Acceptance:
During her sleep Applejack saw Granny Smith die, she watched as a needle was injected into a pipe connected to Granny Smith and the contents were slowly injected into Granny Smith's blood stream. Applejack galloped to help, she wanted to scream Granny's name, yell at the doctor or say 'STOP' but no sound was released from her throat, she could only feel the strain on her throat as she ran to help, when she was close to Granny Smith.
Applejack aimed to rip the doctor away from Granny but when she made contact with him both the doctor and Granny Smith disappeared. Applejack was left alone in the dark void until a stream of light lit the dark area. Applejack peered up to view what was causing this milky light.
The moon shone brightly but was soon partially blotted out by Princess Luna, who was as usual flying swiftly from the moon to the ground. Before Applejack could ask what was happening or why she was seeing this, Princess Luna landed on the ground and spoke, "Why do you still cling to horrendous memories and useless antics?" Luna asked as she stared directly into Applejack's eyes, "Why must deny these facts, why are you turning on your own family and why have bought an illegal and disgusting poison and why have you been discussing Necromancy?" Luna was raising her voice with each and was stepping closer to Applejack until she was staring Applejack down at an almost vertical angle.
Applejack tried her best to stand proudly but her legs trembled with fear for an unknown reason, maybe that she was found out or she was too embarrassed to stand. Applejack fell to the floor and sat quietly, she couldn't answer Luna's questions, she didn't know how to or if she even had the answers. Applejack stared at the grey floor, she couldn't speak at all, chills crept down her back every time she caught sight of Luna's shadow.
"You understand your family cares about you very much?" Luna asked.
Applejack didn't have an answer to any of Luna's questions, not even a nodding of her head would suffice. Princess Luna was now displaying her voice in the traditional Canterlot volume, but not out of royalty, instead by displeasure and disappointment.
Each time Princess Luna spoke with her loud voice Applejack would flinch, expecting to be smitten for her acts and neglecting of Luna's questions, but each time she was met with a relieving pause, "Through all of your struggles and all the obstacles you hurled over, have you achieved anything? do you feel enlightened?"
Applejack didn't glanced at Luna through her scorning, Applejack constantly kept her concentration fixated on to the floor, "Are you listening?" Luna asked, again Applejack flinched from Luna's voice and ignored her question. This time a sturdy hoof connected to the back of Applejack's head and she was hurled into the ground, Applejack felt the impact of the hit but no pain was present.
"What the hell was that for?" Applejack yelled as she stood up rubbing her head.
"Oh, it speaks, does it?"
Applejack drifted off to the floor again.
"You realise Granny Smith is gone right?"
"Yeah."
"And you loved her very much?"
"Yeah."
"And you miss her dreadfully?"
Applejack's answer was much like the last ones, exact tone, volume and word, "Yes"
"But do you think she would want to see you acting like this?"
Applejack was close to answer like the last time out of growing habit but quickly reprimanded her answer, "Nah."
"Do you think she would want to have you honouring the Apple Family like this?"
"Nah." Luna was about to ask another question until she was hastily interrupted by Applejack, "Why do ya'll even care?"
"Because Granny Smith was very dear to me too, she was of the first of the Pony folk to colonise Ponyville, and after you helped me at the Nightmare Night festival she told me all that had happened during the time I was banished to the moon and how to fit in normally... She mattered as much to me as she did to you." Luna could feel tears jerk at her, she felt the nostalgic memories play in her mind.
Realising that other Ponies, even Alicorns, were affected by Granny Smith brought a sense of relief to Applejack, it reminded that Applejack was not alone in her struggle, that other Ponies were experiencing the same problems, for a strange reason it gave Applejack a sense of unison and relief, she felt as if she could relate or share her bereavement with others.
Though who would she share with now, she had treated her family and friends poorly and it was expected that gossip of Applejack's mistreatment of others would spread like wild fire, "Ah know now Ah can lean on others and ask for their help, but who do ask for help now? I've treated everypony so badly."
"Have you not learnt anything from your friendship, have you spent your many years with family ignoring and neglecting them?" Luna stopped her lecture and watched silently as Applejack's eyes widened at the floor and her breathing gradually deepened.
"Family and friends will always be there for me, through the good times and the bad, right?" Applejack said as if finishing Princess Luna's speech.
Luna smiled at Applejack but even through the growing mass of sudden realisations a smile was not returned, instead Applejack displayed a blank and emotionless expression, but it was still better than her saddened grimace.
Applejack jumped to her hooves and went straight to work, "Right, can ya'll wake me up? Ah got some stuff to do" Applejack asked, pumping herself up.
Luna answered quickly, as if she was too busy to stay around any longer, "Sure" Luna said, smacking her hooves together sending a ringing chime through the still empty void, yet it seemed the noise was reverberating and growing louder. Soon the sound was echoing in the void and through Applejack's mind.
Applejack clasped her hooves over her ears, trying to deny the entry of the growing chime, yet the volume increased with her mind and continued to echo endlessly. Within a matter of seconds of when the volume reached its highest pitch, Applejack sprung from her sleep and hastily scampered from her bed onto the broken floor, The chiming sound still played through Applejack's mind.
Through the irritating screech of echoed chimes, Applejack hurried down the stairs to find Big Mac resting on the couch and next to him was Applebloom curled into a ball on the couch, sleeping away the day. Big Mac spoke immediately at first sight of Applejack, "Well look who finally showed up, you misse-
"Shhh!" Applejack pressed her hoof to her lips and quietly approached Applebloom's sleeping figure. The adorable filly had passed out from her sleepless nights from crying, she had been waiting on the couch for Applejack to appear from her room, it seemed she was too early to sleep.
