Passing the Baton

by Nailah

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Death, Granny Smith, Sad, Applejack
Length: 1062

She has lived a long fulfilled life, but in her final moments will she have the strength to let go?

As time passes, we all grow old but it's not about the life we live, but how we affect the lives of the ponies around us that makes living worthwhile.

Prereader: TheQueenChrysalisForever: https://www.fimfiction.net/user/246282/QueenChrysalisForever

Picture credit to: ?

Published 2020-04-19 01:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-04-19 01:50:01 UTC

Living Life

Huff...huff...If only she had been faster. If only she was younger, she wouldn’t be here. She panted heavily, her heart racing a mile a second. She knew it was time to give her family one last hurrah. Throughout the years she had always been there. Surrounded by the ones she loved, and even now as she reflected on the past, she could still feel them surrounding her in her weakest moments.

She have prevented this from happening? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was it was well past her time to leave this world and rest up beyond the clouds, no matter how much she felt she needed to be here for her family. They’d be lost without her. How could they manage the farm with her gone? How could she stop the bickering between the two eldest of the family? How would the little one handle her death? She didn’t want to leave them, but young like she used to be. She knew it was time, but she wasn’t ready.

She felt the gentle touch of a hoof upon her hoof, as she could hear a pony ssshhing her. She groaned, and crumpled up a bit. She tried to speak, but felt a hoof over her lips. She could hear the murmurs of the crowd around her. They weren’t speaking to her as if she was dying, but as if this was her last hurrah.

Ponyville, she had helped it to become the town it was. It felt right that she should die here too. Her lips curled upright into a soft and soothing smile, she gripped the hoof holding hers with the last of her strength. Her eyes fully lidded, her breathing becoming less and less vocal. Until finally she felt the call to the world beyond.

Even now as her spirit was ascending to heaven, she glanced down to her grandchildren. The three of them standing there all huddled together crying. She knew her death saddened them, and she knew it would be hard to move on, but she knew it was her time, and she knew they would be okay. She felt at ease with her passing. Time would move on without her, life would go on, and she would impact generations to come. She couldn’t help smiling looking down on her family, and seeing the impact she had made already by just being there through all the years.

Loss wasn’t something she knew would be easy, but as Granny Smith passed away holding her hoof, she sniffled, and found herself sobbing. Tears rolling down her face, as she buried her face into Granny’s mane, she missed her so much already. The responsibility was now hers, she had to take care of the farm. Big Mac was moving away to make his own family with Sugar Belle, and Apple Bloom was growing up before her eyes. She would be left to run the farm, it was her dream to stay right here on Apple Acres and lead the Apples for decades to come. She could feel Granny Smith’s spirit, even if she wasn’t here. The wind whipped around her in a gentle hush. She sniffled a bit, and tipped her head, her ears drooped slightly, shutting her eyes, she just sat there. Letting it all soak in. Granny Smith was gone, but she was still here. Apple Acres was still here, standing strong as ever, and Granny would be fussing at her to “nicker” up and get back to work. It comforted her a bit to see a blue blur heading her way. Perhaps, a visit from her special some pony would cheer her up, and help her in moving on. In leading the herd. She was a natural leader, and it was fitting it was her turn to take the reins.

Granny Smith had lived a good life, but she knew this wasn’t really about her death. Even now, she knew it was about the impact she had on the ponies around her that would help shape the future. Help build a stronger Ponyville, and Equestria would continue to thrive. Perhaps in the end, death is really just the beginning, not the ending. With that she smiled, bittersweet as she looked down upon a young Apple Bloom going on her first date.

Applejack nuzzled against Rainbow Dash as she landed. Rainbow Dash wrapped her wings around her lover. She kissed the top of her forehead, and just held her there. Rainbow Dash wasn’t a pony that showed emotions easily. She was a tough pony that could handle almost anything, except seeing Applejack cry.It broke her to pieces. She sssshhhhed her to the point, she was no longer sniffing into her chest fluff.

She’s gone....Granny is gone, and now I have to take her place as the head of the farm. It’s what she always wanted. She wished Granny could have seen it. Her loss affected everyone. Princess Celestia and Luna had come out of retirement to see her in her last moments. Aiding her in going on to the next world. Things would get better, but it would take time. The first part of that healing was to feel like everything had been torn away. To ache, and to suffer. To feel the comfort of another’s arms, or wings in Rainbow’s case, but each of them would have to figure out how to move on. Granny Smith had lived a long life, it wasn’t right of them to sulk and groan over her death. They had to push on, They had to make new memories, new beginnings. She simply laid there against her lover, just sighing in and out. Looking up at the night sky, noting it was a full moon, and just wishing that she could live up to Granny’s memory and be a good leader, be everything she had wanted her to be. Applejack wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Rainbow Dash felt it, and held her tightly. Sssshhing her, and nuzzling her more.

Author's Note

So...I am sure you are all wondering what the heck is Nailah doing? Writing a sad story? What strange world have we entered? FIRST Horror, now Sad.
Well I was really depressed today and decided to take advantage of it, with my first story with descriptions only. No dialogue whatsoever. It was quite the challenge.