The Reception's Been Canceled

by sister_mike

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Applejack

Don't give up. Applejack thought that was an odd thing for Celestia to say. Applejack never gave up, it just wasn't in her nature. She believed that every problem could be solved, if you had the right positive attitude. But she knew Celestia had sent her here for a reason. And she would take the message to heart. She trusted Celestia's judgement; surely she had a reason for telling Applejack not to give up.

Applejack knew where she was right away. It didn't matter that her eyes hadn't yet adjusted; she could smell the apples, the feel of the earth beneath her hooves; she was home. Sweet Apple Acres. Home.

Her eyes finally adjusted to the dark. Looking over her shoulder towards Ponyville, she could see a slow steady stream of green cloud wafting up into the sky. There were ponies trapped in Ponyville. She prayed everyone she knew would be ok. Maybe the others were transported back home as well; it would make meeting in Ponyville a lot more convenient if they were all sent back there. But she knew deep down, this probably wasn't the case.

She looked back at her farm. She saw no streams of green coming from any of the buildings. Maybe her family was ok. Or maybe they were cocooned in Ponyville somewhere... Apple Bloom had been at the wedding. Was she trapped there like Sweetie Belle? Most likely. Applejack didn't want to think about it. She had scanned the room as quickly as she could as they were leaving, but she couldn't see Apple Bloom anywhere. Maybe, just maybe, the little filly had escaped.

Figuring she was sent directly to Sweet Apple Acres, as opposed to somewhere else in town, she decided this meant that she should explore her home first.

It was eerie as she walked up to the house. It seemed abandoned and haunted without any lights on. Granny Smith always left the porch light on for anypony who needed a light in the dark. It felt so empty, being on this vast bit of land, without that lamp lit. If only Applejack knew that it was an indication of what she was about to find inside.

Pushing the door open quietly, she walked inside the house. It was dead silent. Furniture was upturned, some of the back windows were smashed and there was a hole in the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. Somethin' mighty fierce happened here...

Quietly, Applejack walked into the kitchen. The faucet was leaking, some of the cupboard doors were coming off of their hinges, the table was on its side. Goosebumps ran up Applejack's legs. She didn't want to imagine what had happened here.

Her ear twitched. She heard something upstairs. Was that a door that just closed? It was ever so faint, but maybe, just maybe, someone was home.

She turned to leave the kitchen, but then stopped and looked back at the table. She didn't know why, but there was something about it. Something that was calling towards her. She had to look behind it. Don't give up.

Slowly, she approached the table. And then her heart stopped. Behind the table, lying deathly still, was Granny Smith. She wasn't in a cocoon, wasn't being harvested for her positive energy. She was just lying there, peaceful almost; like she was asleep. But Applejack knew she wasn't. She knew she wouldn't wake up.

"G-Granny Smith?" she called softly. Instantly, tears began to pool in her eyes. She took off her hat. She walked over and placed her hoof over her grandmother's. It was cold. "G-G-Granny Smith?"

It didn't matter how many times she said her name, or how hard she cried. Granny Smith was dead.

Applejack collapsed to the floor. This was the day she had been dreading ever since just after Apple Bloom was born—just after her parents had died. She knew one day Granny Smith would pass on too, but she had hoped it would have been under different circumstances. That she'd be asleep in her bed. Not here, behind an overturned table, not when all of Equestria was under attack. Not when Applejack was alone. She couldn't be strong on her own, not here, not in this situation. She needed Big Mac and Apple Bloom. And she didn't know where either of them was.

It was bad enough that she missed her parents every day, that she kept that hurt hidden for Apple Bloom's sake. Apple Bloom had never known their parents, not for long. She wasn't even a month old before the accident happened. And now Granny Smith was gone too. Now it was just the three of them, the siblings, left together to take care of one another. Except they weren't together. Apple Bloom was probably trapped in Canterlot, and who knew where Big Mac was.

What if he was somewhere in the house? In the same condition as Granny Smith? She wasn't sure if she could handle any more heartache than she was feeling at that moment.

Suddenly, something sounded behind her. She wiped the tears from her eyes and peered around the table. Big Mac had entered the room.

"B-Big McIntosh, wa-what happened here?" she asked, standing.

Big Mac just looked at her from across the room. He didn't look sad. He didn't move. He didn't say anything. Just looked at her, head tilted slightly to the side.

"B-Big Mac! Now, now you tel-ell me, what happened hee-ere," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. But it didn't work. Tears poured down her cheeks as she motioned towards the still Granny Smith. "C'mon now, tell me—"

Applejack suddenly whipped her head to the other side of the room. Standing there, at the other entrance, was another Big McIntosh. Her mouth hung open. She didn't know what to say or do. Too many things were happening at once. Her mind was too revolved around Granny Smith to remember the about changelings.

"No!" the second Big McIntosh suddenly yelled. There was fury behind his eyes. Applejack had never seen him look so angry. "Not mah sister! You will NOT impersonate mah little sister!"

Apple Bloom? Was Apple Bloom here? Applejack quickly glanced around the room. The first Big Mac was cautiously starting over at the other, and slowly backing out of the room. There was no Apple Bloom figure. It was as the second Big Mac began to angrily approach Applejack that she realized he was talking about her.

"B-Big Mac! It's me, Applejack," she said, backing into the counter.

"You kill mah grandmother and now you impersonate mah sister? How dare you, you evil creature!" he spat at her. He stormed towards her, his hoof raised.

