“Here you go Apple Bloom,” Spike said as they stopped in front of the farmhouse.
“Thanks for takin me home Spike,” Apple Bloom responded.
“Uhh…you’re welcome?” Spike said questioningly while rubbing the back of his head with his claws in confusion. “Your house was…sort of on the way for me to go home Apple Bloom. So it was really no problem.”
“Oh yeah Ah uhh…Ah meant thanks for walkin back with me,” Apple Bloom said nervously. “Ah…really appreciate it.”
“Well no problem I guess,” Spike said while still scratching his head. “It was still on the way but, whatever.”
“Yeah Ah know it’s just uhh…ahh horseapples!” Apple Bloom cursed. She was tongue tied and not really able to state her gratitude how she wanted to without tipping off to Spike that she had a crush on him. She didn’t want Spike to find her creepy, and Spike was already recovering from being rejected by Rarity. He didn’t need to know that and have it confuse him more.
“Apple Bloom,” said a voice in a warning tone. Apple Bloom looked over to see Big Macintosh and Fluttershy walking towards them on the path from the back of the farmhouse towards the orchard. As soon as they reached the front of the farmhouse Big Macintosh looked directly at Apple Bloom. “Watch your language Apple Bloom,” Big Macintosh told her, still keeping up his stoic face yet making sure it was known he means business.
“Sorry,” Apple Bloom said with her face falling.
While Big Macintosh was looking at Apple Bloom Spike noticed something. “Are your eyes…red and puffy?” Spike pointed out. “It kinda looks like you’ve been cry…”
“Spike, I believe it’s time for you to be going,” Big Macintosh said quickly before Spike could finish. He turned his gaze from Apple Bloom to Spike.
“Yeah I’m going,” Spike said. “See ya,” he said with a wave before turning on the path back to Ponyville.
“Where are you going?!” asked a high pitched voice. Spike didn’t pay much attention to it, or where he was going until he ran into a pink fur coat. Spike backed up and then looked up to see Pinkie Pie staring down at him.
“Pinkie!” Spike yelled. “How did you…when did you…?” Spike closed his eyes and stopped talking for a few seconds. “It’s Pinkie Pie, don’t question it.”
“Well good, since you’re done questioning it, come on!” Pinkie Pie said as she started shoving Spike towards the door of the farmhouse with her forehooves. She made Spike do a 180 with one motion and with each push Spike went closer and closer. “You three as well. We all have to come inside for a surprise!”
“Umm…Pinkie I…” Fluttershy mumbled out to no avail. Pinkie Pie was constantly bouncing in between the three ponies and the one dragon and pushing them all towards the farmhouse and inside.
“Pinkie, would ya mind explainin what this is about?” Big Macintosh asked when they reached the doorway.
“You’ll see when we get there silly Billy,” Pinkie Pie said as she attempted to get them all through the doorways. Unfortunately stuffing a stallion, a mare, a filly, and a dragon through a small doorway at the same time did not work out well so they all ended up stuck uncomfortably together with Pinkie Pie pushing on all of their backs in an attempt to push them through.
“Pinkie…Pie,” Spike grunted out.
“Y’all…are…kinda…” Apple Bloom continued for him.
“Hurting…us…” Fluttershy finished off.
“Ee…yup,” Big Macintosh said.
“Just a few…seconds,” Pinkie Pie said.
This time she was pushing using her head to try and get them through. As she pushed her hooves were scraping across the ground causing lines to appear where she dug around into the ground. Pinkie Pie, finally getting that this wasn’t working out at all, backed off to try something else. When she walked back everybody peeled themselves off the door/wall and brushed themselves off if they were Spike, or stretched if they were everybody else.
“That was…painful,” Apple Bloom said as she stretched her forelegs.
“At least none of you ended up hitting my head spikes or my tail spike,” Spike said. “At how close we all were that would have really hurt.”
“Yeah…we were kinda…close,” Apple Bloom said, her face turning away from everybody else so they could avoid seeing her blush. Fluttershy also blushed when she heard what Apple Bloom said, but she didn’t hide it like Apple Bloom did.
