The early sun had long risen above the horizons that peaked over Sweet Apple Acres. The Mane 6 were scattered about the many acres of the land, preparing for what would be the best Hearth’s Warming party yet. Pinkie Pie was going around ordering the other ponies to do different things, making sure that everything was in tip-top shape for the night.

“Come on, girls! We need this place to be nothing but pinkie-perfect before everypony arrives. I want to see you all on hyperdrive, running around and getting things done! Come on!” Pinkie Pie ordered, her mane wiggling atop her head as she shouted the words. The other mares rushed to their work stations, feeling pressured by the pink party pony’s outbursts.

“Pinkie, it’s not like we are hosting the party for everypony in Equestria.” Rainbow Dash muttered, flying up to the top of the barn to hang up banners.

“And what does that imply? That there should be flaws? That it is fine if things are just ok? Pinkie Pie mocked, raising her brow.

“No, Pinkie. That’s not what she means.” Twilight said. “We are just worried that you are working not only us, but also yourself, too hard.”

“Preposterous. Do you know who I am, Twily?” Pinkie Pie said, flipping her mane back with a pompous attitude. “I am Pinkamena Diane Pie, party planner extraordinaire. I will do anything and everything to make sure this party is nothing but one hundred percent perfect.”

“That’s good n’ all, sugarcube. But let us take our time. Better we do things right than rushed.” Applejack said.

“Ok, you have a point.” Pinkie Pie said, lowering her head as she moped.

“Don’t fret, darling. Just do your part, we will do ours.” Rarity said, reaffirming the pink pony that the party would be nothing but elegant and magnificent.

The party planning, decorations and all, seemed to be going rather well and according to schedule. The sun was high above the land, notifying the mares that only a few more hours were left before guests would arrive. Twilight proceeded to organize the tables and the like when a thought appeared in her head.

“Hey, has anypony seen Carter?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t think so.” Rainbow Dash replied. “He is probably pretending to arrive late so he doesn’t have to do any of the hard work.”

“That doesn’t sound like him. I am sure that he has a good reason to be so behind schedule.” Fluttershy said. “Besides, I think we are doing just fine with just the six of us.”

“Oh, sure. Just forget about me as usual.” Spike said, rolling his eyes.

“We would never forget about you, Spikey-Wikey.” Rarity said, giving the purple dragon a quick kiss on his cheek.

“Good to know at least somepony cares.” Spike said, rubbing his hand over his blushing cheek.

“What’s going on over there?” Fluttershy wondered, pointing her hoof over towards an enormous crowd of ponies. The others stopped whatever it was they were doing and turned their full attention towards the crowd, intrigued by the number of ponies standing before them. They all looked completely beaten and bruised, covered in dirt and blood. Yet even with that in mind, they all had smiles upon their faces, as if they were happy with their current condition. The mares looked at each other in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Was there a rally of sorts that you ordered, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“No. At least, I don’t remember a reason for ordering one.” Twilight said, rubbing her hoof against the back of her head as she thought. “Even then, why do all these ponies look like a bunch of zombies straight out of nightmare night?”

“Love how you ask us of all ponies.” Rainbow Dash said with a smug look on her face.

“Just thinking out loud, Dash!” Twilight shouted in mild irritation with a troubled look in her eyes.

As the mares stood there and watched the seemingly endless number of ponies pass by the farm, one distinct figure stood out to them. A familiar red stallion with a dark black mane. He too looked as though he was brutally beaten alive. He was surrounded by a pack of timberwolves, and upon his back rested what looked like a large snake.

“Carter!” Fluttershy shouted, waving her hoof around in the air to get his attention. The alicorn looked over and saw the others standing in a little clump. He smiled and turned to meet up with them, jumping the white fence that surrounded the acreage and running towards the others.

“You are late!” Pinkie Pie shouted, slightly irritated with the stallion’s performance. “We have been here since the break of dawn hanging up party things and you dare come here at this time. Shame on you.” Pinkie had a bit of a light hearted tone in her voice, but it was still quite evident that she was not entirely happy.

“Forgive me, girls. It would appear that I nearly dealt with more than I could endure. I am here, now, and that is what matters. Correct?” Carter said jokingly. A small amount of leftover blood from his wounds passed over his left eye, which he used a hoof to wipe off.

