//------------------------------//
// Painless Passing 
// Story: The Breaking of the Storm 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 27: Painless Passing

"Yer a silly filly," said Granny Smith with a quiet chuckle as she gently ran her hoof through Apple Bloom's mane, "gettin' all worked up by that."
The tears hadn't stopped flowing down Apple Bloom's cheeks as she rested her chin on the bed, mere inches from the Apple Family matriarch.  "But Granny," she protested, "Ya were on the floor and ya weren't movin' none."
"Ah've been around fer a long time, mah little blossom," said Smith, gently brushing tears from beneath Bloom's eyes, "Ah worked harder yesterday than Ah've worked in the past ten years.  Somethin' like this was bound to happen.”
On the other side of the bed, Dr. Stable withdrew his stethoscope and jotted down some information into a notebook.  "She's stable for now," he said, looking across at Big Macintosh, who was standing silently behind Bloom, "At this point, there's nothing more for me to do."
Macintosh nodded, his eyes taking in the solemn look on Stable's face.  Without saying a word, Macintosh left Granny Smith's bedroom and waited for the doctor to join him out in the hallway.  As the doctor left, he heard Smith speaking softly to the youngest Apple child.
"Now ya listen here Bloom.  Everythin's gonna be just fine.  There ain't nothin' to worry 'bout..."
The two stallions made their way down the hallway to the living room, where Twilight Sparkle and Arkenstone waited silently.  Twilight looked unquestionably worried about Smith's condition, while Arkenstone looked quietly resigned.
"So what's the word, doc?" asked Macintosh.
"Her vitals are fading," replied Dr. Stable, "She doesn't have much time left, a few days at most."
Twilight gasped softly, her hooves flying to her mouth and tears leaking out of her eyes.
The doctor interpreted Macintosh's questioning look without any difficulty.  "I'm afraid there's nothing anypony can do," he said, "Clearly, her exertions from yesterday were simply too much for her body.  To be honest, she's fortunate she survived past that.  At this point, the only thing you can do is make her remaining time as comfortable as possible."
For an uncomfortable moment, Macintosh was silent, the stoic stallion still clearly having trouble processing what he was hearing.  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  "Ah guess that's it then," he said, "Thank ya fer yer help, doc."
Dr. Stable said nothing, merely nodding and taking his leave.  Silence descended on the living room before Macintosh finally took on the task of breaking it.  "Welp...Ah gotta give Bloom the news.  Don't know how Ah'm gonna break it to her."  He looked at Twilight and Arkenstone.  "Can y'all do me a favor and let AJ know what's happenin'?"
"Of course," said Arkenstone quickly before Twilight could protest.
"Thanks."  With that, Macintosh made his way back down the hallway to Smith's room, presumably to give Bloom the bad news.
"Do you really think Applejack should hear it from us?" asked Twilight, staring aghast at Arkenstone.
"You are practically family to her," Arkenstone pointed out, "Macintosh is clearly going to be busy for a moment.  I don't think there's any other pony that could be trusted to do this."
"She's going to be devastated," Twilight said with a whimper, "She's already in bad shape because of what happened to Red River.  But this..."
"It is what it is," said Arkenstone, "We can't change it and trying to hide the truth from her or put off giving it to her would probably hurt her even more."
Slowly, Twilight nodded.  "Alright."
"Also, we should try to see if we can pry Spike away from his current duties.  Apple Bloom is probably going to need all the comfort she can get."
"I'll go tell Applejack," said Twilight, "Could you go get Spike?"
Arkenstone nodded and the two of them parted.  Twilight was still a bit out of sorts from yesterday's work.  However, she was steady enough to make the short walk to the medical tent, where the injured had been gathered.  It was a large, white tent, easily half the size of the mess tent.  It didn't really need to be all that large.  The majority of Ponyville's displaced hospital patients were still being housed inside the Apple Family's barn, with only those in the absolute worst condition needing to be housed inside the walls of warded canvas.
Twilight pushed open the flap on one side of the tent and found herself in a small room.  Resting on a cot in the center of the room was an azure earth pony stallion.  Red River's chest rose and fell with slow, even breaths as he slept, heedless of what was going on around him.  He'd required a powerful healing spell to get him on the path to recovery.  An I.V. was hooked up to his leg, supplying all the nutrients his body would need as he recovered.