Applejack reached down to the sleeping filly and cradled Applebloom in her arms, trying her best not to rouse Applebloom from what seemed to be a calm sleep.
Applebloom's head fell limp over Applejacks shoulder and both her arms habitually wrapped around Applejack. Applejack tried her best to not wake Applebloom while moving her to Applebloom's bed but promptly failed when reaching the top step of the flight.
Applebloom rubbed her eyes, pushing aside any sleep residue, "Applejack?" Applebloom breathed.
"Yeah" Applejack answered.
Applebloom tried to strike a conversation regarding Applejack's wellbeing but the past few sleepless nights pulled Applebloom to sleep, making her questions incoherent and drifted. Applebloom accepted her sleep and nestled into the welcoming warmth of Applejack's neck.
Applejack reached the side of Applebloom's bed and tried to pull Applebloom from her chest, as expected the small filly was reluctant to leave her makeshift bed on her sister but over time Applejack succeeded to peel the young filly from her embrace.
Applebloom released a moan of frustration after leaving Applejack's warm touch but quickly subsided when Applejack pulled the bright tan blanket over her. Applebloom nuzzled into the soft pillow like she did with Applejack. Applebloom pulled the blanket further up her body, only revealing her head.
Applejack leant over to Applebloom and kissed her gently on the forehead before wishing her goodnight, "Ah guess it's been hard on all of us." Applejack whispered.
When Applejack reached the bottom step she knew she would have to talk to Big Mac, the last time they spoke was when she was resting against the mess that used to be a pristine apple tree. Applejack realised her rude manner to her brother, she had never spoken to anypony like that in her life but much to her chagrin she would have to talk.
Applejack connected eyes with Big Mac, but only momentarily as she trailed off to a mark on the floorboards, just a few inches near Big Mac's hind legs, that's how close she could get to looking at Big Mac with a few quick glances at his face, "Hi..."
Applejack was confused when she was returned a scowl from her brother, it was unlike him to contort his face into a position that would've been strange to him.
Applejack tried to ignore this expression but each time she sneaked a glance she would catch sight of the horrible grimace worn by Big Mac, "Where have you been?" "We've been worried sick about you." Big Mac's voice was changed to a tone that almost seemed like a scorn.
Applejack bit her lip and tried to answer Big Mac's question but couldn't muster the courage to talk, with each word coming from Big Mac's tirade Applejack would press harder on her lip.
Big Mac noticed Applejack's discomfort but wouldn't suppress his words or even his growing anger in his tone, "What happened to your hooves, and your lip?" "Do you even know what today is?"
Applejack pressed even harder on her lip until her wound split open again, sending a vile taste of copper through her mouth but she ignored the pain and disgust in her mouth to listen to Big Mac's lecture.
Big Mac released a long sigh and placed his hoof against his head, his voice lowered and the tense feeling in his body drifted away, "You don't know? do you?"
Applejack slowly shook her head.
"You missed the funeral."
As if someone shocked her, Applejack left her still state and jumped to action, she couldn't believe she forgot about the funeral, Applejack was about to leave the barn when she realised she had no clue where to go, "Where was the funeral?"
Big Mac still kept his hoof placed against his head, and his eyes kept shut, "Like Granny Smith wanted she is buried in the spare fields by the singular oak tree, where she met her husband."
Applejack immediately dashed to the field, wasting no time with routing around other fields, instead she jumped the fences and traversed through the trees, not slowing her speed at any point. When she reached the empty field a cold chill slugged down Applejack's spine. The single tree stood directly in the middle of the field, as if overlooking the entire field like a guardian.
The walk to the tree was even more chilling, the fond memories of Granny Smith played in Applejack's head, the knee high grass rubbed against her legs and the tree's leaves wafted left and right, obeying the wind. When she reached the grave she was stricken. It was a simple thing, the headstone was average stone with carved writing that read,
"Loving Grandmother."
"Mother."
"Wife."
"We Love and Miss you, the stories and legends you hold will live on through the family."
Applejack tried her best to hold back the tears but they flooded her eyes and profusely trailed down her cheek to the ground, It was fifteen minutes later until Applejack spoke, even through the tears Applejack projected her voice clearly.
"Ah'm awfully sorry Ah didn't make it to the funeral... Ah really miss you."
Applejack stopped momentarily to swallow the lump starting to squeeze her throat and wipe the tears obscuring her vision.
"It'll never be quite the same without you... we'll never hear your wonderful stories or taste them fabled recipes that we had yet to learn."
The lump in Applejack's throat returned and was determined to stay. Applejack tried her best to remove the lump before she spoke but each try was a failure and only brought more strain on Applejacks now weak voice.
Applejack accepted her strained voice, "Everypony in Ponyvi- Equestria misses you... Big Mac misses you... I think?" "Applebloom."
Applejack's grimace turned to a smile when she remembered the hilarious moments Granny Smith had with Applebloom, Applejack released a single laugh that could've been mistaken as a quick breath.
"Applebloom really misses you."
Tears dropped even faster, occasional sniffles would be heard but she still kept a smile plastered on her face, "Ah miss you, and Ah know all the grieving and wanting won't bring you back..."
Applejack wiped away her tears again, trying to force them aside, but alas it was a useless effort, the tears were quickly replaced, "Ah guess Ah oughta said this earlier but Ah was a little naive, so Ah'll say it now..."
"Goodbye."