“Oh but Granny,” cried the small filly, “It’s only a little bit of ice cream. Please please please can I have some?” She did her best to put on the sad face that always made everyone else besides her brother cave to her demands.
“Yeah,” squeaked her unicorn friend trying to do the same.
“It’ll be so cool if you could,” added the last one, an orange pegasus.
“Ah said it once and I’ll continue to say it young’uns,” grouched the green mare, “I said no. You’ll spoil your appetite. Now get your patooties up to yer room for ah dun give ya dinner either. Yer can ‘ave some tomorrow instead since you’re so insistent.”
The girls groaned with disappointment in unison. They knew when it was hopeless to argue. They just trotted up the steps deciding to instead bring up more ideas of what else to do after they eat and their big plan to try getting a cutie mark. At least till they were out of earshot so they could start blaming the other for messing up the ice cream plan.
Granny Smith huffed, she was in the right after all. Still the look on the filly’s face when she said that was disheartening. For a moment she remembered the foal’s mother having the same face when she was the same age. She supposed having to deal with that already is the reason only she and Big Macintosh were able to say no when Applebloom made that face.
Applejack and Big Mac would be home soon after working for so long so it was up to Granny Smith to make food. Lunch would be ready soon enough and then Applebloom would be ready to make up with her. At least she hoped.
As she overlooked her Peanut Butter and Zap apple jam sandwich. Nearly perfect balance as usual. This was her husband Lock’s favorite lunch she would pack for him before work every day. It was one of the few things she could clearly remember about him without looking at her photo album for reference these days. What was it now? Thirty years?
Her trail of thought was snatched away when there came a rapping on the front door. Big Mac and Applejack didn’t knock to come in so it must be a visitor. “I’m coming,” she said. The rapping grew louder. “I said I’m coming,” she shouted now, “just hold your horses. I an’t young anymore ya know.”
She opened the door a crack to peek out at the visitor. It was a pale white stallion with a jet black mane in a very well tailored black suit with a black bow tie to match. “Yes,” Granny finally piped to get his attention.
“Hello,” said the unicorn with a comforting smile. “Do you mind if I come in? I have much to discuss with you Mrs. Smith.”
“How do yer know mah name,” asked the old mare scanning the stallion with her good eye from the crack in the door.
“Why surely you must know who I am Mrs. Smith,” replied the stallion fixing his black bow tie. “I came for your husband some years ago, and now I’ve come to pick you up. Is there anything I can do to help you along with getting your family prepared?”
“What are you talking about? I don know you. What's that about a pair? Who are y'all anyways?”
“There isn’t a need to know my name you only need to know my purpose.” The stallion tilted his head and said simply. “I am your guide Mrs. Smith. We must discuss your departure.”
Granny Smith’s Choice
By Masteroflag (AKA Nicholas Jorvan)
Granny Smith didn’t freeze like most would in this situation. In fact she didn’t show signs of reaction much at all. She simply slammed the door on the black suited stallion and walked away muttering to herself. “Crazy young’uns trying to trick me with their weird woo ha.”
Still muttering as she rounded back into the kitchen she found the black suited stallion sitting gingerly in her rocking chair. “This is actually quite a nice set up Mrs. Smith. You’ve done well in the few years since I saw you last.”
Granny Smith screamed. “Thief! Applejack, Big Mac there’s a thief in tha ‘ouse!”
The middle-aged stallion didn’t react to her screams. He just sat there rocking slowly. Granny just continued to scream as he waited.
Once Applejack had burst in it didn’t take long for all three grandchildren to be in the room. “What happened granny? Where’s that thief you were yellin about?”
“Right there,” said Granny pointing at the stallion. “I shut tha door on ‘im and he just came in anyway with his magic hoopla.”
All three grandchildren looked in that direction than at each other. “You sure granny,” said Applebloom. “Cause there an’t no one here.”
“You callin me a liar,” yelled the old earth pony, “He’s sitting right there in the chair.”
The pale stallion just shook his head, “They can’t see me Mrs. Smith. Only those who are to come with me on departures can see me. Your efforts to avoid this are in vain I’m afraid. So please calm down and have some lunch. We can discuss the details after you send your grandchildren off.”
“What do ya mean they can’t see ya,” said Granny sternly. “You’re talking ta me, they should at least be able to hear ya if I don’t need by trumpet for ya.”
“They can’t hear me either. Though I dare say they must believe something is up if you’re talking to your chair.”
