"It's so nice to get away from the farm and enjoy a little time off every now and then. Right dear?" Apple Dumpling asked her husband as the two of them roamed the streets of Canterlot.
"Indeed, and it's such a lovely night. In fact it reminds me of the night I met you." Apple Fritter Sr. said to his wife.
"I remember that night so well. You showed up all nice and fancy and took me out to see all the sights of Ponyville. And you even kissed me." Apple Dumpling said, blushing slightly.
"Yup. And look where we are now. We've got three happy foals, Big Macintosh, Applejack, and of course, little Apple Bloom." Apple Fritter said.
"Do you think they miss us?" Apple Dumpling asked suddenly.
"The kids? Probably, but Mom said we should enjoy our anniversary. And you know how stubborn she can be." Apple Fritter said.
"Runs in the family doesn't it?" Apple Dumpling asked.
"Eeyup." Apple Fritter said, chuckling slightly "Heh I say that all the time. Wouldn't surprise me if Big Mac starts repeating that word when he gets older."
"Assuming the mares don't get to him first. He is a real gentlecolt after all." Apple Dumpling said, also chuckling.
The happy couple continued their walk on the streets of Canterlot in silence. Unaware that their lives were about to be cut tragically short.
Suddenly, a griffon with brown feather stepped out of a nearby alleyway, and pointed a pistol at Apple Fritter and Apple Dumpling. "Good evening. What a surprise to see a happy couple like you two wandering the streets alone." the griffon said in a oily voice "I guess no one ever told you how things work around these parts. Well, I guess I'll have to teach you. Step into the alleyway for a moment please. There's something we need to discuss."
Apple Fritter and Apple Dumpling felt tempted to run, but they decided not to for fear that the griffon might shoot them with his pistol. Nervously, they stepped hoof into the alley. The griffon quickly pressed them up against a wall.
"Alright. Let's see here. What've you got?" the griffon said as he examined his victims for any valueables. He found only one, a small peral necklace that hung around Apple Dumpling's neck. Sure, it might not be as valueable as some of the others items he'd managed to obtain in his life of crime, but it was still likely to be really valueable. "Give me that necklace." he instructed Apple Dumpling.
"I beg your pardon?" Apple Dumpling asked.
"You heard me, give me that necklace! Now!" the griffon demanded, and poked Apple Dumpling on the side with his pistol.
"No!" Apple Dumpling said sternly.
"What did you just say?!" the griffon asked.
"I said no!" Apple Dumpling said, and bucked the griffon hard. In a state of shock, and panic, the griffon accidentally pulled the trigger on his pistol. It fired with a loud "Bang!" that echoed through the alleyway, and out into the street. Apple Fritter gasped as he heard the gun shot, and saw his beautiful wife collapse to the ground. She had been struck just above the heart, and was now bleeding heavily. The blood staining her peral necklace, which had been her husband's anniversary gift to her.
"Apple Dumpling!" Apple Fritter cried, rushing to his wife's aid. He tried to no avail to stop the bleeding. Tears began to form in his eyes as he held his dying wife in his hooves. Not caring that she was still bleeding.
"Run away my dear." Apple Dumpling said weakly, coughing as she did so. "He'll be back. You have to get out of here and inform the cops."
"No! I'm not leaving you! It doesn't have to end like this! I can get you to a hospital! I can still save you!" Apple Fritter said frantically. He knew those last few words weren't true. Even if he could get his wife to a hospital she had already lost too much blood, the gunshot wound had been fatal.
"I'm sorry sugarcube." Apple Dumpling said "But please, you must think of the children. How will they cope if you're not there to help them?"
"They're strong, and so is Mom. They'll find a way to survive, I know it." Apple Fritter said "Right now all that matters is making sure that griffon pays for what he's done!"
"I figured you'd say that." Apple Dumpling said in between coughs "You always did have a strong sense of justice. That's what I liked about you. I'll miss you so much."
