What I want to tell you.

What I want to tell you Part 4: Storytelling

By FillyFooler.

I in no way own or have any rights to My Little Pony, it belongs to a creative team of artists and animators from Hasbro©.

Granny Smith took a deep breath, wheezing as though pained by what she was about to say. “ When  your father first met your mother, his first words to me were ' Ah'm going to marry that filly, mum'.  This was back when he was five and after the oranges first moved to ponyville.

I remember that they moved into the third house on right of the town hall, back before the entire street burned down. They were such a cute couple growing up” she said with a smile.

“It turned out he was right, he did marry OrangeBright. What a fantastic wedding that was, two great growing families merging.

There was talk of massive mega farms, even brand names. And there they were, Appleseed and OrangeBright, two children in love.

It seems only yesterday me and ya grandpappy were watching as they said their I do's, Ah even remember yelling at them to keep it down at nighttime” Granny gave a small chuckle.

“But this was before that terrible fire. For three days it burned, the great fire of 1534. Nearly burned the entire town down, and that was when we lost OrangeBright's parents.

How that damn fire burned, consuming all in it's path” she shudders “and of course we also lost grandpappy to that thing. Oh how I told him not to go but, whipper snapper that he was, he went and got himself killed, that darn foal.

We never did find out how it started, ponies still hate to think about it. We lost so many of this little town. But then we got wonderful news, OrangeBright was pregnant with you Big Mac. But that OrangeBright was never the same after the fire, never the same. Always crying, and wailing.

Middle of the night, I'ld find her downstairs sobbing on the table, saying how it was her fault, how she could of saved them. 'Cause it was all nonsense. Though if Appleseed wasn't as thick as he was, he would of seen how distressed she was, though even after pappy he was just as happy and go lucky as could be.” A small frown has now disappeared off her withered face as she goes on.

“And then you were born, Big Mac, all small cute and pink” Applejack and Applebloom smiled as  Big mac was graced with a blush “but even then she didn't care, she still went down at night and sobbed. Mind you she was a darn good mother, always feeding that big belly of yours mac, even when she was feeling down.

But then one day she just went and became completely the opposite, happy and lively as ya could wish for. It turns out, she got a new friend, the mare's you kids use to call Auntie Lilybloom.'

'Soon she was singing as she worked, happy all the time and the perfect daughter and wife. Then more good news came our way, you, Applejack, were going to be born. It was icing on top of cake, and I thought for sure that our little clan was heading in the right direction.

But soon cracks began to show between ya mother and father, at first it was just little things like her staying to long at Lilybloom's and him drinking a bit too much of our fermented cider. But soon they were arguing non-stop with real hate in their eyes, and my hope faded again.'

Granny Smith takes a few moments to stop and think as all three children look her way. “Then of course you were born, Applejack, and everything went back to the happy sweet way it was before. But I knew, knew it was false. I could see it in the way they moved around the house, talked, heck even in the way' Granny looks at Applebloom.

'They played bedroom. And 'fcourse Lily was staying around more, course Appleseed didn't see things right in front of his muzzle, and then Orangebright left.

Well for the first time anyway. You kids shouldn't remember it, cause you were so young but she just up and left. No note, no package, not a single thing to say why, when or where she went. We at the time assumed she had been ponynapped, so we called the authorities to find her. And wouldn't ya know it. Two day later they found her, well found is over doin' it.

They say they saw her, on a park bench kissing a mare.' Applejack gasps at this information, Applebloom, though not truly appreciating the implication of this information, has her eyes wide with wonder and intrigue and Big Mac seems to shake his head. Though what this meant is up to anypony in the room at that moment.

'And when we asked what this mare looked like, we knew it was Lilybloom. So before a shake of a cow's tail we were over there, demanding answers.

And by golly we got them, OrangeBright said how she had needed Appleseed but he had too inattentive to truly do anything. So she had turned to her friend, and after a time it had just seemed natural to be with Lilybloom.

And then the door was slammed in our face. Now I wasn't really that surprised, I had seen it develop.

But your father, your father took it hard. Had to damn near hurt him to come home that night and stop banging on their door.'

'Though the next day he returned, and started to knock again. They didn't let up for 2 hours before she answered him.

Course then your mother was guilt tripped by Appleseed, to see you kids.

And so she returned in a way, ah mean she wasn't there all the time but she tried her darndest to be a part of ya kids live while still being Lilybloom's special somepony.

