As Balanced Scales closed up his suitcase, Scootaloo turned towards Sebastian, letting her eye shift between Applejack, Granny Smith, and Spoiled Rich. Sebastian smiled as he quickly deduced what it was Scootaloo wanted of him. She would need to go with Applejack to see Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara, and definitely couldn’t spill any secrets there. However, the investigation needed to begin immediately, and it seemed the best place to start would be inquiring of Granny Smith regarding the big revelation within the Living Will. It was once again time for them to take separate directions.
As the group started to move apart, Sebastian moved up to the Apples. “Big Macintosh, Applejack, might I be of assistance?” he offered gently. “I am sure it will be a great deal of effort helping Diamond Tiara to gather her things to move to the farm. If you would let me, I will escort Granny Smith back to the farm in the meantime to help prepare quarters for her?”
Applejack shot a suspicious expression Sebastian’s way. “What’s it to ya, anyway?”
“Scootaloo is under my care,” he explained simply, “and Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara are both her close friends...though the latter friendship is due to the changes Filthy Rich made since I met him, I understand. As I am certain Scootaloo will want to be there for her friends, I can assist elsewhere knowing she will be under your watchful eyes.”
Applejack frowned, plainly ready to object.
“Quite nice of ya,” Granny offered happily, getting to her hooves and grabbing her folded walker. “Think ya could fly me? Been many a year since a handsome fella carried me over a threshold.” She gave a wicked cackle and a playful wink.
Sebastian grinned at the scandalized expressions on Applejack and Big Mac’s faces. “It would be my honor to carry such a fair maiden home,” he agreed as he shifted Granny’s walker onto his back and lifted her in his forelegs before taking to the air.
Before they’d made half the distance, Granny’s eyes narrowed. “Now ah’m sure ya didn’ do all this just ta humor an old lady.”
“You’d be surprised,” Sebastian murmured softly. “...the shadow’s lies take six eyes.”
Granny snorted. “Thought so. No lies among the stars.”
Sebastian grinned. As he’d suspected that recognition phrase confirmed Granny as a retired agent of House Wingshadow, one who no longer went on active missions but was still a trusted source of local information. “Then you understand why Filthy Rich asked me to investigate what happened to him-”
“Who do ya think recruited him?” Granny interrupted as Sebastian set her down. “Now how’d ya spot me?”
“My vision is far more acute than that of ponies,” he explained softly. “In the same room as you and knowing what to look for...I saw the Warrior Mark...Miss Seed of Death.”
Granny’s hoof self-consciously went to the back of her neck, where a tiny tattoo was hidden under her white hair. An eye divided into six equal segments. This was a marking for the elite of Wingshadow assassins, those sent in solo to handle entire armies if need be. While all had been exceptionally good at their jobs, the nature of their missions meant few lived long enough to retire, or succeeded in evading enemies made during that time to reach Granny Smith’s age. “...did’na think anyone nowadays would know ta look...” Granny murmured thoughtfully. “I’m a little creaky...but ah’m pretty sure ah could still handle meself if it’s needed.”
“All I need from you is information,” Sebastian offered gently. “Specifically...how it happened? Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara, I mean.”
Granny frowned, gently twisting the handle of her walker. “...why?”
“Filthy would not have shared the secret without reason,” Sebastian explained. “If he wanted me to learn it, he must have believed a connection between it and his need for a Living Will. It is a connection I need to investigate.”
Granny sighed as she trumped towards the cider cellar. “Come along, then. Ah ain’t discussing that in the open.”
Nodding, Sebastian followed Granny into the cider cellar, taking a seat as she poured herself a mug. He waited patiently for her to be ready to speak.
After taking a drink, Granny closed her eyes, sifting back into her memories. “Shortly after AJ’s 18th birthday, it was just me, Big Mac, and AJ here on the farm. Their parents were officially on vacation...but in family, we knew they were ill, dying. So when I wasn’t able ta run things anymore, one o’ the kids would have ta take over...and AJ and Big Mac had strong opinions as far as who, and were hidin’ their own feelings about their folks by fightin’ about it. AJ wound up makin’ some business promises ta Filthy Rich - who was engaged ta Spoiled Milk - ta try and make herself out ta be a good candidate, only ta learn she couldn’t carry ‘em out. She tried ta retract ‘em, but Filthy put some pressure, and AJ tried ta cover herself with a lie...which spiraled inta lots o’ lies.
“Once it was hashed out, and I’d read all three o them the riot act, Filthy came over ta make right with AJ.” Granny stared at the ceiling as she took another drink. “Now, Filthy’s the right honorable sort...but the engagement ta Spoiled Milk was arranged by his family. He never had no love fer that mare. And he and AJ had always been on friendly terms, though neither wanted more. But AJ was apologizin’ fer lyin’, Filthy was apologizin’ fer playin’ rough business like, AJ offered some cider ta smooth things over...but she grabbed the wrong batch. ‘Stead of gettin’ fresh, she grabbed agin’ cider.”
Sebastian nodded in understanding. “And that’s how Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara were conceived?”
“Right where yer sittin!” Granny cackled as that made Sebastian leap out of his seat. “Gotcha! The look on yer face!”
Sebastian glowered at her for a time, then took a different seat.
Once Granny had her amusement under control, she continued. “Now, neither o’ them wanted it ta be anythang more than one night - heck, neither wanted ta admit it had even happened, both fer their own lives and their friendship, what with Filthy bein’ 8 years her senior - so they went their separate ways and just were awkward fer a while...till AJ started throwin’ up in the mornin’. Well, ah got answers out o’ her, and we called in Filthy and Spoiled.
“When Filthy learned, he wanted ta do the right thing, but that just t’weren’t an option. The scandal’d destroy all o’ us, and Ponyville would’a suffered too. But at the same time, AJ weren’t ready ta be a mother, and a friend o’ mine from nearby had confirmed she had twins. So...we made an agreement. Filthy and Spoiled would speed up the weddin, and go on a long honeymoon outa sight. Applejack would go off ta visit her folks...in the same place. When the foals were born, one would come back ta the farm ta be raised as Applejack’s little sister. Th’ other would be raised by Filthy and Spoiled as their daughter.”
“How did you get Spoiled to agree to that?” Sebastian asked curiously.
“Big Mac told her if she did anything to threaten the foals, he’d feed her her own spine,” Granny responded firmly. “And ah actually know how ta do that to a pony, so she took it seriously. ...but she got her petty vengeance. Filthy couldn’t face what he’d done ta AJ - her folks died on that trip, ashamed o’ her fer what happened to her - so he started spendin’ more and more time away from Ponyville...and Spoiled shaped Diamond ta be her little girl, siccing her on her own sister.”
“And now she has nothing,” Sebastian mused thoughtfully, “and due to her own actions at that. If she hadn’t sicced Filthy on me to try and ‘get even’ for not being able to intimidate me herself...”
Granny chuckled softly. “Imagine that. Talk about karma.” Setting down her empty mug, she made for the stairs. “Now come on, we still gotta find that right room.”