Applejack and Big Machintosh, still wearing their mourning dress, their heads hanging low, were sitting on the orange couch of the notary's waiting room, awaiting their turn for hear Granny Smith's last will. However, Applejack had some concerns, about the notary, his honesty, and his motivations.
“Brother... are you sure about Ugodan Birokrat's offer to make us a free notary deed?” Asked Applejack with a monotonous voice.
“Eyup,” said Big Machintosh with his usual calm voice “sure as the ground we are standing on. He said that he was gonna read Granny Smith's will to us for free.”
Applejack looked at her brother, her eyes still shinging for the tears shed not so long ago, and her voice slightly cracking, like if she was going to burst into tears once again.
“But... he hates our guts! Why he would that?”
“Ugodan said that it was pointless for him keep his grudge, now that the reason for his hatred against us is gone.” The red stallion said without expressing anychange of emotion.
The orange mare asked with more pathos.
“Wasn't the source of his hatred our existence, full stop?”
“Nope,” answered Bigh Machintosh laconically.
“Then why he keeps saying that we are squatting one of his holdings?” Applejack said with passionate confusion.
Big Machintosh briefly broke his stocism for express annoyance.
“I don't know and I don't wnat to. Besides, sis, do you really want to hire a notary from the city? You know how much they cost, and, even if he is our rival, we should accpet his offer. After all, what he can do, besides insult us?”
Applejack sighed, at her brother's statment.
“Guess you are right.”
Then the silence briefly ruled between the two. Then, a door at the opposite end of the room opened, revealing a cyan unicorn secretary levitating some papers and a couple of ponies, one a red mare and the other a purple stallion, going out of the room. The couple of ponies quickly left the studio.
The secretary, while putting the papers on a naerby desk, said with an almost boot-licking voice.
“The notary is in. Enter, if you will.”
Applejack looked at Big Machintosh, and the red stallion nodded. Sighig Applejack stood up, and walked along with her brother towards the door.
The notary's studio was richly decorated and furnished: it had some kind of huge wardrobe with bookshelves for the booklets of the deeds and wooden-framed alabaster flaps on the right wall, an old pinewood table that spanned from end to end of the room in the center, eight baroque chairs distribuited evenly alongside the table, a bigger oak padded chair at the head of the table, and a marble ashtray encased in the table.
Ugodan Birokrat was a dark gray unicorn stallion with a white spot of fur on his neck, light brown eyes with an eye form slightly resembling the one of the mongolians, bald on the head and a shabby tail.
The notary wore a white tie with his initials sew with red thread, a striped light gray waistcoat, and turtle-framed bifocal glasses.
When Applejack and Big Machintosh were entering in the room, he was placing a booklet on the table. The sound of hooves got his attention.
“Good morning, Mr. Macintosh and Ms. Applejack,” said the notary with a polite voice, while he was undoing the cloth node that kept the booklet close “sit down, please, while I take the will of Ms. Smith.”
Applejack looked at her brother. Her brother nodded, and Applejack nodded back, and sat on one of the chairs. Her borther did likewise.
After few seconds, the booklet was open. Ugodan took the stack of files, and started to look at them, discarding the old or current wills of other ponies that used Ugodan's services in the past, until he found what he was looking for, a yellowed envelope closed with a seal made of blue sealing wax.
“Alright, here we go,” said the notary, while he sat on his padded chair on the head of the table, and, with his magic, delicately snapped the seal in two identical pieces. Applejack noticed something on Ugodan's face and gestures that made her suspicious, something she could not excatly tell what was it, but surely didn't promised any good in the near future.
The dark gray stallion took out the piece of paper inside, levitated it with his magic, and put it at reading level.
He read iwth a solemn and serious voice, his face void of any emotions.
“In date 16 November of the Anno Solaris 1322, the here present Apple Smith, in full control of her mental faculties, with the undersigned as only witness, declares, as heir of ten square kilometers of her land,” a smirk grew on Ugodan's face “Mr. Rich Filthy.”
Applejack and Big Machintosh widened their eyes in surprise at the declaration.
“Maybe Granny wanted to reward Filthy Rich for begin such a great trade partner.” Thought the orange pony for reassure herself, while her brother kept looking bewilded at the notary.
The notary continued.
“She declares, as heir of a real estate of one hundred and fifty-four square meters, and sixty-nine square kilometers of land,” the smirk turned into a wicked smile that worried Applejack “Mr. Birokrat Ugodan.”
Big Machintosh exclaimed.
“What? You are the heir of...”
The notary hushed the red stallion.
“Let me end.” He said, before coughing again, and returning to read again.
“She declares as heir of three square kilometers of land near the Wild Zone of Everfree Mr. Apple Machintosh.”
“That's it? Three kilometers?” Said the red stallion with annoyance and bewildment. “That's impossible!”
While her brother said that, Applejack realized something.
Namely, that her family's entire land propety in Ponyville amounted exactly at ninty-two square kilometers, house ecluded. This worried Applejack, who feared to be left landless, and with little to no money for survival for her and her little sister.
But the truth was far worse.
“She also declares that the money, bodies and souls of her two nephews Applebloom and Applejack no longer belong to them, but to Mr. Rich Filthy and Birokrat Ugodan respectively.”
