Equestria Girls: The Apple of Death's Eye

by Time Agent pony

Chapter 4

Later that evening.

The siblings walked, silently, along the pavement heading towards the cemetery.

Big Mac was happy that Applejack had decided to bring Apple Bloom along and he was also okay with his sister's plan to slowly over time give Apple Bloom more freedom and independence.

After a few more minutes of walking, the Apple siblings arrived at cemetery gates, the same cemetery that Applejack, her friends and other universe Lanterns fought the Black Lantern zombies.

"Thank goodness, Ma and Pa weren't taken over by the black rings," Applejack thought, "I can't imagine what I might have done if that had happened."

Applejack placed a hand on the gates, she always hated when she and Big Mac visited the place. Not the visit to the cemetery itself, but amount of mental courage required for simply walk through the cemetery gates.

"You okay, sis?" Apple Bloom asked, breaking the silence.

For a moment, Applejack didn't answer.

"I'm fine, sugarcube," she replied, "I'm just fine."

Eventually, Applejack pushed the gates and she, her brother and her sister entered the cemetery.

The three walked past rows and rows of gravestone, some belonging to superheroes and some to regular people.

Finally, the siblings stopped by two graves that were positioned in a special corner of the cemetery.

The graves themselves were positioned underneath an old apple tree and an old pear tree.

Their father, Bright Mac, was buried underneath the apple tree and their mother, Pear Butter, was buried underneath the pear tree.

Their headstones read, "Bright Mac and Pear Butter, mother and father, loved by all and missed by all."

The siblings stood in silence, staring at the cold stones before them.

Apple Bloom was feeling so many emotions at that moment, she didn't know what to say.

Now it was Applejack's turn to be concerned.

"You okay, sugarcube?" she asked, looking her sister in the eyes.

Tears began forming in Apple Bloom's eyes, she had tried to hold it all in but, she couldn't take it anymore.

Big Mac knew exactly what to do, letting his little sister bury her face in her chest and let out all her sadness and grief.

Applejack understood, she had gone through the same thing when she first visited the cemetery with Granny Smith when she and Big Mac were younger.

After a few minutes, Apple Bloom finished letting out her grief and Applejack wiped the tears out of her sister's eyes and gave her a hug.

After a while, Applejack let go of her sister and the siblings faced their parents gravestones.

"Howdy, Ma, Pa" Applejack said, "me and Mac are here for our yearly visit and we brought Apple Bloom, she's all grown up now."

Trying to not to cry again, Apple Bloom approached the gravestones.

"Hey, Ma, Pa" she sniffed, "I feel like I'm meeting you and Pa for the first time, probably because I was so young that I don't remember you."

Big Mac smiled and put a hand on Apple Bloom's shoulder, "I'm sure, they would so proud of how much you've grown," he said.

Apple Bloom smiled, thankful to her big brother for comforting and reassuring her.

Applejack felt tears coming to her eyes, seeing her big brother and little sister supporting each other.

Her momentary joy was interrupted by a familiar whistle that came drifting on the wind.

Applejack turned, only to be greeted by the mysterious girl she'd been seeing all throughout the day.

Big Mac and Apple Bloom noticed the girl too and they looked just as surprised as Applejack.

The girl gave Apple Bloom a smile, "Your parents would must certainly be proud of you, little one," she said.

She turned her gaze on the other two Apple siblings, "all of you," she finished.

Finally, Applejack had had enough, the frustration of not knowing was too much for her, she wanted answers from the girl and she want them now

"Thats it!" she cried, lighting up her Lantern ring, "I can't stand no more of this, I want the truth! HOW DO YOU KNOW MY PARENTS!?"

Both Big Mac and Apple Bloom watched from the sidelines, surprised by their older siblings sudden burst of anger and rage towards a, seemingly, random stranger that had just appeared from nowhere.

"Maybe you should calm down," the girl replied, seemingly unfazed by Applejack's outburst, "this is a cemetery, you don't need to shout, there is no reason to get upset."

"No!" Applejack responded, "I have no intention of calming down!"