"Carter, what happened to your eye?" Twilight inquired, finding a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt across Carter's eye.

"A nasty scar, nothing too much." Carter said.

Fluttershy gasped in horror as she saw the group of timberwolves standing behind Carter. She also saw Conda sitting right on top of the stallion, staring at the mares with his tongue flicking in and out of his mouth rhythmically. She hid her face behind her mane and dove behind Rainbow Dash.

"I know what you are thinking, Fluttershy. These timberwolves, although the same ones from that one night, are now my friends. They helped me free these ponies from Tartarus. Well, them and Conda, who I know you have already met." Carter said, motioning to the timberwolves to introduce themselves.

Fluttershy, with a few moments to gain her courage, walked out into the open and timidly stood across from the pack of timberwolves, waiting for something along the lines of a friendly greeting. Gaea walked up to the fearful pegasus, bowing before her. Once she saw that the timberwolves meant no harm towards her, Fluttershy let out a shy sigh and bowed in return.

"I remember you." Fluttershy said, noticing the scar along Gaea's eye.

"I recognize you too, Fluttershy." Gaea stood up and smiled at the pegasus pony. "I haven't forgotten the kindness you showed me when you healed my wounds. Rest assured, I will repay you in full."

"Awe. I thank you for those kind words. But you really don't owe me anything." Fluttershy said.

Carter introduced the team to the others, listing off each of their names. While that was happening, Twilight was becoming rather impatient, demanding answers concerning Carter's previous whereabouts.

"Where were you, Carter?" Twilight asked, speaking with a passive aggressive tone, demanding a good and valid answer. "Where did you find all these ponies? What do you mean when you say, Tartarus?"

"I will tell you everything later, Twilight. Right now it's about friends. I am here to give Applejack her present." Carter said, looking over towards the farm pony.

"Woah now, Carter. We ain't that far into the night quite yet." Applejack said, surprised that he was the one who owed her a gift.

"I know, but this can't wait. Believe me, if we did, they wouldn't be too happy." Carter said.

"They? Waddya mean, they?" Applejack questioned.

"Actually… this is a present for your whole family." Carter said, shaking a bit as he continued speaking. His nerves were becoming quite evident to the others, each of them giving off different looks of confusion towards the stallion. "Sorry, I am just very anxious to see your reaction when you meet them. Go get the others and bring them outside, quickly."

"Carter, I ain't have the fondest idea about what yer talkin' about." Applejack said, rolling her eyes at the stallion. "However, if it really can't wait, then I guess that I will be right back with the others."

With that, Applejack ran back to her house searching for the other members of her family. While the small moment of peace and quiet fell upon the rest of them, Twilight noticed something rather odd about Carter. She could've sworn she saw a tear roll down his cheek as he watched Applejack go fetch her family. This was concerning, as Carter never really cried around them.

"Carter," Twilight said, slowly walking over to the red alicorn. She came up to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder, sympathetically grazing it across his back. "You aren't yourself. Do you want to talk about it?"

“No, Twilight. Believe me, I am fine.” Carter said, reaching behind him and placing his hoof softly atop hers. “I am just anxious, that’s all.”

“Anxious?” Twilight asked. “Anxious for wha-” The lavender mare’s words were immediately pulled from her mind once she looked behind the stallion. Standing just behind him were two very familiar ponies, both of which looked as if they too were brutally beaten. It took everypony less than a second to figure out who they were just by looking at their cutie mark.

“Wait… is that…” Fluttershy said, finding herself at a loss for words as well. The ability to process what the mares found standing before them was beyond their comprehension.

“Don’t say anything, girls. I want this to stay a surprise.” Carter said firmly, nodding to the others. They did the same gesture in return to affirm the stallion that he was heard. In the blink of an eye everypony was feeling giddy for the big reveal. Of course, out of all the ponies in the area, Pinkie Pie was by far the most hyper, jumping around the place as she held in her ever-growing excitement.

In time the rest of the Apple family came out to find out what the big deal was. Applejack led her family to the rest of the ponies, Apple Bloom was idly following behind her big sister, and Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle were helping Granny Smith while she tried walking around with her twig-like legs. The moment finally came upon them. Looking around at all the rest of the ponies, the Apple family felt a bit of excitement arise in themselves.

