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"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Season 10, Episode 9"
"End of an Era, Part 1"
By Jeff Snyder (TwilightSparkle3562)
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The sun rose on another beautiful day in Equestria, particularly over the farm known as Sweet Apple Acres. It had been some time since Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle were married at the unified trees and life for the Apple family was slowly getting back to normal.
Making her way downstairs to breakfast, Applejack was ready to begin another day of hard work. "Mornin', y'all," She greeted. "Thought we'd better focus on buckin' twice as hard today, don't you think?"
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh replied. "Got to see if we can try and get those last few orders out before the fall season comes," Then he realized something. "Um, Applejack?"
Suddenly, the entirety of the table realized that somepony important among them was missing. "Not again," Applejack muttered, looking back out towards the stairs. "This is the third time this week that Granny's been slow to get up for breakfast."
"Granny's gettin' really old, Applejack," Apple Bloom remarked. "Maybe she just needs a little more time to get her day started. Same with Grand Pear."
"Except Grand Pear is a little more punctual." Applejack grumbled.
At that moment, Granny Smith came slowly walking down the stairs with a tired look on her face. This greatly upset the Apples.
"There you are, Granny," Applejack greeted her elderly grandmother. "What's wrong with you? You've been a lot slower than normal these past few years."
"Dang blast it, Applejack!" Granny Smith renarjed, brushing away Applejack's hoof as she walked into the kitchen. "I can move fine, just a little slower than normal. What's for breakfast, chickadees?" Sitting at the table, Granny looked down at her empty plate that didn't have food on it.
"Flapjacks, like we do several times a week," Sugar Belle answered as she served her grandmother-in-law her breakfast of Flapjacks. "Actually Granny Smith, we've been meaning…"
"I don't want to hear it, Sugar Belle," Granny interrupted. "I may be gettin' slower but I'm fine, fut as a fiddle. Don't you worry about me, just get those trees bucked before we lose our harvest."
The rest of the Apples weren't convinced as Granny dug into her breakfast. "Granny, listen," Applejack firmly said. "You're probably feelin' the effects of your age, maybe you need to start steppin' back and let us do all the work."
"Applejack, how many times must I tell you that I'm perfectly fine?" Granny asked, slowly chewing on her breakfast of flapjacks. "Just because I'm old doesn't mean that this here old mare can't do what she loves to do, right? Besides, I've still got a few years left in the tank, right?"
But then suddenly, Granny felt a sharp pain in her chest causing the rest of the Apples to jump to her aid!
"GRANNY!" Big Macintosh and Applejack both yelled managing to kept Granny from falling to the ground! Gasping for air, Granny struggled to keep breathing while Applejack held her grandmother upright! "GRANNY, SAY SOMETHIN'!"
Racing to get a glass of water, Sugar Belle tried to help Granny hydrated while Apple Bloom looked on in shear terror.
"What's going on down here?" A gruff elderly voice that belonged to Grand Pear cried out, heading down the stairs. "GRANNY SMITH! WHAT HAPPENED?!"
Gasping for air, Granny looked weakly up at her former rival's eyes.
"We don't know, Grand Pear," Applejack cried. "She was fine and then just collapsed! We'd better get her to the hospital!" But no sooner had Applejack said those words when Granny Smith passed out!
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…
Opening her eyes weakly, Granny heard the sounds of beeping on her right and all of her grandchildren standing around her bed.
"Oh, Granny!" Apple Bloom cried, hugging her grandmother tightly. "We're so glad you're alright."
"It's fine, child, I'm still here," Granny chuckled while acknowledging her granddaughter hugging her. "It's going to take more than a health problem to keep me down. Uh, what exactly happened here?"
At that moment, the door opened and in stepped a light amber coated unicorn in a doctor's jacket, holding what appeared to be test results that had been done on Granny Smith.
"How is she, Doctor?" Applejack worriedly inquired.
"Well, the good news is that your grandmother is fine for now," The doctor answered. "The bad news is, well…"
"What is it, Doc? What's wrong with Granny Smith?" Big Mac worriedly demanded while his wife consoled him.
"I can take it, Doc. I've had worse." Granny Smith insisted.
