Granny Smith's Departure

by Zoom zoom

Part 3

Granny sat with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle in the hospital’s waiting area. The various tones of the machines and wheels rolling were all that could be heard in the hall. Applebloom and Sweetie had fallen asleep at some point holding onto the old mare for stability.

“Don’t worry young’uns,” said the old mare. “Your friend will be alright. I guarantee it.” They didn’t respond as Granny got up and set herself free, leaving the two fillies to sleep on the chairs alone holding each other instead.

Granny trotted for some time until she got outside of Scootaloo’s room. Her parents were informed, but with them out of town it was up to Applejack who they had given legal rights to in their absence. She was discussing things with the doctor now as Scootaloo lay still asleep in her bed. All Granny could catch out of the situation wasn’t very good, except for one small note:

“All in all,” the doctor said, “We’ll know if she’s okay by the morning. I don’t know when she’ll wake up, but the worst will be gone by then if the magic sets in.”

“And what if it doesn’t?” Applejack asked worried.

“Let’s not talk about that just yet,” said the doctor. “It’s best to keep a positive mind during these things. No sense in worrying yourself half to death if she turns out to be fine in the morning and you know the old saying, ‘Bad thoughts Bad vibes’. “

“That’s a sayin’?”

“Doesn’t matter, my point it your better off sleeping on this than being up all night for nothing. We have a free room for the four of you down the hall. Take the kids and your grandmother there.”

Granny moved slowly and simply after hearing this. Applejack didn’t notice this and was calling for her as she found the foals without her around. Granny reasoned that Applejack would think she had left for home or at least leave her be long enough to do what she needed to be done. “Are ya hear sonny? I wanted to talk to yer about somethin’.”

The black suited stallion appeared quickly enough. He still didn’t say anything as Granny looked at him. “I know what I did, and I’m sorry fer foolin ya. But you have to understand, I’ve never really been in this kind of situation before. Ah always thought when I went it would be an accident on the farm. I’d throw mah back out doing something I usually do or trying to correct something and it would go wrong. It’s why I was okay with letting the young’uns do all the work. I didn’t want to do work knowing that was likely. Big Mac will be okay, but Applejack and Applebloom where far too young when they lost their parents to really know what happened. No one in the family has really died yet and it will be so hard for them when I go even if they do…”

Mr. Death didn’t change his look. “Midnight,” he said simply. “Five hours remain till my appointment and I’ve nothing better to do but sit here Mrs. Smith. You may continue to babble on about your nonsense if you wish. However it changes nothing. I was at fault for assuming you had a similar trait to your husband in that he accepted his fate and used it to his advantage to save you. But it appears you are just another old pony who just tries to justify their own existence. Your presents here is annoying, and it will disturb the child. If you wish to give her more time I suggest you live me be while I take a quick nap of my own.”

“Don’t you speak of my little Locky that way,” said Granny. Years of holding in that sadness and not knowing why she did flooding her. “He did want to die either.”

Mr. Death blinked slowly with heavy eyelids. “All ponies don’t want to die Mrs. Smith. What I don’t get is why you’d wish to spend so long without him if you cared so much in the first place.”

Granny tried to slap him but the hoof went right through him. Mr. Death closed his eyes and became transparent as he slept there, a light snoring coming from his nose as he sat there. Giving up she decided to get to work and proceeded out of the room.

The hospital cafeteria was pretty small, but then again it wasn’t like they even had a full time cook there since anything ordered at night could be handled by their stock they got from the various eateries in town. Granny found herself glad she never had to be here more than a few hours in her past.

She didn’t have to wait long. Big Mac entered is a good set of left over zap apples. He didn’t say anything, only giving his grandmother a quisitive look.

“Trust me Mackey,” she said. “This little Zap Apple Pie ritual will solve everything.”

“Mm’kay,” replied the red stallion as he placed the apples on the counter.

“Well everything’s here,” Granny said with a hint of more energy than usual. “What do ya say my little Mackey. Wanna join me in baking what will be the best Zap Apple Pie you ever tasted?”

“Eeyup,” said Big Mac with a smile. Though that was soon followed by a frown and looking back in the direction of the farm.

“Oh don’t worry about that,” said Granny giving her grandson the usual affectionate noogy. Because he had grown so much she could barely reach him so the effect was mostly gone. But the act itself got the stallion to smile and nod his agreement.

The two worked for quite some time, the scent of the Zap Apples themselves gliding through the halls and waking Applebloom and getting Applejack’s attention as well. The two walked in as Big Mac pulled out the pie and Granny put on the finishing touches.

“What’cha doing Granny?” both girls asked.