During this appleseed started to drink, and drink heavily.'

'Now drunk, my son was as helpful as a sack of cotton but he could still talk. And as Celestia as my witness he must'a talked my ear of by the end of dat week bout your ma.

Then he started to talk to ya'll, don't much know what he said to ya'll but,' Both Applejack and Big Mac look down at this and remember, or try to at least 'I knew it was no good.

Though what could I do? He was your pappy. And through all this the farm had to stay afloat, and it was mostly up to me. And so that went on for a while, but then OrangeBright came back. Now, I rightly didn't want her back in my farm but Appleseed, being the foal that he was, took her back with open hooves. Never did find out why she came back, never even asked Appleseed did.

And ah wasn't really on speaking terms with her so I never found out too.'

Granny Smith takes a breather as Applejack and Big Mac contemplate what they had just being told. Applebloom then nudges Granny's shoulder and asks “So where do I come into the story Granny?”.

“Soon pickle pare, soon. So where was ah, oh right. So after coming back things seemed to calm down.

A day passed, then a week and soon, 'fore I could believe it, a year had gone and your Ma and pappy seemed completely normal with each other. Then Applebloom, you were found to be growing in your mamma's belly. Course for some reason your foal mother an' father went round Equestria for a year. Never really knew why they did that either.

And Applejack that was 'bout the time you went to Manehatten to stay with Uncle and Auntie Orange'.

Applejack smiles, remembering the rather fond memory of how she obtained her cutie mark. 'And course by the time Applejack got home, your mother and father we almost home too. And when they finally got home I knew that they were going to break up.

OrangeBright knew it too, though Appleseed pegasus head that he was didn't. And cours' you were there too Applebloom, all small and yellow. Now I didn't know when or why Appleseed and OrangeBright were going to break up, just knew.

But 'bout 3 months OrangeBright laid out on the dinner table, after ya kids had gone to bed. She had apparently figured out, that though sha loved you foals, she couldn't keep lying to both her self and Appleseed.

She was a Fillyfooler. Now at this Appleseed got right mad, all stomping and wailing. Only time I saw him hit your ma, and ah then stepped in. Telling him, no apple of mine would hit ponies when talking to them was good enough.

He then stormed off, later we found him in the hard cider. Clean went through half a barrel.

Now OrangeBright wanted to get going quick as a hare, but I reminded her of you kids and she agreed that for the next 3 weeks she would stay and get ready.'

Granny smith takes in breath, recalling through her memories a day she would rather forget. 'Now though OrangeBright was going in 3 weeks she never told ya anything, this was partly my fault. I didn't want you kids mad so, me and Orange made a story up of her needing to visit her family in Manehatten.

What she really was doing, was moving things she needed for her new life. Through all this Appleseed had started acting funny, strange sort of.

Talking to himself and drinking all hours of the day. Though what could I do, I was too busy. Now on one particular day OrangeBright was in Manehatten, and I was sure Appleseed was with me.

Now I know what I told you kids, and I know that Appleseed told you something on the night before. But well that day in Manehatten, your father killed you mother.' All the collected apple's  gasp excluding granny.

'And later that day I found a letter from Appleseed, telling me he was going to do it, and what he was going to do after it and what he wanted you kids to get. I never want to go though that again, never. That's why you have to promise me that you won't hurt that pegasus.'

Applejack replies with  “Bu...” before being interrupted by Granny Smith 'Promise me child, that you won't allow the hate that consumed your father to consume you to.”

Applejack looks dumfounded for a second, swallows, and forces herself to say “Okay Granny, Ah promise Ah won't hurt Fluttershy”.

At hearing this Granny Smith gets up and hugs Applejack round the neck, while also whispering “Thank you, thank you child”.

Soon Applebloom and Big Macintosh are also hugging Applejack. She feels loved, but in her head her mind is whirring. Thoughts, feelings, confusion.

It's all mixing and mashing. Like a sea torn apart and reunited by a thunderous storm, she doesn't know how to feel. But in that sea there is a rock, her family, her loving, loving family. A tear runs down her face as she relies this.

But all too soon the hug is over and her family is leaving. The farm still needs tendering to and they reckon she could do with some sleep. Promising as they leave to come back tomorrow, they go away and leave a thoughtful Applejack behind with only her thoughts for company.