Twilight only gave the stallion a cursory glance, instead choosing to give her full attention to the mare sitting next to the bed.  Applejack's green eyes stared forlornly at Red.  Her trademark stetson rested on a table that had been set near the bedside.  Her long, flowing blonde mane was tangled and twisted, barely held together by its usual tie.  Beside the hat was a mug of coffee, the only concession to her own needs that Applejack had bothered with.  However, the coffee had gone un-drunk and the lack of steam wafting from it gave Twilight a good idea of how long it had sat there undisturbed.
"Applejack..."  Twilight reached out and gently pressed her hoof to Applejack's shoulder.
"Oh...hey Twi," said Applejack, turning to look over her shoulder.  At the sight of Twilight's face, Applejack broke out into a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Applejack..."  Twilight swallowed, uncertain of what to do.  Applejack was already worn down with worry over her coltfriend.  Can I really tell her?  At the same time, Twilight knew she didn't have much choice.  Either she told Applejack now, or let her find out later.  Letting her find out later would probably be much worse.  "Applejack...I have some bad news."
"Is...is it about Red?" asked Applejack, the rising pitch of her voice betraying her anxiety.
"No," said Twilight slowly, "It's...it's your grandmother..."
"Granny Smith...?  What about her?"  Seeing the grim look on Twilight's face cause comprehension to dawn on Applejack's own.  Her eyes widened.  "No...no...She's not..."
"She is," said Twilight, "The doctor confirmed it.  She's dying, Applejack.  She has a few days left at most."
Applejack's eyes widened further.  Her breathing grew faster and more frantic.  "She can't...Ah can't...This ain't..."
"Applejack!" Twilight snapped sharply.  She lowered her horn and let out a spark that burst with a loud crack right in front of Applejack's face.  The orange mare jumped sharply at the sudden noise.  Before she could go back to panicking, Twilight was there, wrapping the farmer up in her arms and rocking her back and forth.
"It's too much Twi," whimpered Applejack, pressing her face into Twilight's neck, tears dampening the unicorn's fur, "Not Granny too."
"Applejack, Red River's going to be fine," said Twilight calmly, "He'll pull through.  We made sure of that."
"But Granny..."
"Granny Smith wouldn't want you to tear yourself apart over this," said Twilight, pulling back so that she could look her friend in the eye.  "We're all here for you.  We'll do whatever it takes to help you get through this.  But Applejack..."  Twilight used her magic to levitate Applejack's hat and set it back onto her head.  "...you should go to her."
"But Red..."
"Red River is in good hooves," said Twilight, smiling, "He's going to get the best care possible.  But he wouldn't want to keep you here when you need to be with your family."
"Y-yer right," said Applejack with a sniff.
Another set of arms encircled the pair, along with a pair of wings, wrapping and warming the two of them with their feathery softness.  Looking at the newcomer to their embrace, Twilight was surprised to see that Flitter had joined in the hug.  Where did she come from?  Twilight's gaze drifted over to one of the walls, which was opened slightly.  She could even see Rumble peeking in from the adjoining room.  Oh...That must be where Storm Front is then.
"We'll keep an eye on Red for you," said Flitter softly, nuzzling Applejack's cheek, "You should go."
"Th-thanks," said Applejack with a sniff.  She broke their embrace and exited the room.
"Thank you," said Twilight, smiling gratefully at Flitter.
Flitter gave Twilight a small smile in return before heading back to the room where she and Rumble were keeping their vigil over Storm.



Twilight was feeling woozy as she got back to the Apple Family homestead.  As she approached, her tortured stomach reminded her, rather forcefully at that, that she still hadn't eaten anything.  She'd been forced to abandon the prospect of a meal to answer Apple Bloom's panicked summons and it didn't seem that she'd be getting to the mess tent anytime soon.
"Looks like I did the right thing by grabbing a little takeout."
Twilight jumped with a loud yelp when she heard Spitfire's voice.  Whirling about, Twilight gave the fiery mare an angry glare.  Spitfire merely met said glare with a wry grin before hefting a wing, from which dangled a bag that was apparently loaded down with various disposable containers.
The sight of the promised food made Twilight's stomach loudly attest its admiration for the Wonderbolts' Captain, despite Twilight's irritation at being spooked by the mare.
"Thanks," she said grudgingly, taking the bag in her magic, "So..."
"I heard," said Spitfire, her smile fading, "I don't think it'll be long before the entire town hears about it."