“Alright I’m ready!” Pinkie Pie yelled out.
Everybody looked over to see what she was doing. In a speed that would make Rainbow Dash jealous, Pinkie Pie was running at them with the skull of her head facing their direction and her eyes looking towards the ground. Spike and Apple Bloom yelled out for her to stop, while Fluttershy did her very quiet version of yelling and Big Macintosh was silent. But Pinkie either didn’t listen or did not hear them because she continued to run and ran into all of them because they happened to be in a straight line leading to the door.
Pinkie Pie successfully knocked everybody inside the house, but also caused them all to go flying. They flew across the hallway until they each landed on the wooden floor in different spots. Big Macitnosh was the closest to the entrance, followed by Fluttershy, then Spike, and finally Apple Bloom was thrown the farthest.
“Ow!” said the collective voices from all of them as they landed on the ground.
“Woops,” Pinkie Pie said. “Sorry about that.” Pinkie Pie pointed to her left with her left hoof as everybody got back up from the floor. “Everypony…and Spike…in here!”
“Why are we going in there?” Spike asked.
“It’s a secret to everypony,” Pinkie Pie replied. “Now come on!”
Everybody questioningly walked where Pinkie Pie pointed them all into. They ended up in the living room, where they saw Applejack and Caramel sitting on the couch waiting as well. They both looked just about as confused as everybody else was feeling.
“Ya got any idea of what’s goin on sister?” Big Macintosh asked.
“Ah ain’t gotta clue,” Applejack responded. “Pinkie just told us ta wait here while she goes off ta get everypony else. Ah didn’t even know Pinkie was around.” Applejack then looked to see Spike was here as well. “Ah didn’t know you were here either Spike.”
“Well I wouldn’t be, but Pinkie Pie forced me in here,” Spike said.
Spike then walked into the room and sat down on a wooden couch on the other side of the room. As soon as he sat down and got comfortable Apple Bloom ran up to the same wooden couch and sat next to him. Spike looked at her with surprise but after a few seconds didn’t think anything of it.
“I guess…we just got to wait and see what Pinkie wants,” Fluttershy said.
“Well she’s probably goin to get Braeburn,” Applejack said. “So Ah can’t imagine she gonna take long since Braeburn is just in the kitchen.”
“Ya had Braeburn go into the kitchen?” Big Macintosh asked. “Ah didn’t think ya would do that.”
“Ah thought that’s what y’all had him do,” Applejack said.
“Nah it isn’t,” Big Macintosh said. “Ah haven’t seen him all day. What would make ya think Ah put him in the kitchen anyways?”
“Because y’all seem so keen on replacing Granny Smith!” Applejack said. “So don’t mind me if Ah though ya would have him do what she should be doin!”
There was silence after Applejack said that. After saying that Big Macintosh lost his stoic face for a few minutes and instead it was replaced with surprise at what Applejack was saying. He face turned to Caramel and in a talk that guys would only understand he asked Caramel where Applejack got that idea without any words. Caramel responded with a look that told Big Macintosh he had no idea where that came from since he didn’t give her that idea.
“What do ya mean?” Apple Bloom took the initiative and asked. “Big Macintosh would never do that.”
“Sure he wouldn’t,” Applejack said sarcastically. “He also isn’t bringin other ponies to the farm to help out around here. And Ah’m sure he didn’t think about havin Braeburn work in the kitchen at all. What next Big Mac? Gonna have somepony get Granny Smith’s chair now? Or are ya gonna get rid of it so we don’t hafta think about Granny Smith anymore? Do ya think somepony like Fluttershy or,” she turned to Caramel, “no offence to ya,” she turned back to Big Macintosh, “Caramel can replace Granny Smith?”