"I'll miss you too my dear." Apple Fritter said, tears forming in his eyes. A moment later his wife closed her eyes, and stopped breathing. Apple Dumpling was dead. Apple Fritter cried out to the heavens. All those who heard it would never hear another sound like it ever again.
"Ah, how sad. But you really should've listened to your wife." the griffon said, recovering from Apple Dumpling's attack.
Apple Fritter was furious "You!" he growled "You killed my wife! I'll make you pay!" Without even thinking he charged forward, preparing to tussle with the griffon. But he never got the chance, for as he drew close, the griffon pulled out his pistol and fired it with another loud "Bang!". Apple Fritter collapsed right by his deceased wife.
"Told you so." the griffon said with a smirk.
"You won't get away with this." Apple Fritter said weakly.
"Oh, but I already have. The police will only know that you and your wife were murdered. They'll never be able to find out who did it." the griffon taunted "Now then, I'll collect what I wanted, and what your wife should've been wise enough to fork over." He went over to where Apple Dumpling lay dead, and snatched the peral necklace that was now stained with blood.
He fled the scene as soon as he heard the sounds of a police officer approaching. But what he didn't know, was that while he had been taunting Apple Fritter had plucked off one of his feathers. And it would be that single feather that would link him to the crime.
By the time the police officer found Apple Fritter and Apple Dumpling, the two of them were already dead. Upon analyzing the feather, the police learned that the culprit was the incredibly elusive griffon thief, who called himself Gold Talon.
When Apple Smith, or Granny Smith as most ponies called her, learned of the death of her son and her daughter-in-law, she cried. The orphaned children, Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Apple Bloom, all cried as well. But Granny Smith decided they were too young to know the whole truth, and mearly told them that their parents had suddenly passed away while in Canterlot.
Applejack awoke with a start. It was that dream again, the dream in which she could recall how her parents might have died. Ths dream had plagued her mind ever since that faithful day when Granny Smith had informed her of her parents sudden passing. But lately, it had been cropping up every night. As if though it was trying to tell her something.
"It was just a dream, right?" Applejack said to herself. She didn't have much time to dwell on it however as she heard the familiar crow of the rooster.
Today was another day of hard work at Sweet Apple Acres. Cider Season was due to begin in a matter of days, and all the Apples were working hard to get everything ready.
Applejack was convinced that a good day's work would help get her mind off of the dream, and after freshening off and putting on her trademark stentson hat, she set out to work the fields with her brother, Big Macintosh.
But no matter how hard she tried Applejack was unable to push the dream out of her memory. It kept cropping up, and refused to leave her alone. Eventually, she decided that she would have to confront Granny Smith, and find out for herself what the "real" cause of her parents death was.
Her chance came when she and Big Macintosh had finished for the day, and had headed inside for supper.
It was Big Macintosh's turn to cook, and Apple Bloom had insisted on helping him. This left Applejack and Granny Smith alone, and this gave Applejack the opportunity she needed.
"Say Granny Smith, can I ask you something?" Applejack asked.
"Of course Applejack. What do you want to know?" Granny Smith asked.
"I wanna know about my parents. Specifically, how they died." Applejack said.
Granny Smith froze upon hearing those words.
"I knew it! She was hiding something!" Applejack thought to herself.
"Applejack" Granny Smith said solemly "you're old enough now. The time has come for you to hear the whole truth. It's true that your folks died in Canterlot. What I didn't tell you was how they died. They were killed by a griffon thief, a mugger who called himself Gold Talon. Apparently, he ambushed your folks and tried to steal your ma's peral necklace. When your ma refused and bucked him Gold Talon shot her. Your pa tried to stop him, but he got shot too. His last act was plucking a feather from Gold Talon so the police could identify him."
"Why didn't you tell me this until now?!" Applejack demanded.
"You were too young when it happened Applejack." Granny Smith said somberly "If I'd told you the whole truth who knows what you would've done."
"Save it! I don't wanna hear anymore excuses!" Applejack said crossly, and ran out towards the orchard.
"Wait, Applejack!" Granny Smith called, but it was no use.