Twilight frowned darkly.  "You don't seem too troubled by the idea."
Spitfire shrugged, the indifferent reaction raising Twilight's hackles.  "I don't know Smith personally.  She was long retired when I was Knighted.  The Siege Perilous is more of an honorary position than anything else."
"You don't care at all?" asked Twilight.
"Of course I do," said Spitfire, "I know that this is going to be hard, especially for Arkenstone, since Smith was the one who taught him.  I know it's going to be hard for her family too.  But still...she's incredibly lucky."
"Lucky...?"
"Yeah," said Spitfire, "Let me put this a certain way.  Not many Knights live long enough to retire.  Smith was one of those lucky few.  On top of that, she's lived long enough to watch entire generations of her family.  She got to see the Apples spread their roots across all of Equestria.  On top of that, even though she's dying, she'll get to do it peacefully, in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by ponies who love and respect her, and all at a ripe old age.  That kind of outcome is about the best that anypony could hope for, much less one of us Knights."
Twilight's head drooped.  "I suppose..."
"Death comes for all of us, one way or another," said Spitfire, "But the most we can hope for is that it comes gently."  She took to the air, leaving Twilight alone with the food in the Apples' front yard.
Twilight watched Spitfire fly, the Wonderbolts' Captain making her way to a tent that had been set up for Celestia while she oversaw the situation in Ponyville.  I guess she's right, Twilight throught to herself,  But that doesn't mean I have to like it.  With a melancholy sigh, she hefted the bag and the food it contained and made her way inside.



An uneasy silence had settled over the Apples' home once night fell.  Apple Bloom had cried herself to sleep on the living room couch.  She was curled up with Spike, his arms wrapped around her shoulders even as his tail coiled around the rest of her body.  He'd spent the entire evening with her, doing his best to provide some form of comfort.  For the most part, that had simply been holding her and encouraging her to eat once dinner came around.
Applejack wasn't in much better shape.  Though she wasn't openly weeping like her sister, Applejack had spent the remainder of the day in a quiet depression, sitting beside Granny Smith's bed, simply cradling the old mare's hoof in her own.  Even though Smith had done her best to reassure her eldest granddaughter, Applejack hadn't seemed to listen all that much.
Big Macintosh was probably taking it the best out of the Apple siblings.  But even he had his limits.  He'd kept up his stoic expression, steady and unshakeable, trying to remain a pillar of calm support to his sisters.  Only when Ditzy had come home from her work (the mail didn't stop simply because Ponyville's post office had been reduced to a pile of splinters) did Big Macintosh break down in tears, holding and being held by his new wife.  The two of them had retired to their room after Ditzy had tucked Dinky in.  The poor filly, now officially the youngest member of the Apple household, was only slightly less distraught than the rest of the family, having developed a strong affection for the elderly mare over the course of Mac and Ditzy's prolonged courtship.
Twilight and Arkenstone were there as well.  All of Applejack's other friends had drifted by throughout the day, doing their best to offer their condolences.  Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had visited Bloom.  Sweetie had even sung one of her unique, wordless songs in an effort to provide some comfort to the grieving family.  Ironically, she had been the one who'd ended up putting Bloom and Applejack to sleep.  Macintosh had barely made it to the bedroom with Ditzy before they too passed out, the strain of the day catching up to them.
Now the house was quiet.  Across from the couch were Spike and Bloom rested, Applejack slept in a large armchair, curled up like an oversized cat, hugging her own tail even as her hat dangled from a corner of the chair's back.  Nearby, on a pile of cushions, Twilight and Arkenstone lay side by side, Twilight resting her head across Arkenstone's forelegs even as he rested his head over hers.
As such, nopony noticed when a cloud of glowing golden motes of light seeped in from the crack beneath the front door.  The dancing orbs of light trickled in at first, then forming into a single large, but ultimately shapeless cloud, that began to flow in a smooth, undulating motion down the hall.  There, the cloud paused once again as the lights flowed beneath the crack of another door, this one leading to Granny Smith's room.
Inside the room, Smith lay awake, staring out the open window.  It was a beautiful spring evening and, thanks to the fact that the weather schedule had been put on hold by the battle in Ponyville, there were no clouds to be found in the sky.  The entire tapestry of Luna's work was now laid out for her to see and she didn't feel like missing it.  After all, this was probably one of the last nights she had left in the world of the living.  It would be a shame to pass without appreciating Princess Luna's night one last time.