“Ok, Carter. Ya got our attention, now what do ya want to show us that is just so important?” Applejack inquired. Carter looked down at the ground, hiding a very big smile upon his face. He looked up at the Apple family and took a deep breath to control himself before speaking.

“Applejack and fam, I am very happy with the gift I got you. Actually, I don’t think I can even call it my gift, as it's more of their gift. Anywho, I… oh boy, this is gonna sound crazy.”

“Carter, ya ain’t make’n a lick of sense. Just show us the present already.” Applejack said, beginning to feel rather impatient.

“Ok, I understand. I will just show you.” Carter said. He turned his head behind his shoulder and motioned for the two ponies to come down from the bushes which they hid behind. They nodded to the stallion and proceeded towards the Apple family. It was by this moment that Applejack, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, Sugar Belle and Granny Smith all had looks of absolute shock upon their faces. By first glance, the entirety of the Apple family was in denial, finding it impossible that what they saw was real. Both the orange mare and the yellow stallion in front of them were in tears, barely holding back their emotions.

“I think you two need to go say hi to your family. It’s been a while.” Carter said. Applejack slowly approached the mare, shaking in place with each step she took. Soon in each other’s faces, it took a few seconds before any more words were spoken.

“M-M-Mom?” Applejack whispered, still unable to fully grasp the reality of the situation.

“Hi, sugarcube.” The mare said, looking down at her daughter. The tears began to accumulate within her eyes. “It’s really me, Applejack. It’s your mother, Pear Butter.”

“No… that can’t be. We all thought you were… how can this…?” Applejack began fumbling over her words, tears began filling her eyes as well.

“I know, I thought we would never see you again. But, if it weren’t for your friend here, I don’t think we would ever get this chance.” Pear Butter said, pointing her hoof at Carter. The yellow stallion eyed Big Mac, who was unable to do anything but stare at them, jaw left agape.

“Big Mac? Is that you?” The stallion asked. “It’s your pa, Bright Mac.” Big Mac could not say anything, only spill out tears of happiness.

"Oh my gosh, little Apple Bloom!" Pear Butter shouted with joy, running up to the little filly with open arms and hugging her with the most affection and love any parent could give off. "You are such a big girl. How old are you, sweetie?"

"I'm 16." Apple Bloom replied, her voice cracking up a bit as her emotions got the best of her.

The Apple family was left to regroup with their long lost relatives, spending every second they had to make sure the other was real. The amount of love and affection coming from the family reunion was more than enough, each of the family members unafraid to show their love towards each other.

Carter sat back with the others and watched the fruits of his labor spread joy and happiness before him. He felt genuine happiness bubble inside him as he observed the Apple family, feeling warmth inside him grow, knowing that he was able to do the impossible. Twilight placed her hoof on his shoulder and smiled at him.

“You did a great thing, Carter. I don’t know how you managed to pull it off, but you did.” Twilight said, wiping a tear away from her eye with her hoof.

“Yeah, you really did! Were you just trying to one-up us with gifts? Because if so, that isn’t what the holiday is about!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“Quiet, Rainbow Dash. Let the family have their special moment.” Rarity demanded, waving her hoof towards the others. “This doesn’t happen everyday, you know.”

“It’s so great to see them so happy.” Fluttershy said. The cream colored pegasus, along with Pinkie Pie were nothing but emotional disasters, crying to themselves as they watched idly by.

Carter and Twilight held each other's hoof, enjoying the time spent watching Applejack and her siblings reunite with their long lost parents. Rarity was right, things like this didn't happen on a daily basis, and boy did it feel good.

A few more moments went on as they continued basking in the glorious moment. Eventually the family got control of themselves and calmed their emotions. Applejack looked over at Carter and blushed. She ran over to him and jumped into his forelegs, hugging the hell out of him. She squeezed the stallion to bits, using her mighty strength to show her most sincere appreciation. Without thinking, she leaned in and gave him a big kiss. Realizing what she had just done, she quickly pulled her head back, her blush was becoming even more intense. The stallion said nothing, allowing the farm pony to act however she pleased.

“I-I-I don’t know what to say, Carter. This is… oh my gosh, this is more than I could’ve asked for.” Applejack said, continuing to hug Carter. “I can’t begin to thank you for everything that you have done for me and my family. Words cannot describe my honest appreciation that I have for you.”

