The Corpse Orchard

   "Ah said Ah don't know anything!" Granny yelled to the guardsmen, waving her cane menacingly in their faces. "Ya got apples in yer ears or something?"

   "Listen ma'am, we're just trying to get information." one stallion said, averting his gaze from the emotionally distraught mare. He cleared his throat, nodding to his comrade. "We are aware that you are a bit... upset, but I would advise-"

   "Yer darn right I'm upset! Ah' can't get any decent guards 'round here!" Granny cried. "Ah'm better off looking for the boy myself, at the rate you lazy slobs are workin'!"

   The other guard sighed. "We just want to know when you saw him last." he said. Granny squinted hard at the two, before  pointing her hoof to a cluster of trees in the distance.

   "We were in the kitchen, n' AJ was out bucking apples, and then Ah' sent Big Mac out ta go find her." she muttered, not kindly.

   "And how long was he gone?"

   Granny put a thoughtful hoof to her chin. "Well, let's see here... Bout an hour n' a half. Me and Applebloom went to the cellar round halfway through, and Applejack came round a half hour after that... So, bout two hours we were down there. Mac never showed up, n' the storm was plenty over by the time we came out. Looked all over, we did. Not a trace of the big fool."

   A guard nodded disdainfully, scribbling down notes. "That's what we expected. Unfortunately, the rain washed away any tracks we could have followed. The Southern Field, you said? Tell me, when did you file the missing pony report?"

   Granny scowled. "Now what the hay does that have to do with anything?!"

   "Just answer the question." the first guard said, grinding his teeth in attempts not to yell.

   "Yesterday, at noon." Granny huffed, leaning on her cane.

  The guards nodded at each other. "Yes, that makes sense," one muttered, turning away from Granny Smith and poking an armored hoof in the dirt while his companion watched. He drew some circles and symbols in the damp earth, motioning out to the land before them. "Couldn't have gotten far... as the Southern Field is closer to the Everfree Forest than everything else, and assuming that he continued Northeast away from the house..."

   He jabbed a hoof at a point in his crude map, nodding to his fellow. "Tell the men to travel to the border and look for clues. Report to me as soon as possible. Bring a squad and continue looking through the northernmost part of the field. I'll continue through the rest of the area so we'll be nearby. Let nothing out of your sight and bring word every fifteen minutes."

   The other guard saluted and galloped off to his location. Turning back to Granny, who sat with an irritated look on her face and a hoof tapping idly on the ground, the remaining guard smiled and nodded. "We'll find your grandson, Ms. Smith. Alive or dead, we'll make it of our up most importance. The Apple Family has the condolences and good wishes of the Royal Guard." he said, before barking to one of his men and walking off.

   Her eyes dilated at the word 'dead', but she muttered some curses his way as he walked off, waving a hoof menacingly in the air. Granny sighed and picked herself up, looking around for her other grandchildren. Waddling away from the troops in search, she scowled at any soldiers who passed her way and offered their sorrows. Told them there was somethin' evil in that storm. Did they listen? Nope. N' now Ah got some milk-drinkin' foals on mah yard who can't tell a hoof print from dog dung. Granny thought bitterly. "S'just some old-mare-tale" they said. Bah! Ah shoulda never doubted myself. Now.. where are those little whipersnappers anyway?

   Applebloom was sitting on the porch of the house, her eyes filled with melancholy and confusion. Applejack stood by her side with a comforting hoof around her shoulder. With them was Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were nowhere to be found. Granny smiled and waddled closer.

   "It's all very confusing," Twilight was saying to Applejack, looking and waving to the approaching form of Granny Smith. "and very brilliant too. Obviously it took wit and planning to execute such an abduction. He's very strong, so I bet that the ponynapper took him unawares. Otherwise, there's no possible way for a big stallion such as himself to be caught without the perpetrator being slowed down."

   Granny was at the steps as Fluttershy nodded, if a bit uncertain. "Well... could it be that h-he was knocked unconscious? " she asked, eliciting a ponderous nod from everypony else.

   "True... Though that's the case with most abductions. Big Mac would've put up quite a fight, unless he suffered a quick and fatal wound. Of course, the pony would have gotten pretty close to deliver such a blow, unless it were a gun... but the blood, and the prints would be... ugh. In either case, he would be unconscious or-"

   "D-Dead?" the Pegasus squeaked miserably, looking close to passing out by the way she seemed to cower into herself.