Granny Smith looked around her. Indeed by this point Applebloom’s friends had come down to see what the commotion was and all of them were staring at the old mare. “You sure your okay Granny,” Applejack asked trying to console her grandmother. She placed a hoof on her grandmother’s hip and Granny sprang in spasm at the touch. “Oh mah gosh,” Applejack said holding back her scream.
“Quick get her on the couch,” called Big Mac. The two grandchildren lifted her and placed her on it. Granny had half a mind to yell at them again for doing that, but in lifting her she noticed her mysterious visitor had disappeared from the room.
“I’ll get a doctor,” said Applejack rushing out leaving the remaining ponies in a daze as to what to do.
“I’m just fine,” Granny finally snapped, “Now go eat ‘fore your food get’s cold.” They seemed to calm down after it was obvious Granny was too hurt to move and went into the kitchen at her shouting request.
“Quite the head of the house you are Mrs. Smith,” came the black suited stallion’s voice by the love seat Big Mac used normally in the living room. “So with you unable to move around as it were I guess now is the perfect time to run everything by you.”
Granny nearly sprang out but her hip hurt again and she just fell down on the couch again. When she checked he was again gone, only for her to crane her neck a bit and see him on the family time out stool. “Would ya stop that?! You’re exciting me too much.”
The stallion just used his white magic aura to hold his notebook as he seemed to be going over some things. “Let’s just confirm everything correctly Mrs. Smith. Your Full name is Apple Pie Smith, wife of Lock Smith, daughter of Pokey Oaks and Sew n’ Sow Apple, mother of Applejack, and grandmother of Applejack junior, Big Macintosh, and Applebloom. About fifty other extended relatives including one other resident in this town Pinkie Pie. Now is that all correct? Paperwork will be even worse if I don’t get this right the first time.”
“How do yer know all that? Not even my grandkids know they are related to her.”
“Good,” nodded the stallion, “So that means everything is correct and I won’t have any issues when this is all done then. Now departure time is any time of your choosing in between 2 hours and 5 hours after midnight tonight. I will assume you wish to get the most out of your time so 5 hours it is then. And it is set for during your sleep cycle so no pain. Is all of this alright with you?”
“What are ya babblin about?” cracked the elder, “Why can’t anypony else see yer or hear yer. And I didn’t schedule no trip.”
The stallion sighed, “Mrs. Smith if you still don’t know who I am then I ask you look up at that mirror above the fireplace for a moment and you’ll see.”
Granny looked over to the mirror and saw, no pony on the time out stool. But instead of him being gone she gazed back and still saw him sitting there. She did a double take a few times to be sure it was the case. Then the stallion waved a hoof over to a Lilly flower Applebloom had brought home and stroked it. Almost immediately the Flower wilted at his touch.
“N-no,” stuttered Granny. “It can’t be. You, your-“
“Death,” the stallion said simply. “You may call me Death or Mr. Death if you like. So do you remember yet?”
Granny shook her head hesitantly, “Ah think ah would have noticed meeting Death back in the day. That is if that is how you are.”
Mr. Death sighed again, “What must I do to convince you further? You have seen what I can do first hand and even though of my name before I uttered it. There is nothing else short of taking your family dog’s life to prove this without messing up the cosmos, and to be honest I would rather avoid taking unnecessary lives that I can’t undo.” He said all this while looking at the flower which had started to shrivel up and grimacing.
“No need for that,” said Granny a little calmer. “But of all times why did you pick now? I still got plenty of kick in these bones. It’s not like I’ve been sick or nothing.”
“All true Mrs. Smith,” said Mr. Death curtly, “However healthy ponies die every day. But many of them die in violent accidents. We can’t inform any of them of their departure since they are not precognitive. You on the other hand fall under the opposite. So with all that said I believe it is time I take my leave of you Mrs. Smith. Have fun with your last moments with your family and I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Now hold on a second young feller,” piped the old mare, “I just told you I an’t even feelin’ bad. I’m not ‘bout to go without a fight. Mah family needs me around thank you very much.”
The stallion still rose from his seat. “Unfortunately Mrs. Smith, I cannot do anything about that due to your deal. Your time has been extended enough. I can never understand why so many of you are opposed to coming with me when it is unavoidable.”
“What deal,” shouted the grandmother. “I an’t made no deal with you. I'm not followin' at all sonny.”
The stallion took a deep breath before continuing. “Very well Mrs. Smith. I had hoped this would not be the case but our time is being wasted if I must repeat myself so many times.” And suddenly a white glow filled the room from his horn and Granny could see nothing for some time.