“Then don’t say anything, Applejack. Just let the moment pass.” Carter said, using his hoof to gently stroke her mane as she nuzzled against him. The two ponies seemed to make an inseparable bond, their love for each other surpassing all expectations of how friends should treat each other. As they continued their hug, one by one the rest of the ponies slowly joined in, soon creating a big group hug. The ponies wrapped their hooves around each other, giving off fuzzy feelings to everypony else. The happiness inside all of them hit a new high, not one of them wanting the moment to end.

It had to end eventually, but no one could ever guess how…

Carter’s smile immediately left him, changing into a look of dread and extreme fear. He pushed everypony away from him and ran away from the group. He got down on the ground and shouted in denial. The others looked at him, concerned for him and his strange reactions. But they were soon right alongside him once they found out his reasons for such outrageous reactions.

Lifting her from the ground, Applejack looked down upon Granny Smith. The moment had come, and everypony knew it. The elder pony’s decrepit body began to fail her, slowly killing her in the process. Her life was gradually fading from the others. What seemed like the best day in their lives quickly changed to one of most sadness.

“Granny! Granny, don’t leave us, not now! It’s Hearth’s Warming! Ma and Pa are here, Granny! Granny, don’t leave us!” Applejack cried.

“Ack… Applejack. I-I-Is that y-y-you?” Granny Smith said, nothing but a faint whisper coming from her mouth.

“Yes, Granny. It’s me. You remember me, don’t you?” Applejack said, trying to keep the elder pony’s life in her.

“I am afraid I have to go, child.” Granny Smith said, slowly closing her eyes. “It is time for me to go meet up with Gramps.”

“No, you can’t leave now.” Applejack cried out.

“I know this is hard for you, child. But I must go.”

“No, you can’t leave! I won’t allow this!”

“Applejack!” Granny suddenly shouted. Applejack stopped her crying and took the moment to listen to her grandmother. “You are the leader of this farm. I sense greatness in you.” Granny Smith took off her scarf and handed it to Applejack, who took it from her and placed it in her lap. “I know you will do the right thing.”

“I… I…” Applejack took a deep breath before continuing. “I will, Granny. You can count on me.”

“Good.” Granny Smith looked over at the rest of the Apple family, smiling as she slowly faded from the world. “You fellows look after each other.” Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Sugar Belle all nodded, slowly resorting back to tears. “It was such a blessing to see you two again.” Bright Mac and Pear Butter both walked over to their mother and held her hoof. Pear Butter leaned in and kissed Granny Smith’s cheek.

“We love you, Mom. More than you will ever know.” Bright Mac said, shying away his feelings.

“You girls better stay friends with my granddaughter. She is a special one, ya know.” She said to the Mane 6. Twilight nodded to Granny Smith, the others doing the same right behind her. “And you, dear boy.” Carter looked over at the elder pony. “You keep doing what yer doing. I want to leave this place knowing that my family is happy during every second.” She held her hoof out towards him. Carter without hesitation grabbed her hoof and smiled. “Never forget who you are, dear boy. Never… never… n-n-n…”

The presence of Granny Smith faded from the rest of Equestria, her soul felt leaving her body and going someplace right for her. As the life force of the elder pony left the rest of them, sadness arose within each of them. Silence fell over the area, each pony grieving over the death of their beloved Granny Smith. Carter, however, had a different kind of sadness arise within him. He thought back to the night of his parent's death. He was reminded of when he had to endure watching them die before him and the hardships that fell upon with doing so. Having felt this feeling before, he knew what Applejack and her family was going through.

Carter looked over at Applejack, who was wanting nothing more but some time to process all her emotions. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know if it was the right thing to do. However, this time he chose to do what he thought was right. He shifted himself closer to her and wrapped his foreleg around the back of her neck, softly rubbing her shoulder. Applejack broke out into a fit of tears and buried her face against Carter's chest, crying aloud as she submitted herself into such a vulnerable state.

As the fur on his body slowly dampened as a result of the many tears from the farm pony accumulating on him, Carter simply sat there, pondering on the situation. He didn't want Applejack to ever go through this, but at least she passed away on her own accord. The only thing they could do was be happy that Granny Smith had such a great life and that she died when it was her time to go.