   Rarity, who stood to the opposite side of Twilight, nodded politely. "Yes, deceased." she said, smiling as Granny clambered up the steps. "Oh, but let us talk no more of such barbaric matters in the company of Ms. Smith. How are you, dear?" She offered a hoof out to the old mare, which she swatted feebly away.

   "Ah'm old, but Ah ain't that old. Ah've had my fair share of death through my years." she said with a small, tired little laugh. "And I'm fine, Miss Rarity. What brings y'all out here to Sweet Apple Acres, as if Ah need ta' guess?"

   Twilight was jostled out of her thought process by Granny's approach, and turned to smile as she patted Applejack on lightly on the shoulder. "Well, we heard about what happened, as I'm sure you're... well aware, and came over to give our condolences."

   Granny found her rocking chair, a little moist from the rain, and slowly sat down with a tiny grunt of satisfaction. "Ah've had enough of condolences for the time being. 'Stead of sitting around here moping, we should be out there looking." Getting comfortable in her chair, she sighed in relief with a breathy laugh. "That is, of course, after Ah have my rest. These joints ain't what they used tah be, and talking to them blundering guardsponies left me all tuckered out."

   The three ponies nodded. "Well, Granny Smith, we're here to help in any way we can." Twilight smiled, gesturing to her friends. They all murmured words of agreement, all but Applejack.

   "Honestly, Twi, Ah think we're fine." she said, looking down at her little sister. "And Ah appreciate the offer, Ah really do, but Ah don't want y'all gettin hurt, or worse."

   Granny scowled again, scrunching up her features. "Oh, hush now. They offered their help to find Mac, and darn right we're gonna accept it! We can use all the help we can get right now." She sighed and rocked back and forth in her chair. "Though the guards did say that the search is movin' to the Everfree Forest, and who knows what lurks around in there, and Ah would hate ta see you girls get hurt."

   "W-We'll be fine on t-the farm, Ms. Granny Smith." Fluttershy stammered, hiding behind Twilight at the first mention of the Everfree Forest. "I'm sure there's something we could do that's s-safer here."

   Twilight seemed thoughtful. "Well... I suppose this can work. Our talents would probably be best put to use here searching for clues."

   Granny nodded, content. "That'll do fine, Twilight." she said, rocking.

   "Oh, this is all such nasty buisness." Rarity drawled, already stepping down onto the soft ground. "But I do hope we find the poor stallion. We're all worried sick."

   Twilight and Fluttershy nodded. "And we will find him," Twilight said, "Don't worry, Granny. We'll do our best."

   "Ah'm sure you will." Granny replied, looking to Applejack. "AJ, you better go with them. Ah'll watch over Applebloom." The orange mare nodded, hugging her sister quickly before following her friends. "Take care now!"

   Together, the four went off towards a group of guardsponies nearby. Applebloom crawled up beside Granny, who laid a hoof tenderly atop her head. The sun was already beginning to set in the distance, with small fingers of light drifting off in the horizon as the afternoon set in. The hustle and bustle of the guards drifted off as Granny closed her eyes for a brief moment.

   "Granny?"

   "Eh, w-what?" the old mare mumbled as she jerked out of the close embrace of sleep. "What's that, Applebloom?" She looked down to the filly at her side, who looked back up with big, round eyes.

   "Are they gonna find Big Mac?" she asked, with a hint of concern touching her voice.

   Granny laughed, patting the girl on the head, looking out to the sunset. "As sure as the moon rises n' the sun sets every day, so don't fret none. He'll be back." she reassured.

He'll be back.

   When Granny awoke, it was late at night and a blanket was draped over her small form. Stars twinkled brightly in the dark sky, surrounded by soothing hues of purple and blue. She gave a feeble yawn, brushing away the blanket from her chair, and instantly felt the chill of the midnight air biting at her frail skin. She picked up the blanket again, draping the blanket over her shoulders, shivering.

Ah must of dozed off... she thought, grabbing around blindly for her cane. Ah'm gettin too old for this.

   It had been nearly three weeks since Big Mac went missing, most likely never to return. His picture was posted in every newspaper, on the lips of everypony in town, and yet nopony had seen the stallion. Guards came and left the farm, searching and finding nothing, asking the same questions and getting the same answers. Granny seemed to age within these past weeks, as did the rest of the remaining girls. Applebloom was out more with her friends, avoiding the farm every chance she got as if the place had been cursed. Applejack worked harder and more often, never losing hope but becoming more solemn every day that passed. And Granny... she found solace in the outside air, sleeping and watching the world go by as she has done so many times before.