Applejack lightly touched her grandmother's hoof as they all waited for the results to be spoken. "Well, Granny Smith," The doctor sighed. "We discovered that you suffered a major heart attack, and your arteries are starting to grow weaker."
"No!" Applejack cried as Granny Smith looked up to the ceiling and sighed heavily. "Isn't there anythin' you can do, Dr. Stable?"
But Dr. Stable shook his head from side to side. "I'm afraid not, Applejack," He sighed, turning to Granny Smith. "Granny Smith, I'm afraid that this is a sign that your body is failing you."
"Failin' her?!" Apple Bloom cried in horror!
"As we get older, Apple Bloom," Dr. Stable remarked. "Our body starts to give out in various stages. Your grandmother here has lived a good life, but I am afraid that the time might be coming for her…"
"No!" Apple Bloom cried again.
"It's all right, sugarcube," Granny reassuringly and lightly patted her youngest granddaughter on the head. "We knew that this was goin' to come eventually."
"This heart attack," Dr. Stable continued, showing the Apples an x-ray that had been done on Granny. "Confirms that there are several parts of Granny's body that are beginning to give out. Her heart is getting weaker, her lungs are getting weaker and…"
"Don't tell us anymore!" Apple Bloom pleaded while becoming more and more despondent. "Please, don't!"
Suddenly, Applejack realized something else about her grandmother's health problems. "Wait a minute! Doctor Stable, Granny's been havin' trouble gettin' down the stairs lately. Do you think it might have somethin' to do with all of this?"
It was then that Dr. Stable placed another test result on the wall. "We also did a CAT scan of your grandmother's neurological areas, and we found that the parts of her brain are starting to malfunction, including the part that controls her ability to move about."
Applejack couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her grandmother was slowly dying.
"Doctor," Big Macintosh sadly pleaded while looking over at Sugar Belle. "What should we do?"
"If I could make a recommendation," Dr. Stable answered. "I would start to prepare for the inevitable, all of you. We'll do as much as we can to prolong her life, but eventually, Granny Smith's time will run out."
All of the Apple's looked dismayed at what they had just heard.
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At her royal suite in Canterlot, Twilight had just completed a royal meeting and sat down in a recliner. "At least I have another hour until the next meeting rolls along," She said to herself. "Time for the supreme ruler of Equestria to do some catching up on her reading."
Takiing a copy of a Daring Do novel into her aura, Twilight slowly began to read when she was interrupted by the sounds of a knocking on her door. "Pony feathers," She muttered, dropping her book down and answering the door. "I may be supreme ruler, but can't the supreme ruler have a break for at least an hour?"
"Twilight?" Applejack called from the other side. "Are you there?"
Knowing that it was Applejack's voice, Twilight immediately opened the door and saw her farm pony friend with a pained look on her face. "Applejack, what's wrong?" Twilight asked.
"It's Granny Smith!" Applejack answered in a panicked voice as Twilight allowed her in. "We…we had to take her to the hospital this mornin'. The doctor's said…" But Applejack couldn't finish her sentence and buried herself in Twilight's chest.
Twilight could feel great pain in the Princess of Honesty's soul and body. Right away, she knew what was going to be happening. "Are you certain that what he said was true?" Twilight asked. "That Granny Smith might be…?"
"Don't say it, Twilight!" Applejack cried, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I can't bear the thought of it!"
Looking up to the two guards outside of the suite, Twilight ordered them to not let anypony in until she said so. Then walking over to the chair she had been sitting in, Twilight brought over a separate chair and Applejack sat in it.
"Applejack," Twilight sighed, trying to see reality. "I'm… afraid to say it, but it seems like Granny Smith might be reaching the end of her lifespan."
"Great, now you said it," Applejack cried, her voicebecoming choked up with emotion. "She can't be dying, Twilight! Granny Smith can't be dyin'! She's got a lot to live for!"
"Applejack, she saw a lot in her long life," Twilight tried to calmly answered. "Trust me, we all have. But we all can't live forever. Eventually, death comes to all of us."