Her gaze didn't deviate as the cloud of golden light crept into her room, forming into a large mass by her bed before coalescing and fading, leaving behind the form of a large white mare with a shimmering auroral mane and tail, panting slightly as the last few glimmering lights faded, leaving the room in darkness.
"Sounds like ya winded yerself a bit, Princess," said Granny with a wry chuckle.
"That trick is more Luna's forte than mine," Celestia admitted, pausing to wipe her brow, "She always had more patience for the subtler aspects of magic than I did."
"Ah was wonderin' if ya'd drop by," said Smith idly, "Yer so busy right now.  Ah wasn't sure ya'd be able to take some time fer a dyin' old mare like mahself."  She finally turned away from the window to look Princess Celestia in the eye.
Celestia let out a chuckle of her own as she reached out to gently stroke Smith's mane.  "After everything you've done, I think I could afford to take some time to visit you during your final days.  But I knew you wouldn't want me to risk exposing your secret in front of your family."
"Ah'm grateful fer that," said Smith, looking out the window again, "They don't need to be bothered by the things an old mare like me's done.  When Ah go, they'll remember me as their lovin' Granny and nothin' more.  That's the way it ought'a be."
"It doesn't bother you that you're lying by omission to your daughter, the holder of Honesty?"
Smith let out a dry cackle.  "The hardest thing to learn 'bout honesty is when not to rely on it.  The truth has it's place in the world, but so do lies.  Sometimes what's needed ain't honesty, but a little slight 'o hoof."  She sighed.  "None 'o mah students really got what that meant.  But, at least that one fella gets it pretty well."
"You mean Swift Stride?" asked Celestia, raising an eyebrow.
"Eeyup, that's the one.  Ah wish Ah knew where he was.  If there's one wrinkle that Ah don't like 'bout this whole thing, it's that he's not here."
"So you were planning on passing your seat to him?"  Celestia was a little incredulous.  She knew for a genuine fact that, for all his faults and eccentricities, Swift's heart and actions were in the right place.  In truth, she cared quite deeply for him.  However, she hadn't realized that Smith considered him a candidate.
"That was mah plan," said Smith, "Ah thought he was the pony to trust with mah seat."  She sighed.  "Oh well.  It ain't no use in cryin' over an upset trough.  Arkenstone's up to the job."
"He may share that knowledge with Twilight though," Celestia pointed out.
"That's fine," said Smith, "If he trusts her enough, then that's his call.  If ya've got any objections, now's the time to spit 'em out."
"None," said Celestia with a sad smile.
"Well then, that's that.  Any other reason ya wanna talk to an old mare on her deathbed?"
"Just to thank you for your service all this time," said Celestia, "You have my gratitude.  I'll miss your delicious apple cakes.  Go in peace to the ones who went before you."
"Ah'll wait for ya there," said Smith, "Yer gonna join us some day."
"I will," said Celestia with a nod.  Leaning down, she gently nuzzled Granny Smith's cheek.  When she spoke again, her voice was barely a whisper.  "Thank you and goodbye...my dear friend."
With that, Celestia called upon her magic and transformed into a cloud of glowing lights that flowed out through the window, leaving Granny Smith alone once more.
"Huh..." muttered Smith, "Wonder why she didn't come in through there in the first place.  Oh well...ya can only understand that mare so much."  She chuckled to herself and rolled so that she faced the window once more.  "Ah think it's yer turn now, young'un."
A pair of black hooves hooked themselves over the sill.  With a grunt of exertion, the pegasus colt hauled himself up and through the window, landing on the floor with a quiet thump.  His movements were clumsy and uncoordinated, which was only to be expected, given what he'd just been through.  His eyes glowed faintly in the darkness as he watched Smith.
"Well now, Ah wasn't sure if Ah'd see ya again," commented Smith with a wry smile as she looked at the colt, "Ya ain't in any shape to be up and about yet.  Does yer ma know yer here?"
"I heard you didn't have long left," said Dawn, "I wanted to speak with you one last time, while I had the chance."
"Ya seem awfully calm 'bout this," commented Smith.
"My Master knew when his time was coming as well," said Dawn, "It was the first time I had ever seen another pony die."  He reared up so that he could rest his hooves on the bed.  "Thank you...for everything."
