• Published 30th Aug 2016
  • 666 Views, 22 Comments

A is for Applejack - ArtaFactia



When Granny Smith dies, everypony is sure she died of natural causes. Applejack, however, isn't so sure.

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Ch. 1 - The Death of Granny Smith

The pigs were sleeping soundly, snoring away in their pen. The hens in the henhouse, all lined up neatly in their individual nests, had their heads buried under their wings, and Mr. Rooster hadn't yet cracked open his beady black eyes. There was just a slip of light on the horizon, a suggestion of dawn, and already there was movement in the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres.

"Mornin'," Applejack said as she walked over to her brother, who was standing on the threshold of the kitchen. Big Mac gave her a smile and a nod, then turned back to look at the kitchen in confusion. Applejack followed his gaze and was equally dumbfounded, taking off her hat and scratching her head. "Well don't that beat all. Granny's not up yet? She's always up before any of us!"

"Eeeeeyup."

"Mornin' Applejack, Mornin' Mac!" Applebloom, like any member of the Apple clan, was no sack of lazybones, and she was up within minutes of her older siblings. "Why are y'all just starin' into the kitchen?"

"Granny ain't up yet, apparently."

"But she's always up before the three of us!"

"Ah know. She always is. Maybe she's feelin' a little sick?" Applejack donned her hat again, and ignored the growling of her stomach. She needed breakfast. They all needed breakfast. Sure, they could make their own food if they needed to, but for as long as they could remember, Granny Smith was always up at dawn, cooking up some victuals for her family. Heck, she'd even made them breakfast the last time she came down with a case of the cold. For her not to be up and about... "Applebloom, you go check and see if Granny is all right. And if'n she's sick, give us a holler. Ah'm gonna start on breakfast."

"Okay! Back in a flash!" Applebloom saluted her sister and then was gone in a burst of foalish energy.

"That filly..." Applejack said, chuckling softly and shaking her head. Big Mac stationed himself at the table, and Applejack decided she would make some of her famous Apple Crisp Porridge, a recipe that even wowed Granny Smith, who was no slouch when it came to apple dishes. Apples, cinnamon, oats, brown sugar, butter, a little bit of flour...common ingredients just waiting to be transformed into the breakfast dish to end all breakfast dishes! Applejack was the Element of Honesty, and she was definitely honest about the pride she felt whenever anyone complimented her on her Apple Crisp Porridge.

"Ah sure hope Granny's all right," she said over her shoulder to Big Mac. "Funny to think we'd get thrown into a tizzy over somethin' like breakfast, but...it just ain't ordinary, yeah?"

"Eeeeyup."

"Granny's been getting up afore all of us all our lives, and will keep doin' it until the day she dies." She paused, then turned to look at Big Mac, worry written all over her face. "Y-you don't think..."

"Nope." He said firmly, clopping the table with his hoof for emphasis, but he looked worried as well.

"Yeah. Ah agree wit' ya. Granny'll spite the Reaper and live forever, as far as Ah'm concerned."

She had no sooner pulled out the pots and pans when they heard Applebloom shriek. "APPLEJACK! BIG MAC! COME Q-QUICK!"

The two of them thundered out of the kitchen and then up the stairs, racing their way to the end of the hall. Even though she was slow and her hip acted up now and then, Granny had insisted on the farthest room. Applejack swore an oath under her breath, cursing the added distance.

When they burst into the room, they found Applebloom up on Granny Smith's bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had her hooves on the old mare's shoulders, and she was shaking Granny's still and unresponsive form. "G-Granny. W-w-wake up. Wake up!" Applejack and Big Mac stepped forward to the side of the bed, looking down at their grandmother. Big Mac was the first to lose his composure, crashing down onto his haunches and bawling like a little colt. Applejack stared at Granny's face, her desperate eyes no doubt looking for any signs of life, finding none. Tears were brimming in her eyes, but her expression was arrested from sorrow for a long moment, suspicion and anger warring across her face. Then the tears overtook her and flooded her eyes, her face crumpling into a mask of despair, and she threw back her head, braying at the top of her lungs.

"GRANNYYYYYYYYY!"

* * *

The Next Afternoon

Ponies had come out in force; it seemed all of Ponyville was there, and then some, for the funeral of Granny Smith. Granny and her family had been instrumental in the formation of Ponyville, with ponies coming for the famed Zap Apple Jam and staying, putting down roots. Houses and businesses had sprouted up as quickly as the apple trees in the orchards, and Ponyville had been born. Ponyville was like her extended family, and hours went by as pony after pony got up on the podium, sharing touching (and sometimes humorous) anecdotes about the late Mrs. Smith.

"When ponies made fun of my braces when I was a filly, Granny Smith stuck a clothes hanger in her mouth and made me laugh away my worries," said Cheerilee.

"Granny and I went on a date when we were both so young and carefree," said Chaplain in his thin, reedy voice, a grey earth pony stallion who looked to be nearly as old as Granny had been. "But alas, it was not to be. I pined after her something fierce. Time heals all wounds, though, and eventually that ache receded. Still, if we had gotten together...Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom would be my beloved grandfoals!" Applejack visibly shuddered, and when she turned to look at her siblings, they too shuddered where they sat.

