//------------------------------// // Epilogue Part 3 - Seeds of the Future // Story: Path of Kindness and Blood // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Path of Kindness and Blood - Epilogue Part 3 - Seeds of the Future It has been two days since the funeral as the Apple family was eating at the table. The gloomy silence once again present as everypony except for Applejack had lost their appetite. Applejack glanced at each of her family members. As difficult this discussion would be, she couldn’t hesitate any longer. She couldn’t act as if nothing happened in the past few years. “Granny Smith… Big Mac…” she said, slowly getting their attention, though failing to notice any enthusiasm. “Ah have been hidin’ a secret, an important one. Ah’ve gotta tell it.” “Secret… even from yer family?” Granny Smith asked. Applejack nodded. “A lot has happened and Ah feared what yer reaction was gonna be. Ah’m really sorry for hidin’ it from ya.” “Well, ya have been actin’ mighty suspicious, leavin’ the farm everyday and so on,” Granny said, raising her trembling foreleg above the table. “Whatever it is, we’ll support ya. No need to keep secrets in this family.” “Fluttershy, she ain’t a pegasus… but a thestral.” Granny Smith’s mouth was agape as awkward silence overtook the room. “And a pureblood no less.” Granny’s glare sharpened as she spoke, her voice filled with hostility, “If that’s meant to be a joke, it’s dang a terrible one.” She slammed her forehoof against the table. “Ah’m tellin’ the truth.” A weak smile formed on Granny Smith’s face. “If yer tellin’ the truth… then mah heart sure got a little lighter.” She grabbed a slice of an apple pie and chewed it, her appetite quickly returning, though Apple Bloom and Applejack looked at her with a hint of disappointment. The moment she gulped, Granny Smith added, “The less of these freaks are alive, the better. Equestria will fare better for it.” Applejack glanced at Big Mac, who kept his neutral expression, making it impossible to read him. After a deep breath, Applejack said, “Sorry to disappoint ya, but Fluttershy’s alive.” Apple Bloom’s ears perked upward as a weak smile appeared. Granny Smith’s eyes widened. “Whaaat?” She slammed her hoof against the table again and said, “But the funeral… the toxic plants from the Everfree Forest…” “That’s just an excuse. It takes way more to hurt a pureblood than a mere toxin from a flower,” Applejack interrupted. “Fluttershy fell asleep earlier than she should, and she won’t be wakin’ up anytime soon. We had to arrange a fake funeral.” Granny Smith frowned. “What do ya mean, ‘we’? Are ya part of those lies?” Applejack frowned. “Ah ain’t happy with lyin’ to the town folks, but they’re not ready to hear the truth yet. Ah hope that’ll change one day.” “Have ya hit yerself in the head, or maybe that wolf in sheep’s clothing cast a spell on ya?” Granny Smith asked, slamming her forehoof against the table for the third time as the plates with food bounced on it. “We need to get rid of Fluttershy as long as she sleeps, or inform the guild if her grave is guarded.” Applejack crossed her foreleg and closed her eyes. “It ain’t happenin’. A high rankin’ officer already tried his luck. He decided he rather save his own hide.” She shook her head. “Her body ain’t goin’ anywhere, like it or not. Not that Ah would let anypony hurt her.” Before Granny Smith could respond, Apple Bloom jumped onto the table and tackled Applejack, now standing on her chest while looking deeply in the eyes. “Fluttershy’s alive? Why didn’t ya tell me, big sis?” She grit her teeth, her glare sharpening. “Why didn’t ya tell me? It ain’t fair!” “Sorry little sis, Ah had a lot on mah mind, Ah’m sorry.” “Apple Bloom!” Granny Smith shouted, now shooting angered glare towards the filly. “Ya kneeew?” Apple Bloom nodded. “Ah did. And if not for Fluttershy, we’d all be…” she paused and gulped as her ears drooped. She slowly stepped from her sister as words were stuck in her throat. Applejack stood up and sighed. “Ah fought Fluttershy and she held back, sparin’ mah life.” She pressed a forehoof against her own chest and half-closed her eyes. “Other thestrals wanted me dead… they wanted us all dead. Fluttershy stuck her neck in our defense. She let me use her as a punchin’ bag. We fought against an assassin side by side. There’s no way Ah’m betrayin’ her after that.” Granny Smith turned her head to Big Mac and said, “Yer awfully silent, Big Mac. Ain’t ya have somethin’ to say to yer brainwashed sister?” “Nope.” The elderly mare raised an eyebrow. “Don’t ya tell me yer happy that the pureblood is alive!” “Eeyup.” Applejack smiled as she glanced at her brother, filled with hope. “Is that true? Ya really don’t see her as enemy?” “Nope.” “But… why?” Applejack asked, suddenly feeling as if her heart became heavier. When she learned that Fluttershy was a pureblood, she put the poor mare through a lot of pain, hurting her with cruel words and punches, yet her brother didn’t hate Fluttershy on the spot. Big Mac exhaled and looked between each of his family members as his stare became serious. “Ah’ll be honest. Ah know Fluttershy for who she pretended to be, bein’ blind and unaware to what has been happinin’ in Ponyville, but Ah could tell somethin’ big was happenin’.” He pointed at Applejack and added, “But Ah trust ya, Applejack, always have. Ya met the real Fluttershy, hated her, befriended her, worked with her. If ya say she’s a good pony, then Ah believe you.” The tall stallion stepped from his seat and