   She stopped searching for her cane, staring off into the space that hung over the orchards she had grown up in. Never once had something like this happened. The Apple Family was close-knit, never without sight of one another. And where are they now? she wondered. Where's the family now? Off living their lives, payin' no mind to the bunch of hillbillies that got their own kin lost? The thought made her breath a slight chuckle. Well, we've certainly come a long way since the Old Times. And Ah'm still stuck with my old stories... Where am I in this?

Ah don't know what ta' do. She closed her eyes for a second, thinking about all of the years that led up to this day. And we've come a long way indeed. She sighed, a small yawn if anything else. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she tapped the arms of her rocker chair, making it sway just slightly. Crickets were chirping in the distance, and some bird was cooing in a late-night flight. Moonlight streamed through the leaves of the many apple trees that surrounded the farm. Our legacy...

   It was a perfect moment to fall asleep to the sounds of nature around her, like so many times when she was a filly. Though, she remembered, she wasn't so young anymore. Times were changing, things were happening, and everypony had their own plans and their own lives. Yet we're all connected. We still have family. she thought, smiling in remembrance. And family is forever.

   Shakily, with old bones, Granny lifted herself from her chair. She huddled the blanket closer, looking around in search of the cane she had misplaced. The floorboards underneath her creaked as she put her weight on them, turning around in the dark light. Now where is that darn thing? Did AJ or Applebloom take it inside? She huffed, annoyed. Well why take the cane and not the pony!

   Disgruntled, she turned around and opened the wooden door to the family home. All was dark inside, save for a low-burning candle that barely sent off any light. Her hooves clacked on the floor as she shuffled slowly into the living room. Her body ached with the remnants of sleep and fatigue, yet still she squinted in the darkness for the stairs that led up to the bedrooms. Picking up the candle from its perch on a table, she shone its light on the figures of the room.

  Darkness was banished, casting eerie shadows on the walls and floors as the old mare hobbled into the kitchen. Inside, dirty plates sat on counters, ready to be washed, and utensils were hung on walls and on cabinets for easy access. Granny walked towards the back of the room where the entry to a hallway lay, when she heard a faint thumping sound.Her ear swirled at the sound, and her head perked up, stopped in her tracks.

   "Who's there?" she called in her pitched voice, eyes squinted as she laid down the candle on a counter. Soon, the thumping noise stopped, and silence fell afterwards. Some dirty animal... she thought, eyes wandering over the forms of the kitchen. Faintly, crickets chirped outside, and some small creaking of the house filtered through the rooms.

   The thumping sound resumed again, urgently, as Granny picked the candle up again. Her brow furrowed, mouth tight. "Now what the hay is that gosh-darn noise?" she whispered to herself. The thumps were soon accompanied by scratching, and small whines. Winnona?

   The sounds came from outside, surely, full of panic. What's that dog doin' up n' outside so late? Granny wondered as she shuffled faster to the hall. To the right of the doorway, a screen door filtered in moonlight, giving pale light from the outside. And outside sat Winnona, the family dog, scratching and clawing at the wood and screen with hasty paws. Her eyes were wide and at the sight of Granny, she started barking feverishly accompanied by whines and low growls.

   "Now what's got you all worked up, Winnona?" Granny chuckled, relieved. She came slowly to the door and the dog, who barked happily as her tail wagged. "Hush on up now, Ah'll get ya inside." she said as she unlocked the door. "What are you doing outside so late? Did AJ leave you out?" She chuckled, a bit confused as her hoof came to the doorknob. "That's mighty strange. Applejack isn't one to forget-"

   Immediately, the dog began to bark uncontrollably, her eyes fixated on a point behind the old mare. Her claws ripped desperately at the door, though all too late. There was a glint of steel reflected in the moonlight as it came down swiftly and silently through the night.

   Winnona howled at the scent of blood and the smallest of choked cries. She stumbled off the steps, suddenly weary and afraid, as axe cut through skin and muscle and frail bone. Again the axe fell, over and over, butchering off limbs and body quickly and efficiently. There were cracks and sickening squishing sounds and she scampered off to get away from the massacre, her hunting legs carrying her to the nearest cluster of trees and leaving all of the blood behind.