"That's an odd thing to say after what Ah put ya through," said Smith with a chuckle, "Ah think we had that conversation before."
"We did," said Dawn, "But I am still grateful.  Also...I believe you may have done more than the others know."
"That so...?"  Smith raised an eyebrow.
"The first signs of Terra's presence were very early in the morning," Dawn pointed out, "However, he didn't show up until much later.  Originally, I had simply thought that a sign of how powerful Terra Heart was.  However, I now believe that you went out to meet him and kept him at bay for as long as you could."
"What makes ya say that?"
"Apple Bloom said she was worried that morning, because you were nowhere to be found.  That was because you were confronting Terra, weren't you?"
Smith sighed and looked away.  "Even when it's with the best 'o intentions...even when it turns out well...a wrong's still a wrong.  Ah did wrong by ya young'un.  By Celestia, ya needed that poundin' to get ya back on the right track.  But that don't change the fact that Ah had those two stallions put ya through Tartarus to do it.  Ah wanted to do somethin', however small, to make up fer that."
"Did you have to give up your life?" asked Dawn.
"Ah didn't give up anythin'," said Smith sharply, giving the colt a stern glare, "Mah time was comin', one way or another.  All Ah did was use what Ah had to make that time mean somethin'."  Her glare faded and she smiled again.  "And even if that were the case, yer a pony worth an old mare like me givin' up her life fer anyway."
"If you say so," said Dawn uncertainly.
"Ah'm guessin' ya heard mah little chat with Celestia.  Have any questions?"
"Some," admitted Dawn, "But I will not ask them.  I am still not certain that I want to strive for Knighthood.  That being the case, there is knowledge that I am not entitled to.  So...while I have questions...I will not ask them."
"That's kind 'o ya," said Smith, "Yer a mighty fine colt.  Ah'm proud to have met ya and Ah feel better knowin' ya'll be around fer mah kin, even when Ah'm not.  Keep an eye on them fer me, 'specially AJ.  She always takes these kinda things the hardest."
"I'll try," said Dawn, "But I think that's more Mom's roll."
"True enough," said Smith, "Both mah granddaughters've been blessed with some mighty fine friends.  Now then, ya'd best be gettin' back before anypony knows yer gone or ya'll get an earful."
"Thank you," said Dawn, stepping back and bowing his head one last time.  He clambered back out the window, landing with a strained grunt on the other side.  However, Smith could hear his hoofsteps as he made his way back towards the hospital tent.
Smith snorted.  "To think, Ah get more visitors when Ah'm dyin' than almost any other time.  Ah ain't been this popular since mah prime."  She softly laughed herself to sleep.



The next few days passed uneventfully.  Once Celestia was certain that the area was secure, she departed back to Canterlot, presumably to finalize plans for the attack on the Cult Solar.  In the meantime, more relief arrived from Canterlot, especially in the form of surveyors and engineers, who began the task of inspecting Ponyville's buildings, determining which ones were still in danger of collapse and which ones needed to be rebuilt completely.  On top of that, other surveys needed to be taken for the roads and open spaces.  Parts of Ponyville's topography had been permanently altered by the course of the battle.  Deep fissures running through and across roads needed to be patched, craters needed to be filled in, and foundations for entire blocks of buildings needed to be assessed before reconstruction could begin.
Fluttershy's house was declared safe immediately.  Well away from the town proper, it was completely unscathed by the fight, although a few items had been knocked off shelves and some windows had cracked from the resulting tremors.  It was all easily replaced and Fluttershy quickly moved back in with Dawn.
To their mutual delight, they were soon joined by Caramel, whose house had been amongst those decimated by the battle.  Caramel was a little surprised, as he hadn't expected the issue of what to do with his house to be solved in such a...decisive fashion.  His only real concern was about where Coco Pommel would stay, seeing as she had been using his guest room.  However, he'd made arrangements with the ponies heading the reconstruction efforts to build a new, smaller house on the lot he still owned for her.  In the meantime, Coco was staying with Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Flaxseed.
Fortunately for Twilight and Spike, though the Library had been sitting right next to the spot where the battle had both climaxed and concluded, the old tree had held up under the stain, its roots keeping it fast against the worst that Arkenstone and Terra Heart had been able to bring to bear...though a substantial amount of cleanup and re-shelving was needed to make it habitable again.