"It came to my parents, so why does it have to come to Granny Smith?!" Applejack sobbed. "Hasn't our family suffered enough tragedy already, Twilight?! Granny needs to see Apple Bloom graduate from school, Big Mac and Sugar Belle havin' their first foal, you name it! There is still so much she needs to live for!"
"Has there been any plans for Granny to go back to Sweet Apple Acres?" Twilight asked after a long silence.
"No, she just collapsed this mornin'. It was all so sudden," Applejack remarked. "Ugh, if I was only a unicorn like Sugar Belle…"
"Applejack, not even alicorn or unicorn magic can prevent death. When it comes, it comes," Twilight insisted. "But I can tell you that we will all stand by you and the rest of the Apples whatever comes your way."
Twilight reassuring words did little to help Applejack's pain.
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That night, Twilight returned to Ponyville still imaging the pain in her friend and fellow princess' voice from earlier that day. Coming into her throne room, Twilight sat down at her throne and began to think of how to address the situation in question. "Twilight?" She heard a voice that belonged to Celestia, who opened the door and walked into see Twilight on her throne. "I…I didn't hear you come in."
"Sorry about that, Celestia," Twilight stammered, her train of thought interrupted. "Um, actually, your timing was perfect."
"In what way?" Celestia asked while sitting in Fluttershy's throne.
"Celestia, when you were ruling Equestria," Twilight questioned. "Did you ever have to do any state funerals?"
"Oh, of course I did, Twilight," Celestia somberly replied. "All sorts for important ponies of higher rank: Royal Guard captains, prime ministers, dignitary ponies, you name it. Why do you ask me?"
"Because Applejack's grandmother... is dying." Twilight glumly answered.
Celestia let out a deep sigh, the next words were slow to leave her. "I'm... sorry to hear that. What's going on?"
"I guess Granny Smith's age finally caught up with her," Twilight answered. "I had to be honest with Applejack, Celestia. Nopony or nocreature for that matter can live forever. Sooner or later, we all die."
"That is correct, Twilight," Celestia sighed again. "And I can assure you that Granny Smith will be honored like an important pony who contributed to the benefit of Equestria."
Taking in what her mentor had said, Twilight mentally prepared herself for the impending death of one of Ponyville's finest and most beloved citizens.
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Applejack couldn't sleep that night, trying to imagine the possibility of losing her grandmother, the pony who raised her and her siblings for their entire lives. Finally giving into not being able to sleep, she got up and just paced back and forth. Fortunately, she wasn't alone.
"AJ?" She heard a voice call, said voice revealing itself to be Big Macintosh. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?"
"Yeah, big brother," Applejack sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I mean…we all knew this would come eventually, Granny Smith heading up to the orchard in the sky. But, it's not about how, it's when that will happen."
"Eeyup," Big Mac sadly replied while joining his sister on the bed. "I haven't felt like this since Ma and Pa died."
"Me too, Big Mac. It seems like all we have left are our fondest memories of them," Applejack glumly remarked. "It's too bad we were so young when they passed on. Granny is really the pony who raised us into the ponies we are today. It's because of her we're still here today, Big Mac. When she passes on…" Applejack wiped away a tear and felt her nose stuff up, preventing her from finishing her sentence. "…It won't be the same here anymore."
"It won't be, Applejack," Big Mac whispered. "Being the oldest, I will be the one inheritin' the farm, me and Sugar Belle. I will become leader of the Apple Family and that's somethin' that's botherin' me greatly."
"Well, we knew that this would also happen eventually, Big Mac," Applejack unhappily answered. "Granny always said that you were goin' to be the new leader. Still doesn't make things easy, though."
Applejack then noticed her crown on the nightstand and walked over to look at it. In her mind, being crowned a princess of her respective element brought about significant changes in her life. "Big Mac," Applejack said, her eyes still locked on the crown. "When Granny Smith goes, I want to be co-leader of the Apple Family along with you and Sugar Belle."
"But…Granny said that I would be the one to…" Big Mac began.
"Yes, but I don't want you doin' this alone, big brother," Applejack insisted. "Please, it would also help me as well, workin' alongside you and Sugar Belle."