As silence came over the ponies, many forms of mixed emotions made their way into each and every pony. Sadness, guilt, grief, anger, loss, just to name a few. The day had taken the most harsh of turns, going from supreme happiness to unprecedented depression. The worst came upon Pear Butter and Bright Mac, who only got to see a few minutes of their mother before she passed away. It wasn't anything that they could've stopped, but it hurt with a throbbing pain in their hearts, nonetheless.

~

As the cold rain continued to pour down along the many acres of land that Sweet Apple Acres had to offer, Applejack and the others gathered around a small memorial stone for their very own Granny Smith. They gave each other a moment of silence to honor the accomplishments and love that she had given them with each day while she walked among Equestria. With every head bowed and every I closed, the feeling of sympathy and joy came over each pony, filling them with hope that Granny Smith was in a better place.

With a few minutes to recover from their most emotional afternoon before turning their attention back to the party, Carter stood atop a small cliff that peaked over the land beneath him. He looked up at the sky, closing his eyes and feeling the wind press against his face. He needed a minute to recover, and now was his chance to do so. In the moment of it all, Carter felt the presence of his parents, as if they were watching over him at this very moment. Instead of pushing the feeling away, he instead let it happen, hoping that nothing but good would come from it.

Seeing their faces once more brought the once-human some much needed comfort, calming his testosterone affected mind. The smiles on their faces gave Carter hope, the hope that he was doing the right thing with every decision he made, the hope that he was really becoming a better man, the hope that he was truly becoming… a friend.

With his eyes closed towards the clouds above and his soul filled with the joy and happiness that he had lacked for so long, Carter's horn glowed its normal red color, illuminating the nearby area. With a smile upon his face, Carter subconsciously shot a beam of magic up into the sky, exploding into a burst of firework-like explosions. In time, the storm clouds slowly moved away, pushing back the rain and letting the sun above them reappear in the blue sky. He opened his eyes, nodding his head to his parents as the vision of those he loved slowly faded into the clouds.

Carter turned to Applejack and slowly approached her. He came up into her view and gave off a sympathetic smile to make her feel better. She looked up at him, putting her hat back on top of her head and standing up off the damp ground.

"You doing alright?" Carter asked.

"Yeah, I am doing quite fine." Applejack said, wiping away her tears. "Thank ya kindly for asking. It's good to see that the rain has cleared out. Wouldn't want something like that ruining the party."

"Oh, yeah. That's good, I guess." Carter said, looking at the clear sky above him, unaware that it was his own magic that cleared the skies of the unwanted clouds. "I suppose that it's a good thing that you are back to your normal self so quickly."

"Oh, Carter." Applejack said, turning her attention towards the gravestone, letting out a deep sigh. "I am really going to miss her, but she has done her part. It was her time to leave this world and it is our job to accept it." She looked over at Carter and smiled. "Carter, thank you so much for all that you have done. I know that the timing of all this is nothing but horrible, but I still appreciate you for everything. You have made my family so happy, something that hasn't happened for quite some time. My gratitude is immeasurable."

Applejack leaned in and gave Carter a passionate kiss on his lips. Her eyes shut and her right front hoof hung over his shoulder. Carter, surprised by the sudden action, simply stood there, allowing the mare to do her thing. After a few seconds, Applejack pulled her head back and smiled, Carter did the same in return.

"Thank you, Carter. Never stop being that brave, noble friend you prove to be." Applejack said, blushing behind the shade from her hat. Carter subtly nodded to her in respect, not blushing, but enjoying the after effects of the farm pony's gesture all the same. Applejack lowered her hoof and looked towards the others who were already back to work.

"I will miss her, too." Carter said. "But never forget that the girls and I are always here for you, thick and thin of it all."

"Thank you, Carter. But you deserve a break. You have done more than I could've ever asked for." Applejack smiled, hiding another oncoming blush. "By the way, where did you find my parents? Why were they gone for so long?"

"Grogar." Carter said, lightly gritting his teeth just thinking about the vile ram and their encounter.

Author's Note

And with that, the legacy of Sweet Apple Acres is passed down to Applejack, the new mare in charge of the farm. Rest in Peace, Granny Smith. You will be missed.

We are nearing the end of the story. 2 more chapters before it comes to an end...?

As always, feel free to PM me or simply comment if ya have any questions or simply have something to say.

Chao.