Unfortunately for Arkenstone, the teahouse had been almost totally decimated by the fight's end.  Arkenstone himself had torn up a substantial portion of the place in order to use it for his weapons and many of his supplies of tea and spices were lost.  While he'd be able to stay with Twilight and Spike in the meantime, as he had before the teahouse had opened in the first place, it would be a while before he was ready to open up his business again.
Others were not faring as well.  Sugarcube Corner had been gutted by the flour-dust explosion Arkenstone had set off at one point, leaving Pinkie Pie and the Cake family without a home.  Fortunately, Applejack allowed them to stay at the bunkhouse the Apple Family used to house their seasonal workers.  While she was upset about the loss of her home, Pinkie Pie was ecstatic that she'd be able to live in the same building as Mayweather, for a while at least.
Likewise, the Carousel Boutique, while not directly affected by the catastrophe, had been structurally compromised by the resulting tremors and would need careful repairs before it was declared safely habitable again.  Fortunately, Rarity's parents also owned a house in Ponyville (which they rarely used, thanks to their frequent trips abroad), which was large enough to hold Rarity, along with Sweetie Belle, Flaxseed, and Coco.  Said house had escaped the battle with only minor damage and had quickly been declared safe.
Rumble, his brother, Cloud Chaser, and Flitter, had been displaced by the damage from the battle.  Like Caramel's home, their house had been one of the buildings utterly decimated by the fight.  Fortunately for them, Scootaloo had allowed them to settle in the cloud house left to her by Rainbow Dash, said house having been untouched by the ravages of battle.  Scootaloo's house was relatively unscathed by the whole ordeal.  Both the filly and her mother counted themselves lucky that they wouldn't have to arrange or deal with extensive repairs for the second time in under a year.
All told, they were the lucky ones.  Plenty of other Ponyvillians were left without their homes or a place that they could stay, even temporarily, and were forced to rely on the shelters erected by the relief workers brought in by Celestia.  The task of rebuilding promised to be a lengthy and difficult one.  The inhabitants of the town counted themselves lucky that this had occurred mid-spring, rather than during the fall or winter.
In some places, times like this brought out the worst in ponies, causing them to turn on each other in a scramble for what resources and shelter were available.  Sometimes, they were prompted to focus their ire on the ponies they held responsible for a particular disaster.  Fortunately, Ponyville was not one of those places.  Instead, times like this brought out the best in ponies.  They pitched in, worked together, and did what they could to help each other to get through this difficult time.  On top of that, even though the impetus for the incident could technically be placed almost entirely upon two ponies in particular, nopony seemed to hold what had happened against them.



The door to Granny Smith's room slowly opened and Arkenstone trotted in.  "You wanted to see me?" he asked.  Given the fact that Smith had sent Big Macintosh to fetch him, the question was a bit rhetorical.
"'Course Ah did," said Smith, nursing a mug of black coffee as she spoke.  The doctor might not have approved of her choice of beverage, given her delicate condition, but Smith was unconcerned, given that her death was inevitable in any case.  She saw no reason to skimp on her vices simply for the sake of buying a few extra hours.
Closing the door behind him, Arkenstone took a seat by the bed.  "What do you need me for?"
Setting her mug aside, Smith sighed.  "Ya know mah place in the Celestial Order, right?"
"The Siege Perilous," replied Arkenstone automatically, "It's a position held by a Knight who has retired, a sort of honorary position.  Her purpose is to serve as something of an advisor to active Knights and help in the fostering of the next generation."
"That's mostly true," said Smith, "But there are a couple 'o things ya don't know.  First, the Siege Perilous ain't just fer a retired Knight.  Ah was active mahself when I took the Empty Seat.  It's more than just a cushy retirement title.  It's a responsibility, a burden...knowledge."
The lids over Arkenstone's eyes slid back and his mouth opened slightly.  For a moment he said nothing.  Then...  "Oh..."
"As the Siege Perilous, Ah have one last duty to see through," said Smith, her expression softening, "Before Ah die, Ah need to pass mah seat, that knowledge, to the pony who'll succeed me.  That pony'll be the next Siege Perilous and tasked with the duty of holdin' that knowledge until it's their turn to pass it to the next one and so on.  That's the main reason why most ponies who take the seat are ones who either retire as Knights or have already retired."