Taking a deep breath, Big Mac immediately accepted the suggestion his hard headed young sister had given him. "All right, AJ," The stallion of few words answered. "I'll let you become a co-leader, regardless of what's in Granny's final instructions to us."
Feeling a small sense of relief, Applejack fell back into bed and Big Mac left her bedroom alone.
Returning to his shared bedroom with his wife, Big Macintosh peeked into Apple Bloom's room, seeing her fast asleep but clearly tossing and turning. It pained Big Mac to see his youngest sister suffering like this.
"Big Mac?" He heard a voice whisper to him that belong to Sugar Belle. "Can't sleep?"
"Nope," Big Mac replied, tiredly walking back into the bedroom and shutting the door. "Been thinkin' about Granny all night."
"We're all thinking about her," Sugar Belle sympathetically reassured her husband. "I mean…I'm just starting to get to know her better. And for all of this to be happening now, it's not fair."
"Circle of life, Sugar Belle, Circle of Life. We all grow old eventually, whether we like it or not." Big Mac reluctanlty answered and then said no more.
Sugar Belle watched her exhausted husband climb into bed before she went back in herself. She wanted to help her husband and her in-laws in some way, but wasn't sure how.
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The next morning, Sugar Belle walked over to Sugarcube Corner, still with the thoughts of the night before fresh in the young unicorn's mind.
"Oh, you seem downhearted, Sugar Belle," Mrs. Cake observed. "What's wrong?"
"Granny Smith is dying, Mrs. Cake,"Sugar Belle sadly answered. "She's in the hospital and who knows when she'll go."
Mrs. Cake walked over to her apprentice. "I'm so sorry to hear that, dearie," She sighed. "How are the rest of the Apples doing?"
"They're taking it hard, Mrs. Cake. Big Mac especially," Sugar Belle explained. "He's going to inherit the farm from Granny Smith after she passes on. All of a sudden, he's now thrust into the responsibility of running his family's farm. Everything that Granny has worked for falls on his shoulders."
"Well, if there's…anything I can do to help…" Mrs. Cake offered.
"There is one thing you can do," Sugar Belle suggested, pulling out a cookbook for certain occassions. "I think we might need to start preparing food for the funeral service. Knowing Granny and the impact she's made on Ponyville, there will be probably a lot of ponies coming for the funeral."
Opening the book up, Sugar Belle began looking for selective foods that would be appropriate for a funeral. "I mean, there will be cupcakes, obviously. But what else is there?" Sugar Belle wondered.
"Well, there are hor d'ourves, tea, sandwiches..." Mrs. Cake rattled off.
"I feel that if I contribute to the funeral preparations, I can at least try and show Big Mac and the others how I feel," Sugar Belle suggested as she brought out several different ingredients. "Besides, the more I help, the more I feel better."Getting to work, the teacher and the student set about doing their preparations.
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Back at the hospital, Granny Smith continued to try and rally herself for the ponies surrounding her. But she couldn't move her muscles and the more she tried the more pain she felt. "Conflabit," she muttered. "Guess this old body can't hang on for much longer."
At that moment, Dr. Stable walked into the room and injected some more medicine into Granny's IV.
"What's the point of these here medicines?" Granny Smith inquired. "They ain't gonna keep me alive for much longer, you know."
"They are just to keep you alive until they can no longer work. To make your final days as comfortablr and pain free as possible," Dr. Stable answered. "We, uh…did some more tests on you last night, Granny Smith and…."
"It's not good, is it?" Granny Smith asked.
"Unfortunately not," Doctor Stable answered as he hung his head. "All of your motor skills have ninety five percent stopped, which is why you can't move your legs anymore. Your heartbeat is also slowing down and it should stop in roughly twelve to twenty for hours. Your breathing has gone down by eighty percent and…"
"That's enough!" Granny weakly cried. "If I'm dying, then let my moments be left in happy moments, young one. Besides, do you think I want a bunch of sad ponies at my funeral, doctor?"
Dr. Stable bit his lip and tried to process what Granny had said. "They will be sad, Granny, yes," he said. "But, some of them will try to look on the good. Why, I'm pretty sure you impacted the lives of those whom you were close with."