“Where in Equestria are ya gettin that idea from?” Big Macintosh asked. “Why do ya think Ah would replace Granny Smith? Ah can’t do that even if Ah try.” Big Macintosh pointed a hoof over at the picture of Granny Smith to his left. “After our parents went away, Granny Smith was the closest thing we had to a parent. She raised us Applejack. She may not have been as good as havin both our parents, but she did a dang good job for just one pony. Ah could never forget her and Ah don’t want ta. Ah would never be that ungrateful. But that doesn’t mean Ah’m not gonna move on. Ah want us to move on Applejack, not forget about her. Ah want us to go back to our normal lives, and go back to runnin this farm, because Ah know Granny Smith wouldn’t want us ta be mopin around after her death. She’d want us ta keep workin the farm and keep her memory goin.”
There was once again silence. This time though it was reversed as Applejack looked at Big Macintosh with surprise. Whether it was the fact that the normally quiet and stoic farmpony was suddenly talkative and emotional, or the truth of what he was saying, everybody just looked at Big Macintosh with an undivided attention, even though he was done speaking.
“Ah…Ah know Ah ain’t gonna forget Granny Smith any time soon Applejack,” Apple Bloom said, once again breaking the silence. “She…might have been a little crazy at times, but she was an great grandma. Its thanks ta her we have this farm and it’s thanks ta her that Ponyville is founded. Without her Ah would have probably never met mah friends.”
“I don’t plan on forgetting about Granny Smith either.” Breaburn walked in the living room with Pinkie bouncing closely by his side. “I may not have gotten to see her much, we really only talked during the Apple Family reunion, really interesting. She’s not the type of mare you forget any time soon. And Jay Jay, I’m not here to replace her. I’m just here to give you guys a little help.”
“Ah…Ah know,” Applejack said. “Ah just…Breaburn when Ah saw ya in the kitchen and smelled what y’all were cookin Ah just…” Applejack started pouring tears down her face again, “Ah thought of Granny Smith and it hurt. It hurt thinkin somepony was doing what Granny Smith used ta be doin. And…Big Macintosh, Ah’m sorry. Ah…didn’t really like idea of ya bringin in everypony ta help out in the first place and when Ah saw that…Ah just became angry at ya. But ya didn’t deserve that. Ya just were tryin to help.” Caramel moved to his left a bit to comfort Applejack by putting his hoof around her.
“Ah ain’t the only one ya need to apologize to,” Big Macintosh said. “Ah also did this so ya can spend some time with your little sister. Remember, ya ain’t the only one who is hurtin from all of this.”
Applejack looked over at Apple Bloom. “Sorry Apple Bloom. Ah was so focused on mah own feelings about losing Granny Smith that Ah forgot about yours. You’ve probably been hurtin about this too, haven’t ya?”
“Yeah, Ah…sort of have,” Apple Bloom said. “But…Ah had some help. Spike helped me feel better by playin with me today.”
“You’re welcome,” Spike interrupted. Apple Bloom gave him a quick, but gentle, kick in the stomach for that causing Spike to come in to his chest.
“And any time Ah needed it, Ah could just cuddle with Winona,” Apple Bloom continued.
As soon as she said that a bark sounded from another room and the Apple Family dog came running happily into the living room. Winona bounced on to the wooden couch Apple Bloom and Spike were sitting on and started licking Apple Bloom in the face. Apple Bloom wrapped her hooves around Winona and laughed while Spike slid to the left a bit.
“I guess this is partially my fault as well,” Breaburn said. “I kinda let myself in without talkin to you guys when I saw Pinkie dash in here. And I wanted to tell ya what Ah was doin here, but I Pinkie Promised I wouldn’t ruin the surprise.”
“What surprise?” Caramel asked.
“You ready Pinkie?” Breaburn asked, turning his attention towards Pinkie Pie.
“Yup, I think we are,” Pinkie responded.
Pinkie Pie then nonchalantly walked to the center of the room, which was already strange enough for everybody. Of course then she went back to normal as soon as she pulled out, naturally from nowhere, her Party Cannon. She fired the cannon and somehow a party that was bigger than could possibly fit in the cannon came out. Included was a bunch of streamers, confetti, and snacks that included pie, apple fritters, and even a brown cake.