"Because if they were to die in the line of duty, then the knowledge that they carry would be lost," observed Arkenstone, "Therefore, it falls to the one who occupies the Empty Seat to withhold themselves from unnecessary risks to protect that information."
"That's right," said Smith, "What's left is mah final duty, mah final responsibility.  Ah need to pass this knowledge on and the rank along with it."
"You intend to pass it to me?"
"That's right," said Smith.  She raised a hoof and beckoned Arkenstone closer.  As he leaned in, she pressed her hoof against his cheek, rubbing it gently.  "Ah ain't tellin' ya that ya have to do this, but Ah am askin'.  Yer the only pony here Ah can trust with this."
Raising his own hoof, Arkenstone wrapped his fetlock around Smith's foreleg, pressing her hoof against his cheek a little harder as he leaned into the touch.  "After everything that you have done for me...I would be honored to accept your final burden."
"Are ya sure?" asked Smith, "Once Ah give ya this, there ain't any goin' back."
"I already have such secrets," admitted Arkenstone, "A few more is nothing too terrible."
Letting out a breath, Smith relaxed, tension leaving her body.  "Alright then.  Let's get this done.  Ah ain't so flexible right now, so Ah'll need ya to lean in."
She used her hooves to guide Arkenstone towards her, bringing their foreheads gently together.  Without even needing to think about it, Arkenstone synchronized his breathing with hers, the two of them falling into a deep trance.  Smith's eyes drifted shut.  The sounds of the room and the world outside faded away, leaving nothing but the two of them.
Then it came.  Arkenstone realized that, while it was knowledge, it wasn't communicated purely as memory.  What was occurring wasn't telepathy, the exchange of thoughts directly from one pony to another.  Rather, it was something else, an ancient spell probably.  The information was stored, almost like a scroll in an archive, in a specific portion of Smith's mind.  The spell simply functioned to move that scroll from one shelf to another.  In the space of just a few minutes, that knowledge had moved from its place in Smith's mind to his own.
Then it was over.  The two of them pulled away.  Arkenstone was breathing hard, his face dripping with sweat.  On the other hoof, Smith looked relaxed, as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders.  "And that's that," she said with evident satisfaction, "Ah can't thank ya enough fer that, Arkenstone.  Ya've made it so Ah can go easy with no more regrets."
Arkenstone wasn't really listening to her, his mind busy absorbing and assimilating the information he'd just received.  "This is..."
"Hush," said Smith, "Ya've done yer part.  There's nothin' else.  Go back to yer fillyfriend and don't trouble yerself with this old mare no more."
"But-"
"What did Ah just say, young'un.  Go on...Get!"
With a resigned sigh, Arkenstone took his leave, shutting the door behind him and leaving Granny Smith alone once more.  Reaching over, Smith took up the mug of coffee again and settled back against the pillows, smiling contentedly.



Macintosh's ears perked up at the sound of the small bell ringing from Granny Smith's room.  He had been in the kitchen, baking some treats for the ponies still without homes.  He and Applejack had been trading that job off and on for the past few days, doing their best to make the situation for those displaced by the battle and its aftermath a little brighter.  It was an ideal excuse, giving them a reason to have at least one pony in the house at all times in case their grandmother needed them, for all that Smith didn't care to have ponies fussing over her day and night.
Thus, it came as a real surprise to Macintosh when he finally heard the bell that they'd left by Granny Smith's bedside to ring if she needed anything.  Up until now, she hadn't used it, not apparently needing anything save for the small meals brought to her by her grandchildren, which were delivered like clockwork.  For a pony on her deathbed, Smith still held a healthy appetite, often remarking that, if her approaching demise wasn't a good enough reason to indulge herself, then no such occasion existed.
Macintosh left off what he'd been working on and headed down the hall to Smith's room.  Opening the door, his eyes widened when he saw his grandmother struggling to roll her wrinkled, emaciated body out of bed.  "Granny!  What in tarnation-?"
"Don't ya start givin' me any 'o yer lip," scolded Smith as she carefully set one hoof on the floor, followed shakily by another, "Ah ain't gonna waste what time Ah have left layin' in bed.  It's too fine 'o day fer that."
"But-"
"Oh hush now.  Ah ain't fixin' to go out fer an afternoon jog."  Smith chuckled dryly as she worked her remaining two legs off the bed.  "Ah just wanna go out and relax in mah favorite rockin' chair.  On a day like this, Ah'll be able to feel the breeze through mah mane.  The weather's perfect."  She fixed Macintosh with a stern look.  "Now help me out to mah chair."