"No! Big Mac, please, it's really me! It's Applejack! Please! You've got to believe me! I-I just found Granny Smith right here, I didn't do anything! P-Please!" Applejack cried. She closed her eyes and shielded her face. But nothing came.

"Applejack?" he said cautiously.

"Yes, it's me," she said, slowly opening her eyes. "What happened here?"

A floorboard across the room creaked. Applejack and Big Mac turned towards it. The other Big Mac was making an escape for it.

"Oh no you don't. You will not impersonate me too," Big Mac said. He charged towards the changeling and tackled it to the ground, sliding over into the other room. Applejack didn't see what happened, but she heard everything. The cries of the changeling. Big Mac's hooves beating against it. A solid thud when it was over. Big Mac came back alone.

"I'm sorry Applejack. I thought you to be one of those creatures," he said quietly. "They came n' attacked us a few months ago. We held up a good fight. Not many ponies as lucky in Ponyville. We barricaded the house, Granny Smith and I, but a few days ago they finally broke in. They tried to put me in one of 'em pods, but Granny Smith whacked it over the head with her walker. It threw her right through the wall. And that was it."

Tears gathered in Big Mac's eyes, but he didn't let them fall. Applejack began to bawl all over again, and Big Mac pulled her into a hug and held her.

"Any idea where Apple Bloom is?" Big Mac asked after a while, as Applejack started to calm a bit down. The tears never stopped though.

"She was at the weddin' with us. I gather she's still in Canterlot, in a cocoon," Applejack said quietly.

Big Mac nodded. "How did you escape?"

Applejack wiped her tears and told Big Mac about how Twilight set them free. How they were chased, and then separated, and how she was transported here. She didn't tell him about the message though. But she now knew what it meant.

Celestia had sent her here, because she had to know about Granny Smith. She couldn't have gone on and fought the changelings, only to come home once it was all over and found she had lost her grandmother. Even though all she wanted to do was give up; to hide in here, with Big Mac and not deal with any of the bigger problems going on right now; at least now she had a personal reason to fight. She had to avenge Granny Smith. They didn't just harvest from her; they outright just killed her.

"And you said you guys were gonna meet in Ponyville?" Big Mac asked. Applejack nodded. "I'll come with you."

Big Mac left the room and began to gather some things for the both of them. When he returned after a while, his bag on his back and Applejack's in his mouth, Applejack shook her head.

"We can't just leave her lyin' like this..." Fresh tears began to form. She couldn't bear to look at Granny Smith, and yet she couldn't look away.

"I've been diggin' a grave outside. That's where I was when I saw you through the window and came back inside... I guess that changeling had been hidin' in the house, waitin' for me to go to sleep," he said. "C'mon, we'll put her to rest. Then we'll go."

Big Mac carried Granny Smith's body outside. Applejack relit the porch lantern and took it with her, guiding the way to the grave. Big Mac had chosen a spot beside the barn, where Granny Smith had kept a small flower garden. He gently placed her inside, and together they filled the grave.

Neither of them said any words. There were too many things to say about Granny Smith, too many things to thank her for, too many memories to recount. They stood there in silence, holding each other.

Though it didn't feel like enough time, finally Big Mac nudged Applejack and said they needed to go. An eternity wouldn't have been enough time to say goodbye to Granny Smith. But the problem about burying a loved one during a crisis was that there was no time at all to say goodbye. No time to even properly grieve. They had a mission to do, an evil to fight. And that evil wasn't waiting for anyone.

Applejack took the lantern with her, her bag on her back. Quietly, the two of them walked towards Ponyville, leaving Sweet Apple Acres behind. They either had Granny Smith or Apple Bloom on their minds.

As they walked down the main road to Ponyville, something caught Applejack's attention. She stopped.

"Hey Big Mac, woulda look at that?" she said, puzzled. Big Mac stopped.

"Hmm?"

"Over the Everfree Forest. There's no green glow. It's like it's unaffected. The sky above it is completely clear..." Applejack said. Big Mac nodded.

"Eeeyup. I chased a few changelings out this far. Some of 'em tried to fly into the forest but... but it was like it wouldn't let them. They couldn't go anywhere near it. It was so peculiar. Granny Smith.." he choked a little, but continued, "Granny Smith and I were plannin' on goin' into the forest, 'cause we figured it was a sign that it was safe from the changelings. But we never had a safe moment to go. And now it's too late."

"Huh," Applejack said, as they began to walk again. She kept glancing over at the forest, the clear sky above it. It was something she was definitely going to have to remember to mention to her friends.

Comments

[sister_mike]

A'ight, here's Chapter 5. It's not the best chapter, but I had to get Applejack's chapter out of the way first, before I could move onto Rarity or Fluttershy.

Things are a brewin'

[RayearthNinja]

Ohh Zecora is safe?

[DreadedCandiru2]

So, whatever they're planning, they'll have to do it from either Zecora's hut or the old palace.

[bright_mind]

Evil will never win as long as there are good ponies fighting back.

[CaptainBlue808]

1312811
Execpt evil will always triumph,because good is dumb.

[mbpony 512]

I must say that is a somber update, especially in a tragic light

I wonder how they'll tell Applebloom about this ?

Nice update and great bonding moments between the two siblings.

[Darth Link 22]

I'm guessing Fluttershy will be getting Zecora...just a guess.