This made Granny think of her immediate family, both living and dead. "I did make many ponies happy, didn't I?" She asked.
"You did, Granny Smith. And I'm sure that there will be a lot of good memories that will be shared." Doctor Stable declared.
The more Granny listened, the more she began to feel at peace as Big Macpntosh came into the room along with Applejack.
"Where's Apple Bloom?" Granny asked, weakly turning her head to her two eldest grandchildren.
"She's at school, Granny," Applejack answered. "But I told her we'd keep her informed if anythin' major happens."
"That'd probably a good thing," A male, grandfatherly voice said and the Apple's turned around to see Gentle Gust entering the room. "Hello again."
"Gentle Gust?" Applejack remarked, remembering the pony who'd helped take care of Twilight during her mental health crisis. "What are you doing here?"
"Twilight asked me to check on you during this difficult time," Gentle Gust replied. "Certainly my thoughts and prayers are with all of you."
"Thanks, Gentle Gust," Applejack bowed. "This here's my brother, Big Macintosh."
"Delighted to meet you." Gentle Gust said, shaking Big Mac's hoof.
"Eeyup." Big Mac replied.
Having introduced himself to Big Mac, Gentle Gust then turned to Granny Smith as she was now struggling to keep her eyes open. "You have very nice grandchildren, Granny Smith," He whispered to her. "They are very lucky to have had you in their lives."
Granny smiled weakly and acknowledged the elder doctor's presence. "Gee…wilikers," She whispered back as Applejack wiped away a stray tear from her right eye. "I sure am lucky to have had them...raised them into lovin' and hard workin' ponies. Wasn't easy, but somehow I managed."
"So what happens now?" Big Mac reluctantly.
"Well, this isn't easy to talk about," Gentle Gust sighed as he and Dr. Stable looked at the two Apple siblings. "But I think now might be the time to start preparing for the inevitable. Your grandmother looks like she could go at any time now."
"But what about Apple Bloom?" Applejack questioned. "She'll probably want to say goodbye to Granny."
"Perhaps it may not be a good idea, Applejack," Gentle Gust advised. "I think waiting until after she passes might be the best move."
"Yeah," Granny called weakly, her voice growing more and more shallow. "Apple Bloom…needs to remember me…alive and bein' part…of the…good…times. Besides, no sense makin' her sit around here all day waitin'. I want her to continue that education of hers and make the most of it. "I…I…" Granny Smith went on, gasping with air. "I…want…to…go…home…"
Running to their grandmother's side, Applejack threw herself down on Granny and sobbed quietly while Big Mac turned to the two doctors.
"She wants to go home," Big Mac asked them. "What do you think we should do?"
The two doctors looked at each other and shrugged shoulders at one another. Granny's time was coming and they had to be ready.
"If she wants to pass at home with all of you," Dr. Stable suggested. "Then we will honor her request."
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Later that day, Granny Smith was discharged and was wheeled back to Sweet Apple Acres where Rainbow Dash and Rarity were waiting along with Sugar Belle and Burnt Oak
"Granny," Rarity sadly remarked, distraught at seeing the dying matriarch of the Apple Family. "Oh, Granny Smith…"
"Applejack," Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are with Apple Bloom at Scootaloo's aunts' house. When should I bring her back?"
Applejack couldn't say anything, so it was up to Big Mac to decide on what to do.
"When she goes, I'll tell you to bring her back here. Reckon it won't be long now." Big Mac said as the ponies carrying Granny on the stretcher brought her onto the property.
Once Granny was gone along with Applejack, Big Mac turned to Bright Oak. "I've…already started working on her casket, Big Mac," Burnt Oak sadly confirmed, taking his stenson hat off in respect. "It's oak, just like the trees where the apples grow."
"Thanks," Big Mac replied, grateful that his dad's oldest friend was working on his grandmother's casket. "Granny always said she wanted to have the carvin' of my parents' unified tree on the top. Can you do that?"
"Of course, Big Mac. I'll have the casket ready for tomorrow if you like." Burnt Oak offered, and Big Mac nodded.
Rarity was the next to step forward. "What about an outfit for Granny to be buried in?" She asked.