"I don't know where my family and I would be today without Granny Smith." Filthy Rich's voice quivered as he spoke, the business stallion on the verge of tears. "She helped start Ponyville, and made my family prosper. And beyond that, she was...w-was...l-like a grandmother to me t-t-too..." It was about right then that the waterworks came, and his wife came and walked him off of the stage. Diamond Tiara followed after her parents, but not before pausing to give Applebloom a big hug, a few tears streaking down her pink cheeks.

"She was a friend to all sorts of animals." Ponies leaned forward, straining to make out Fluttershy's words, even with her voice amplified by the microphone. "She taught me some things even I didn't know! She was a very wise mare, but mostly, she was kind. I'll miss her a lot and Ponyville just won't be the same without her."

On it went, whether it was a quick experience or a long and winding epic, until the sun had begun to set. If everypony had gotten a chance to speak, then it probably would have gone on for days. Mayor Mare wisely called an end to the speeches, and ponies began to disperse, some lingering behind to offer their condolences. The red sun was half devoured by the horizon when all that remained were Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and the Apple siblings. Tearful hugs were shared between them (even Rainbow Dash was crying, the pegasus apparently putting aside the cares of her 'image' for the moment), and all of them sat together, looking dejected and lost.

"Thank y'all for comin," Applejack said to her friends. "It means a lot to us. To me."

"Well of course, darling. We know how much she meant to you. I think only Fluttershy out of the five of us was really close with her, but I feel her loss nonetheless." Rarity wiped away a tear, and in the process smudged her mascara. "If there's anything you need, only say the word." Murmurs of assent came from the others, all of them happy to help out their friend.

"Actually...there is somethin'..." Applejack began, and Big Mac turned to her with a frown.

"Ah thought we discussed this, sis. Ah know it's hard and all, but bein' in denial..."

"Ah'm NOT in denial!" She shouted, and all of them winced at the volume of her outburst. "S-sorry." She turned to look at her friends. "Could y'all head to the castle throne room? Ah've got somethin' Ah want to talk to you about. Ah'll catch up to ya shortly. Jes' gotta work things out first with Mac." The five of them traded looks, then nodded.

"Of course! See you there!" Rainbow Dash saluted, then sped off, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. The others followed in her polychromatic wake, leaving Applejack with her siblings. Applejack turned to face her brother again, who was still frowning, chewing loudly on the stalk dangling from his mouth.

* * *

"Sorry fer takin' so long. Mac is as stubborn as Ah am, so it weren't easy to get him to agree with what Ah wanted."

"It's no problem at all," Twilight said softly, watching as Applejack hopped up into her throne. "Emotions are running rather high..."

"And low!"

"...yes, and low, thank you, Pinkie." Pinkie's hair fell straight on her shoulders and back instead of being in its usual poofy-cotton-candy-bed-mane-the-bane-of-all-hairdressers-and-fashionistas state, and though she was smiling, the smile was obviously forced. Even the most cheerful pony in the universe couldn't escape the sadness that came with the loss of Granny Smith.

"So what's the sitch?" A puffy-eyed Rainbow Dash leaned forward, hooves upon the map table. "Like Rarity said, anything you need. Lay it on us!" Applejack smiled faintly, then looked down at the table, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Ah...Ah was wonderin' if...if y'all would help me investigate Granny's death."

The silence that fell over the room was so total that you could hear a pin drop. And then a pin did drop, and Pinkie quickly picked it up, blurting out a quiet 'sorry'.

"Applejack...are you...do you have reason to believe that there is something suspicious about her death?" Twilight leaned forward as well, her brow knitted together in a slight frown.

"Ah'm not sure. Ah can't seem to put mah hoof on it, but somethin' jes' don't seem right. Ah looked at her, laying there in her bed, still as a stone, and...and Ah don't know what Ah saw, but it felt...wrong."

"So this is all based on a feeling?" Rainbow blurted out. "That's not much to go on. Have you been borrowing those detective novels from Rarity or something? What, do you think she was..." Rainbow hesitated, all eyes on her. "...murdered?" Everypony except for Applejack gasped as the word was uttered. Applejack looked at her friends, seeing the look in their eyes, the looks of shock, of disbelief, of pity.

"Y'all think Ah'm a silly pony, don't ya? W-well Ah'm not! Ah swear to you, Ah'm not! Somethin' ain't right, and Ah'm determined to find out what. Will ya help me? Twilight?"

"As much as I'd like to help with the investigation, I need to get to work on my plans for the upcoming visit of the Saddle Arabians. They loved Ponyville so much that they wanted to come back again, sooner rather than later. And I'm already behind on my planning as it is. So...unfortunately, I can't spare much in the way of time."

"Dash?"