"Okay Granny," said Macintosh almost automatically.  At this point, he knew better than to start arguing with her.  She was an Apple through and through after all.  Once her mind was set on something, she was as stubborn as any of them.  Moving to stand by Smith's side, Macintosh held her steady as they slowly made their way down the hall to the living room.  From there, he helped her navigate out to the front porch, where her favorite old rocking chair waited, already moving back and forth in the light spring breeze blowing across the farm.
With more than a little help from Macintosh, Smith settled her haunches into the seat and leaned back with a contented sigh, shifting her weight to make the chair rock a little more.  She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, taking in the scents of the farmhouse's wood, the smell of spices trickling out from the kitchen, the aroma of green spring grass from the land ahead, the sweet smell of the apple blossoms beginning to bloom, all of it intermingled with the smells of her children and their children and their children's children, all the way down to the current generation.  It was the smell of home, of family, of everything she had ever worked and fought for, even during her time as a Knight.
Smith raised her ears, listening to the sound of the wind as it blew through the trees in the orchard and made the old planks of the house creak and groan.  Further in the distance, she could hear the sounds of other ponies as they worked and talked amongst the shelters set up for them while they waited for their homes to be rebuilt.  She could even pick out the laughter and high-pitched voices of foals, fancying that she even heard the voice of Cheerilee as the teacher did her best to continue her work, even in the absence of the schoolhouse.
Smith opened her eyes and gazed out over her home.  She took in the brilliant green of the grass, the aching blue of the sky above, the pure and puffy white clouds that dotted said sky, and the browns and greens of the orchard and its trees.  She was home and everything was as it should be.  It was a beautiful spring day and Granny Smith drank in every minute of it she could.
Certainly, there had been trial and grief.  But the worst had passed and everypony would be stronger for it.  Her youngest generation of children were strong enough to continue on their own.  The last of her unfinished business had been seen to in the past few days.  There was nothing holding her back anymore.
"Ya still there, Mac?"
"E-eeyup," said Macintosh, a faint hitch in his voice.  He hadn't budged from his spot by the chair since helping Granny Smith to sit down.
"Yer the eldest," said Smith, "Ah want ya to look after yer sisters, 'specially AJ.  She's always had the hardest time lettin' go."
"Eeyup," agreed Macintosh.
"Poor Bloom'll probably wail up a storm.  But Ah want ya to let her know just how proud Ah am 'o her.  Make sure she don't let go 'o that drake 'o hers.  He's a real keeper."
With a sniff and a snort, Macintosh nodded, pausing a second to dip his head so he could wipe his nose.  "Eeyup."
"And make sure you treat that mare 'o yers right," she said finally, "Both her and her little girl.  Don't ya do wrong by either 'o them."
"Eeyup," said Macintosh a little more firmly.  It wasn't as though he actually needed any encouragement to do his best to take care of his wife and daughter.
"Good," said Smith, her eyelids drooping, "Now, yer supposed to be workin' on some treats for all them ponies.  Ya'd best get back to it.  Leave this old mare in peace.  Ah'm fixin' to take a little nap."
"Alright Granny," said Macintosh, getting to his hooves.  It was reluctant, but he slowly turned and walked back into the house, casting one last glance back at his grandmother, the mare who had raised him and his sisters after their parents had died, the one who had guided the family since before their parents could even remember, and the mare who had helped build the town that they all called home.  Finally, Macintosh was gone from sight, returning to the kitchen.  He would work the remainder of the afternoon like a stallion possessed, as the work kept him from breaking down into tears.
Meanwhile, Granny Smith continued to rock back and forth in her seat, her eyelids dropping ever lower with each swaying motion.  Her vision was starting to grow dark, but the scents and smells of her home and the feeling of the wind against her coat were as stark and fresh as ever.  She treasured the sensation as the last vestiges of her consciousness slipped away.
Granny Smith's eyes drifted shut.  As they closed, she let out one last breath, almost like a sigh of satisfaction that seemed to go on forever before it finally ended.  Her chair's rocking slowed, then finally came to a stop.  Her head slumped slightly, resting her chin against her chest as her entire body seemed to droop a little, the very last vestiges of tension leaving it.  There, in her rocking chair, Granny Smith rested and did not move again.