"Granny wasn't much of a fancy pony," Big Mac answered. "I think somethin' simple would do. She always was a simple pony, so I think she should be buried as one."
Acknowledging Big Mac's request, Rarity left to find a simple outfit for Granny to be buried in.
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Meanwhile, Granny was helped into her bedroom, overlooking the apple orchards she had worked so hard to tend to all her life. Grand Pear, her former rival and later friend, sat next to her.
"Comfy, you old crab apple?" He asked, tears forming in his eyes.
"Uh huh, you old…prickly pear," Granny weakly answered . "Guess…this is it, huh?"
"It looks that way, Granny," Applejack said, choking back tears. "You're home now, where you belong."
Granny weakly turned her head towards Applejack and placed a hoof on her cheek, wiping away the tear that was trickling down her face. "Why the long face?" She quietly asked. "I'm goin' somewhere where there's plenty of apple orchards that need me."
"It's just that…" Applejack replied as Big Mac entered the room. "We're…we're gonna be lost without ya, Granny."
"Don't…say that," Granny gasped before producing a small smile on her face. "I'm still gonna be here, even if y'all can't see me."
"But it won't be the same, Granny!" Big Mac protested.
"That's why the time has come…" Granny whispered, looking at her eldest grandson. "For you to make your own mark. I'll still be…watchin' and…"
Just then, the door opened and Apple Bloom raced into the room, tears flowing out of her eyes and sobbing loudly. "Granny, I had to come!" Apple Bloom cried as Big Mac and Applejack looked down at their little sister with pity in their eyes. "I wanted to…"
"Thank you for coming, sugar pie." Granny chuckled as Applejack came over to console her little sister, feeling regretful that she was being kept back.
"We tried to kep her away, but she wouldn't listen!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she and Scootaloo raced into the room followed by Rainbow Dash and Rarity.
"It's all right, children," Granny Smith added. "I wanted to see you all before I go. I've been so blessed to be in…your lives and…" Granny felt her strength start to give out and realized that her time was running out. "…I hope you continue…to look out for each other…just as I have looked out for all of you."
Realizing that Granny was about to go, Rainbow Dash and Rarity ushered their sisters out of the room, leaving the Apple Family alone just as Sugar Belle came in, hugging her husband as she arrived.
"Thanks for everything you've done for us, Granny," Applejack spoke, struggling to hold in her emotions while clutching her grandmother's hoof tightly. "We'll miss you."
But Granny didn't respond, her eyes weakly focused on her three grandchildren.
"You're…you're welcome," Granny whispered, barely audible. "I…I…I must be in…heaven."
Closing her eyes, Granny took one last breath and her body fell limp.
"Gr…Granny?" Applejack cried.
"She's gone, AJ." Big Mac sadly answered.
"No! Granny! No!" Apple Bloom screamed, loudly crying over her grandmother's dead body.
It was over. Granny Smith, the matriarch of the Apple Family…was dead.
…
Meanwhile, Twilight stood out on the top of her castle of friendship looking out over to the west, in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. She had a sense that something major had happened and it was apparent that what she'd been expecting to happen had indeed happened.
"Twilight?" Celestia asked, coming up the stairs. "It's late. You should be in bed."
"There's been a death in Ponyville tonight, Celestia," Twilight answered, looking over towards her mentor. "Granny Smith died tonight."
Celestia was startled to hear this, but immediately felt nothing but sympathy. "I'm sorry, Twilight," She declared, draping a wing over her daughter figure. "And I'm sorry for Applejack. What are you going to do?"
Unhesitantly, Twilight answered Celestia right away. "Prepare for a Ponyville Funeral," Twilight said to Celestia. "I'll have Spike write to the mayor tomorrow telling her that I need to meet with her asap!"
With those words, Twilight opened her wings and took to the air!
"Where are you going?!" Celestia asked, looking up at the airborne Twilight.
"To be with Applejack and the rest of the Apple Family right now," Twilight replied. "I'll be back soon. Don't wait up for me."
Celestia watched as Twilight flew into the night, knowing that a funeral in Ponyville was indeed to take place honoring one of its most famous residents.
…
TO BE CONTINUED
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