approached the window, opening it to invite a bit of fresh air inside. Feeling the wind in his mane and focused on the descending sun on the horizon, he continued, “Ah never wished to avenge our parents, never wanted to fight thestrals. Mah only wish was for y'all to not share our parents' fate. If Fluttershy saved our family, enemy or not, Ah’ll be grateful to her.” Granny Smith opened her mouth, struggling to say any words. After a few seconds, she spoke, “This’s nonsense. Ah can’t stand here and see as mah own blood get tainted. Hawkeye Delicious and Snow Sweet must be watching ya from Elysium with disgust.” “They’re alive too,” Applejack interrupted. “Say whaaat?” Granny Smith said as she pushed the table to the side, startling Apple Bloom while the food splattered on the floor. She approached Applejack and pressed her own muzzle against hers. “What nonsense are ya talkin’ about? They died from hooves of a pureblood in Manehattan.” Big Mac and Apple Bloom looked at Applejack, their faces pleading for an answer while filled with hope. “They weren’t killed, just turned into thestrals and their memories changed,” Applejack said before stepping backward, making some distance from Granny’s muzzle. She raised her forehoof and continued, “That pureblood name’s Moon Shadow. He sent Pa to kill us, but later ordered him to target Fluttershy instead.” Silence overtook the room as each family member listened with full attention. Applejack continued, “Fluttershy saved us not only from them thestrals, but from our own blood. She fought against Pa and risked her life to restore his memories.” She took a quick breath and added, “She succeeded, but the price was her year long nap came early.” “Is that true?” Apple Bloom asked, her pupils almost as wide as plates. Applejack approached the door and shouted at the stairs. “Pa, it’s time.” Each of the family members approached and looked at the hooded figure, who walked downstairs and entered the dining room. The moment he took off his hood, the jaw of everypony except for Applejack dropped. “P-Pa,” Big Mac said hesitantly. “Yer… alive,” Apple Bloom said. “Yer… turned into a thestral?” Granny Smith asked, receiving a weak nod in return. Granny Smith grit her teeth and looked at Applejack. “Why is he alive? Ya should have killed him!” “Excuse me?” Applejack asked, taking a step back as she nearly lost her balance. Granny Smith pointed at Hawkeye and continued, “It’s cruel to let an Apple be turned into a monster. Ya should kill him out of mercy. It’s our duty as hunters and a family!” Hawkeye shrugged. “Ah said the same thin’, but mah daughter’s too stubborn.” Applejack frowned. “At least now Ah’m stubborn about the right thin’. Yer not a monster and Ah’m not goin’ to lose ya again.” Before Granny Smith could speak, she felt a tiny hoof stomping on her foreleg. Looking down, she noticed an angered stare from Apple Bloom who said, “Don’t ya call mah Papa a monster.” The filly turned and galloped towards Hawkeye, jumping into his chest while giving him a hug, her little forelegs embracing his neck. Tears of joy started dropping from her eyes. Hawkeye blushed before gently embracing his little Apple with a hoof. His eyes closed and heart warm. Big Mac nodded and said, “Eeyup,” before approaching as well and joining the hug. Lifting Hawkeye above the floor as the result. “Yer much stronger than Applejack,” Hawkeye said from his higher perspective, still remembering how Applejack lifted him the same way, though not putting as much strength into the hug. He returned the gesture, proving to Big Macintosh how much stronger earth pony thestral can be. Granny Smith lowered her head and murmured, “Ah… Ah need to think about it.” She turned and walked outside in silence. Applejack was about to follow, but a hoof from Big Mac on her shoulder and shake of his head stopped her. *** As time passed, filled with cheerful atmosphere, talks, food eating, and Big Mac’s offering to share his blood with his father, Applejack approached the window and said, “Thank you, Fluttershy, Ah’ll never repay ya for what ya did for us.” Feeling the pleasant wind, she lowered her head and added, “But when ya wake up, Ah’ll be there to support ya, no matter what.” Big Mac approached, sitting next to his younger sister and added, “Ah wish Ah could meet the real Fluttershy. Ah’ll thank her when she wakes up.” Apple Bloom jumped onto the windowsill and said, “She’s already an honorary Apple for savin’ Winona. How else we can thank her for savin’ us and our dad?” Hawkeye sat behind them. “Ah suppose Ah’ll join her clan when she wakes up, learn more about bein’ a thestral. It ain’t goin’ to be easy to live as one, but after this reunion,” he chuckled, “Ah feel more comfortable bein’ mah sworn enemy.” “Fluttershy has a clan? Can Ah join?” Apple Bloom asked, only for her head to be rubbed by Applejack’s hoof, which in turn reminded her of being rubbed by Fancy Pants. Reinforcing her belief that in his eyes, she was just like a little filly. “When ya grow up, Ah’ll think about it, but don’t do nothing crazy, alright?” Applejack asked. She could notice disappointment clearly on Apple Bloom face as she nodded hesitantly. She looked at Hawkeye and said, “And no revenge attempts, Pa. When Fluttershy wakes up, we may ask her if we can somehow save Ma, but till then, ya stay out of trouble.” Hawkeye laughed. “Ya really grew up a lot, Applejack. Ah’m proud.” The farm mare glanced outside once again, admiring the sunset as she looked into the bright future with hope.