“Old little family magic spell of a sorts,” she explained. “If we eat this happily then I guarantee Scootaloo will be perfectly fine by morning. But ya have to be sincere about it. No fake smiles will help if you’re going to join.”

And so they all sat down for their rather odd but delicious midnight meal. They ate together happily, all three grandchildren having pieces of pie filling on their faces. Laughter filled the same halls as the smell and soon Applejack was going around giving a small slice to any patients who had been awoke by the sound. Sweetie Belle even got a slice before zoning back off to sleep.

What Applejack found odd about the night the most though was how one extra slice seemed to disappear from her palette as she did so. Still all in all it became a fun night for everyone as the clock slowly rolled to three in the morning and everyone decided it was best to go to bed.

Granny for her part went back into Scootaloo’s room. There she saw Mr. Death chewing his piece of pie he had taken from Applejack without her looking. “Very good Mrs. Smith,” he commented. “I must say I’ve never had one of these before but it is quite the meal.”

“Yes,” said Granny with a chuckle. “Applejack even said it was the best I’ve made in so long she couldn’t tell if it was the best I’ve made. Always thought that secret ingredient of mine was the key to making it better. At least my little Mackey knows it now.”

Mr. Death smiled. “Well then, does this mean you’re ready?”

“As much as I’ll ever be I suppose,” Granny said with a hint of depression. “Still at least I had a good run eh?”

“Indeed Mrs. Smith,” said Mr. Death in a cheery voice, “A nice long run that lasted a few centuries is decent enough for many ponies. You’ve had a most interesting life compared to most I’d assume.”

“Well ah dare say Applejack has me beat on that already,” Granny said trough a light chuckle. She paused for a moment. “Can we at least wait until the real time before I go though. I sort of wanna say my goodbyes to them first.”

“Go right ahead Mrs. Smith,” Mr. Death replied with a bow. ‘I’m not going to stop you.”

And so she did, kissing all three of her grandchildren good night and finally resting her body on the chair Mr. Death had sat in near Scootaloo. “So when does it happen?”

“What are you talking about Mrs. Smith?”

“Ah mean, when do ah… when do ah…”

“Oh that,” he said with a smile. “That is already done. Look over by the door.”

She did. Her body lay there motionless on the grounds. “I sort of thought I’d feel all sorts of pain when that happened.”

“Are you kidding? You ponies always think it’s going to be painful. But what you all think will be coming like thunder, is nothing more than a whisper. Death, Mrs. Smith, death is only the start of an even grander adventure. In fact your husband is still waiting to start his. He figured it would be improper to do on his own without ya since you didn’t remarry.”

“Isn’t that just like him,” she said feeling none of her old aches. In fact, based on how she saw her limps she could swear she was back to being young again. “Well let’s not keep him waiting.”

They started to walk out. As they did Granny noticed Applebloom out of the corner of her eye, a single tear running down her sleeping face. Mr. Death saw this and said, “Don’t worry yourself Mrs. Smith. She’ll be along soon enough.”

Granny Smith glared at him.

“Oh I don’t mean like that. When you’re around as long as me what could be a long time to you would be nothing to me. She’s also on are predicted list, all of them are. So you can look forward to checking in on them when they go.”

“Well, it would be fun to think about how they’ll raise their young with mah husband while we’re up there.” She paused as she just realized, “up there?”

“Don’t worry about that Mrs. Smith.” Mr. Death said trying to put on a bad accent. “Y’all made it, every last one of the Apple family to date.”

They walked off into the sunrise and slowly disappeared as Granny spotted Scootaloo’s parents running for the hospital. She felt said that soon enough these two would be the ones to find her body. But that didn’t matter. She knew her family would carry on without her. She had some others to catch up on for now.

Comments

[1023nelly]

Hang on a sec.
I read nothing about them talking about who was to die. First Scootaloo was going to die, then all of a sudden, after eating pie, Mr. Death changes his mind?
Just clarify that a bit please.

[Zoom zoom]

1355080 hence why I needed the editor to help me I guess.

Basically like the episode, Scootaloo only has to die to replace Granny Smith. So Smith decided to bake a pie that broke the contract since she needed to not make a Zap apple pie better than ever before and raise a child of the apple family. Supposed to come off as it was the first time she passed off some cooking to Big Mac but sort of lost it at some point trying to finish so I could get back to my other stories.

When I have time or when my editor does it will come back with a clearer scene I hope.

[1023nelly]

1357179 Oh, okay. I remember now. Just maybe throw in a little something like:
I can't let that little filly die, thought Granny. I suppose I'll have to go instead.
when she's making the pie. That should clear it up.

[Captain_Stallion]

Well done, you must have been inspired by the classic movie "On Borrowed Time".

I enjoyed the read.