“What in the hay?” Applejack said.
“We’re throwing you a party!” Pinkie Pie said loudly.
“Pinkie figured since y’all are so down because Granny Smith passed we’d throw you a party to help you feel better,” Breaburn said. “And I helped her out with it.”
“I thought you guys might want to have a good time!” Pinkie Pie said. “You guys haven’t smiled when I’ve seen you in such a long time and have always been so frowny, so I wanted to get you guys to smile again!”
“Well…” Applejack took a deep breath. She looked up at her good friend “Thank ya. Thank ya kindly for thinkin about us Pinkie.”
“No problemie!” Pinkie Pie said. “I was going to wait until tomorrow since Dashie and Twilight would be here as well, but since you guys already brought Braeburn and Caramel here I thought I’d do it today!” Pinkie Pie lifted Applejack and Caramel off the couch and on to the floor. “Now come on you two, it’s time to have some fun!”
Braeburn started the record player to play a western song with a cheerful beat. After he was done doing that he managed to get Big Macintosh and Fluttershy on their hooves and dancing. Albeit they danced awkwardly because the two of them were both shyly dancing and not really good at it either. Applejack and Caramel started dancing as well, and Applejack pulled Caramel into a dosey doe.
“Come on you two, you need to join in as well!” Pinkie Pie said after hopping to where Apple Bloom and Spike were sitting.
“I don’t really get why I’m here,” Spike said. “I can understand why you brought Fluttershy here, but why me?”
“Because you need some cheering up too, now don’t you?” Pinkie Pie said. “And what’s better to cheer you up then having some fun with your friends?”
“And come on Spike,” Apple Bloom said. “It’s not like ya need ta be home anytime soon. So why don’t ya stay a little while longer and have some more fun?”
“I…guess,” Spike said. Spike and Apple Bloom both got off the couch and danced next to each other. They didn’t dance with each other, because Spike wouldn’t feel right doing that after getting let down by Rarity and Apple Bloom respected that, but they still did have a good time together.
After getting everybody else to dance Braeburn and Pinkie Pie started energetically dancing themselves. So everybody within the farmhouse danced and had some fun. Even Winona bounced around on the floor and every once in a while would knock somebody out of their dancing to give them a sloppy lick. Including Spike, much to his dismay.
“Uhh eww…” Spike said as he was on the ground getting licked by Winona. Much to the laughter and enjoyment of everybody around him as they all stopped to look at him.
“Hay, that just means she likes ya,” Applejack said.
“Or maybe she’s just payin ya back for the times ya were supposed ta be takin care of her and instead gave her to me,” Apple Bloom said.
“That happened years ago!” Spike said.
“Well… maybe she wants to cheer you up,” Fluttershy said. “You know, you really look cute right now.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac chimed in.
“Aw!” Pinkie Pie squeed. “I need to take a picture of this!”
“A picture?” Spike asked. “Where the heck are you going to…?” But he was interrupted by the flash from a camera Pinkie Pie somehow managed to make appear.
“Alright, now Pinkie make sure ta sent that picture to Twi when she gets back tomorrow,” Applejack said through her laughter.
“No you don’t have to do that!” Spike said as he tried to get up and get Winona off of him.
“Hay, I’m sure Twilight will find that about as cute as the rest of us,” Caramel said through his laughter.
“Ah know Ah do,” Apple Bloom said. “That’s a picture Ah’m keepin.”
The laughter at Spike’s expense continued to sound through the house. As they were all laughing, Braeburn walked up to Pinkie Pie. He didn’t say anything for a few seconds because he wanted her to enjoy herself but when Pinkie Pie finally noticed him.
“Well Pinkie, looks like ya managed to do it,” Breaburn said. “Ya got them all laughin again. You sure do show why you’re the Element of Laughter or whatever it is.”
“Yeah, I did!” Pinkie Pie said. “It’s nice to see them finally smile again!”
“I’m sure Granny Smith would really appreciate y’all helpin them through this,” Braeburn said.