She was stopped from being fully blind by her anger by Apple Bloom grabbing her hand.

"Applejack," she trembled, "stop, you're scaring me and Big Mac."

Upon hearing her little sister's voice, Applejack's anger and rage suddenly evaporated and she snapped back to reality.

She looked at her hands, still bunched into fists, she couldn't believe she'd let her anger almost consume her.

Now it was Apple Blooms turn to be the shoulder to cry on, as Applejack hugged her and let her tears flow.

After she had finished her crying, Applejack turned to face the mysterious girl again.

"I still want to know," she said, "how do you know my parents? Tell me," her voice began to shake, "please."

The girl smiled, a warm, gentle smile, "Believe me," she began, "I really didn't want to take them from the three of you, but it was their time and I couldn't change that."

The Apple siblings all stared at the girl, collectively stunned by what the girl had said.

"You mean you killed them?" Applejack asked.

"I didn't do anything," the girl replied, "the end of Bright Mac & Pear Butter's story was already written in the Book of Destiny, before they sucked in their first breath."

"I don't know what you mean!" Applejack exclaimed, feeling the anger and frustration well up in her, again, "can't you give me a straight answer!?"

The girl nodded, "I suppose I do owe you that much," she breathed, "allow me to introduce myself, Death of the Endless, pleased to meet you all."

The siblings were all silent, not knowing how to react to what they had been told.

"You're, you're...." Applejack stammered, "Death."

Time seemed to freeze around the Apple siblings, everything around them seemed to stop moving.

"Indeed I am," Death replied, "I am the personification of Death, I am here for the birth and death of every sentient being in the universe and eventually I will come to all things. When my job is finished, I'll put the chairs on the table, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave."

Again, tears filled Applejack's eyes, "How..." she stuttered, "how can you tell us all this and be so calm about what you do?"

"Believe me," Death answered, "if I could have intervened I would have, but no one can escape Destiny or his book."

Before Applejack could speak, Apple Bloom stepped forward.

"Excuse me, Miss Death," she said, "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here among the living?"

"Oh, that's simple," Death replied, "once every century I spend 24 hours as a mortal, so I can understand the beauty of life and all its little foibles"

"I sure hope we didn't mess up your holiday," Applejack said, "sorry, about flying off the handle at ya."

"There is no need to apologise," Death responded, "your anger towards me is justified, I'm the one who took your parents from the three of you."

"Speaking of which," Applejack continued, "I don't suppose you have power over the dead? You could maybe..."

She was cut off, Death seemed to know what she was trying to say.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, "but once a soul has been taken to the great unknown there is no coming back."

"Oh," Applejack sighed, sadness filling every corner of her being, she had been hoping to see her parents, one last time.

Big Mac and Apple Bloom looked just as depressed as Applejack felt.

"But," Death continued, "I think one of my siblings might be able to help."

"One of your siblings?" Big Mac repeated, "you have a family?"

"Of my family is on a whole other level," Death smiled, "you would not believe."

Suddenly, the siblings realised the amount of time that had passed since they entered the cemetery.

Death seemed to notice it too, "looks like my time's up," she said, "time for me to go."

Death of the Endless began to fade away, blowing away like dust in the wind.

"Thank you," Apple Bloom called, "thank you Miss Death for sharing your last few mortal minutes with my family."

"I should be thanking you," Death retorted, she continued to fade away, "you and your family are truly special, to your friends and everyone around you, look after each other."

"We will," Applejack smiled, putting an arm around Apple Bloom and smiling down at her.

"Eeyup," Big Mac nodded.

With one last final smile, Death of the Endless finally faded away into nothingness, returning to realm and the rest of the Endless.

Comments

[Comickook]

Hey there. Once again, the exchanges, characterizations and general wrap-up and epilogue set-up are great. Definitely appreciated Mac helping Bloom during the big crying period as well as Applejack's own bits of reflections, not just on her parents, but also on her family. And Applejack now knows she was meeting and talking to Death throughout the day (at least Applejack's siblings calmed her down before it got too ugly).

Now, on to the epilogue.