My Little Bokurano

"Even if I save the world, I can't save Granny Smith." - Applejack

"Granny Smith, please be alive..." Applejack whispered as she and Apple Bloom barged into their house.

"She should be upstairs," Apple Bloom said.

The two sisters trotted upstairs and swung open the door to Granny Smith's room. There, they found their grandma lying on her bed, her green skin now as pale as the apple she was named after.

"Thank goodness, you're alright," Applejack said, throwing herself on Granny Smith's bed.

"It's nice to see you too, my dear," Granny Smith replied with a weak smile.

"This can't be happening," Applejack sobbed. "Not now!"

"Don't leave us behind Granny Smith!" Apple Bloom cried. "Who's gonna take over the farm?"

"Even though Big Macintosh can't be here now, I'm sure he'll return soon," Granny Smith said. "He'll be back to work in no time."

Applejack looked at Granny Smith with tear filled eyes, then began sobbing into her mattress.

"Apple Bloom..." Granny Smith turned to look at her youngest granddaughter.

"Yes, Granny Smith?" Apple Bloom said, holding back tears.

"I know you'll get your cutie mark someday very soon," Granny Smith said. "Even if I'm not here to see it."

"NO!" Apple Bloom shouted. "You'll live. Applejack and I will get Nurse Redheart."

"It's too late for that dear," Granny Smith said. "I've lived a full life and now I think it's time for me to pass on."

"But I don't want you to!" Apple Bloom said before crying into Granny Smith's shoulder.

"Applejack," Granny Smith continued as Apple Bloom wept uncontrollably. "When your parents return, I know they'll be amazed at what a responsible, honest young mare you've grown to be."

"But all I've done is help out at the farm," Applejack said quietly.

"But you're the Element of Honesty," Granny Smith said, her once weak smile getting stronger. "That's a much bigger honor than anything I've achieved in my lifetime."

"GRANNY SMITH!" Applejack shrieked with tears streaming down her face. "If you die, I'll have nothing left! I don't know what to do with myself anymore!"

"But you have your younger sister, in addition to the farm," Granny Smith said. "Before I move on, I have one last thing to say to my two granddaughters."

Applejack and Apple Bloom held their grandmother's two front hooves as she spoke. "Live your lives to the fullest. There's a wealth of opportunity for the both of you, even beyond this farm. I know that someday, both of you will change the world."

Granny Smith's hooves fell limp. She closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS!" Apple Bloom wailed, now out of tears to cry. "Why is this happening to us?! What crime did we commit to deserve this?!"

"Even if we never signed up to play this game, Granny Smith couldn't be saved," Applejack said, shedding her final two tears. "Even if I save the world, I can't save Granny Smith. I've denied that fact for ages now, but now that reality's struck, there's no use hiding behind a false sense of hope."

"Applejack..." Apple Bloom said, slumping down to the ground. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know what to say and I don't know what to do," Applejack replied, looking down at the floor. "I just have to wait for my time."

"I just want to spend every second that you have left by your side," Apple Bloom said, crawling over to Applejack.

"Of course Apple Bloom," Applejack said, holding her sister close.

A split second later, the two sisters disappeared in a flash of light.

Both of them reappeared in the cockpit along with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and their other contracted friends.

"Look at that, it's the mare of the hour!" Dung Beetle said jovially.

"You couldn't wait a bit longer?!" Apple Bloom cried.

"Hey, I don't decide when these battles take place!" Dung Beetle retorted. "Anyways, let's see where your fight will take place."

The orange void disappeared and revealed a vast, green, empty plain.

"Where are we?" Fluttershy asked.

"We're not in Ponyville, that's for sure," Twilight Sparkle said. "I guess these battles don't always take place at the current pilot's location."

"I think it's good that we're fighting in such a barren place," Applejack said. "It means I don't have to hold back."

"Now I think your enemy is appearing in front of you right now," Dung Beetle said as the opponent materialized in front of them.

It appeared to be a giant mushroom with legs. One half of the cap was blue and the other half was yellow, with a purple panel with nine lights dead center. It had three appendages sticking out of its stalk, and one of them held a huge sword.

"That's an odd looking robot," Princess Luna said. "I wonder what its strengths will be."

"I thing we're going to find out," Princess Celestia said.

The mushroom split evenly down the middle, creating two half mushrooms each holding a sword. Connecting the two was a purple fabric with a white, circular object in the center.

"It just split in two!" Rarity cried.

"Are there two of them, or is it just a trick?" Flash Sentry wondered.

"Equextria is only supposed to face one opponent at a time, if that helps," Dung Beetle said.

"Which means there should only be one vital point," Scootaloo said.

"Where is Equextria's vital point anyway?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Try finding that out for yourself," Dung Beetle said.

"Applejack, do you think that white thing connecting the two could be the vital point?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Alright then, I'll try cutting it down." Applejack replied.

"That means this should be an easy win!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Don't get your hopes up," Twilight Sparkle said.

Equextria walked over to the enemy and stomped on the white sphere, breaking the bond between the two mushrooms.

"Did you get it?" Princess Celestia asked.

The two mushrooms began walking away from each other.

"They're both still alive, but how?" Flash Sentry asked.

"I get it!" Dung Beetle said. "It was just a decoy!"

"Attention Applejack!" Luna commanded. "The enemy plans to flank you from both sides!"

"What are you going to do?" Apple Bloom said.

"I don't know!" Applejack wailed back. "Is there anything I can do?"