answer. Her eyes flicked back and forth between her daughter and her grandmother.
Granny held out a large, familiar pink bow. A bow that was far more red than usual.
Applejack got her breath back enough to scream. “No!”
Ambrosia started to cry. Granny stroked her mane and shushed her.
“Now, now, child,” she told Applejack, “I’m sure Apple Bloom is okay, I just need your help to find her. I found her bow down this way.” She gestured into the Everfree Forest.
Applejack started to back away from Granny, then glanced at Ambrosia. “You killed my parents,” she whispered before raising her voice, “and you killed my brother, and you killed my husband, and now you’ve killed my sister!” She hoped Fluttershy—or anypony else—could hear the commotion.
Granny smirked with a chuckle. “I always knew you were a smart one, Applejack. Most ponies; they never figure it out at all. You got me. You’re just too late. I guess I won’t be needin’ these anymore.” She spit out her dentures and followed them with a glob of bloody saliva. She looked back at Applejack and opened her mouth in a wicked smile, revealing a set of extremely sharp teeth.
Applejack gasped.
Granny laughed and looked up at the sky. “Oh, why, Grandma,” she said in falsetto, “what large teeth you have!” She looked back at Applejack and lowered her voice to a growl, baring her teeth again while she said, “All the better to eat you with, my dear!” She snarled and leapt forward, her legs seeming to extend in midair.
Applejack jumped out of the way and whipped around to face Granny, whose legs hadn’t just seemed to extend; they were actually longer than before, and Applejack had to look up to see into Granny’s now cat-like eyes.
Applejack spared a glance at her daughter who was crying several feet away. If she could distract Granny long enough she might be able to get away. She spun in place and kicked hard. Granny was too quick for her; biting down on one leg and flinging her away. Applejack hit the ground hard. She saw Granny charging and knew her best chance was to lead her away from Ambrosia and double back. She rolled to her feet and ran into the Everfree Forest with a glance back to be sure Granny was following. She was.
Applejack jumped over some brambles and found a low-hanging branch she could take advantage of. She grabbed it and pulled it away from the approaching pony, waiting for just the right moment. Just when she saw Granny’s face come into view around the tree, she let go of the branch, smacking Granny’s head with it. Granny stumbled backwards and flared huge wings to regain her balance.
Applejack took advantage of the distraction; she dove into some thorny bushes and waited. If she could only find some way to get Granny to look farther into the forest, she could go back to get Ambrosia and find Fluttershy. Then… She could think of something else if she made it that far.
“I waited for you and Mac,” Granny shouted from somewhere nearby, “but I had no reason to wait for Apple Bloom! She and that filly she was with were never going to have any foals!”
Applejack’s breath caught in her throat.
“If it makes you feel any better, she was delicious! And so was her pegasus girlfriend!”
Applejack got her breathing back, but it shook almost violently as tears started to stream down her face.
“I told you years ago I’d take care of ‘em both! I didn’t say when!”
Applejack bit her tongue to stifle a whimper.
“I splintered their bones, and I used them to pick their shredded flesh from between my teeth!”
Applejack couldn’t hold back anymore and let out an audible sob.
Silence answered her.
She slid forward to get a better view between the leaves. Granny’s grinning face appeared mere inches away. “There you are!”
Applejack screamed and fled, weaving around trees in an attempt to lose Granny again. She risked a glance back just in time to see the bun of Granny’s mane get caught by a branch. Granny snarled and tore loose. Her mane flowed out behind her as she resumed the chase. The hairband hung uselessly from the tree.
Applejack twisted past more trees, trying to turn back toward her daughter. She slipped between some close-growing trees and heard Granny crash into them, but it didn’t sound like they broke. She took a chance and angled back as close as she could figure to get back to Ambrosia, jumping over a large root in her path. Horror and pain filled her as Granny’s teeth closed down on a foreleg. Granny whipped her head to the side and with a loud snapping noise, Applejack was thrown through the air. Her leg flopped uselessly. She slammed into a tree and slid to the ground. She couldn’t put any weight on her broken leg, and was only barely able to prop herself up so her back was against the tree. Any attempt to take more than a shallow breath was stopped by sharp pain. Granny smirked and slowed to a walk.
“You—” Applejack winced. “You can’t keep this up for—” She coughed. “Forever. P-p-princess… Celestia… stop you.”
“Oh, precious Little Tia?” Granny cackled as she strode closer to Applejack. “No, she won’t.”
Applejack’s gasp stopped halfway and she coughed up blood.
Granny paused her advance. She sighed and tilted her head slightly. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I do wish it didn’t have to be like this.” Applejack almost dared hope she would live. “It’s going to be so very long before Ambrosia is old enough to harvest. A lifetime is a long time to wait for another bite of Apple.”
Now here I am, starin’ at the creature I called ‘Granny’ for my whole life, and knowin’ that my life’s about to end. But I don’t care about that. I’ve had a good life, all things considered. All I can think about now is my daughter. I know Granny’ll take right good care of her, just like she did me. But in the end, I know this is what’s waitin’ for her.
And there ain’t nothin’ I can do about it.