"Look...I'd love to help, really...even if I'm kinda skeptical about the whole thing...but I'm due back at the Wonderbolt Academy tonight, and I've got drills first thing in the morning. And then flight practice for our new routine over the course of the next two weeks. Sorry, AJ. I'm booked solid."

"Fluttershy?" Desperation was creeping into Applejack's voice and expression, and all of them shuffled awkwardly in their thrones.

"I've got the bunny census tomorrow...and then I'm off to a veterinary conference for several days. Tree Hugger's going to watch my place and my animals. I'm not really all that good at investigating anyway...and...murderers are scary..."

Applejack looked as if she was holding herself back from pulling out her straw-coloured mane, and she turned to look with wild eyes on Pinkie and Rarity. "Pinkie Pie? Rarity? Please, please, pleaaaaaase tell me yer available to help me. Please!" Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but Pinkie beat her to the punch.

"YEP!" Applejack sat back in her seat, surprised. Pinkie nodded emphatically, her mane poofing back into its normal state. "Normally this time of year we've got lots of cake orders and Mr. and Mrs. Cake always take them but this year they said to heck with it this is the best time of year to visit Californeigha so they closed up the shop and said 'Pinkie, don't worry about running the place in our stead, Ponyville will still be here when we get back and so will our customers' so I said 'Okie-dokie-lokie! Pinkie Pie Vacation Party Time!' and I was planning a party for myself I KNOW RIGHT I always throw parties for other ponies but MYSELF? That's unheard of and—" Her rambling was stopped by the timely intervention of Rarity's hoof. Rainbow Dash looked over at Rarity, mouthing the words 'thank you'.

"Pinkie, darling, please get to the point."

"Oh. Oh! Okay. So yes, I'd be happy to help you solve this mystery! Remember when we were on the train to Canterlot with the MMMM and then you all took a bite when I wasn't looking and I was all 'ELEMENTARY' and Twilight was all 'QUITE' and I solved the mystery?"

"Pinkie, may Ah remind you that you blamed that griffon fellow and said that he cut it with a buzzsaw," Applejack held up her hoof, tapping on it with her other hoof with each point she made, "then you blamed Donut Joe and said he cut it with lasers, and then finally you accused that poor old mule of being a ninja?"

"Yes, but then Twilight was all 'ELEMENTARY' and I was all 'QUITE' and Twilight solved the mystery of the cake and then I went 'Ohhhhhh! That's how you do it!' and used Twilight's methods and I solved the mystery of who devoured the other desserts! I know how to investigate now because of Twilight!" Twilight looked over at Pinkie, giggling softly behind her hoof, and there could be seen a touch of pride in the alicorn's eyes.

"Hmm. All right. You made yer point. And thank you, Pinkie. Ah really appreciate you offerin' to help." She turned towards Rarity, who up until now had been almost as quiet as Fluttershy. "Rarity? You in?"

"Yes, darling, I am." Her words were quiet at first, but as she continued they got louder, more certain. "As I'm sure you'll recall, when Rainbow was unjustly accused of conning her way into performing with the Wonderbolts, I set out to use the techniques I'd learned from reading the Shadow Spade novels, and combined them with my keen eye for detail, and managed to reveal the true culprit—"

"You really saved my flank there, Rares!"

"You're quite welcome, Rainbow. Now where was I? Oh yes. I'd be glad to do it again, and see if I can't shed some light on the matter. Not only am I willing to do this, but I am able. The fashion world is in a lull this week and next, and I have very few orders, and those I have are rather simple pieces I can put together in no time. Now...your intuition is telling you that something isn't right, correct?"

"Darn tootin'."

"Well then, trust your intuition, darling! Do not doubt yourself. Even if you can't put into words what disturbed you so, you know with a certainty that something about Granny Smith's death is fishy. I suspect you'll want Pinkie and me to look at her bedroom?"

"Yes, her bedroom and...w-well...her." Another collective gasp from the room. Rarity shuddered slightly, but then composed herself and gave Applejack a firm nod.

"Very well. We shall have a look at her body. Neither Pinkie nor I have any medical expertise, though, so we may not be able to tell you much. I suspect this is what you and Big Mac were fighting about?"

"Yeah...he wanted to bury her right away, but Ah begged him to hold off one more day so we could inspect her body. He feels Ah'm bein' really disrespectful to her, but Ah'm doin' what Ah'm doin' because Ah respect her so much! Ah don't like keepin' her out of the ground any more than Mac does, but Ah know there's somethin' to be learned from her body, Ah jes' know it! Ah finally wore him down, though, and he agreed. Even if Ah had to do all his chores from now to eternity, it'd be worth it. And if Ah'm wrong? If Ah'm wrong about all this? Ah 'spect we'll know pretty darn quick, and then we can put an end to this fool's errand."

"I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?" Rarity hopped off her throne and trotted over to Applejack, patting her on the hoof. "Never fear, Detective Rarity is on the case!"

"And Detective Pinkie! Hey, hey, can I wear the hat again?"

"...yes, Pinkie, you may. If it will help you focus your...unique talents...on the investigation, then yes, by all means."

"YAY!"