The Lord of the Ponies: The Friendship of Equestria

Ch.5 Goodbye Granny Smith

The party ponies gasped at Granny's sudden disappearing trick. Several of them even got up and started to look for her, unbeknownst that Granny Smith walked amongst them, invisible to the naked eye as she departed for her home.

"WOWEE! What a great trick! I mean, didn't you see that! Granny was all like 'Goodbye', and then she went poof! O that was AMAZING! I gotta ask her how to do that next time I see her!" marveled the jubilant Pinkie Pie, to no one in particular, as she bounced around and contributed to the effort of locating Granny Smith.

Of all the ponies at that party, only Twilight's composure remained unchanged from Granny's disappearance. She just sat there, and considered two questions: one, how did Granny, a non-magical Earth Pony, disappear into thin air when even she, the most magically gifted unicorn in all of Equestria, could not succeed in such a task? The second question was much simpler: where would Granny go to escape all the wandering ponies?  Knowing the answer to both, Twilight got up, and amidst the confusion, snuck behind a tent, and teleported to the one place Granny would go to get away from all the ponies: Sweet Apple Acres.

***

Granny Smith soon reached her home, but even so far off as Sweet Apple Acres she still heard the worried clamor of other ponies as they vainly searched for her along the party grounds. Her hoof-prints imprinted in the dirt as she walked up to her front door. She opened the door, stepped inside, and finally closed it. She took off the ring, revealing her worn green frame. Granny Smith laughed at how easily she had fooled every single pony in Ponyville.

Granny eyed the ring with much appreciation, before she slid it into the tuft of fur along her midsection, and entered her living room, preparing to grab all the necessities for her long and arduous trip into the world.

"I suppose you think that was terribly clever," remarked Twilight, to the surprise of Granny Smith.

"GREAT GHOST APPLES!" exasperated Granny, holding a hoof to her heart.

"You have also seemingly forgotten that I can teleport to anywhere in Equestria at any given moment," added Twilight; the lavender Unicorn smirked at the surprise she caused the old pony.

"Now you just wait a cotton pickin' minute young missy. There's no reason to go on scaring folk like that!" sassed Granny.

"So I guess what you did to all of Ponyville was just...'harmless fun'?" questioned Twilight, hoping for an answer that wasn't hypocritical.

"Oh, come on now, Twilight. Did you see their faces? That wasn't scary, that was a hoot," snickered Granny, but Twilight wasn't amused anymore.

"There are many magic rings in this world, and none of them should be used lightly," lectured Twilight.

"It was just a bit of fun," defended Granny, only to get stared down by Twilight.

"Oh, you're probably right, as usual." Granny's head hung low as she walked around her living quarters, and picked up items which she packed into a saddle bag that sat on a nearby table.

"You won't need to worry about Apple Bloom though. She's got her big sis' and brother to look after her," assured Granny, and she continued to shuffle about and stuff things into her travel pack.

"I'll be leaving everything to Applejack," added Granny. She picked up her book, which she had written in earlier, and shoved it in the bag.

"What about this ring of yours? Is that staying too?" asked Twilight.

"Oh yes. But that will be going to Apple Bloom. She'll need something special to remind her of me while I'm gone," stated Granny, and she pointed over to the mantelpiece.

"It's in an envelope over there on the mantlepiece," Granny said, before organizing the items of her future travels.

Twilight went over to the mantelpiece to investigate the ring, only to find there was no envelope in sight.

"No. Wait, it's..." Granny spoke, as if she knew the answer to Twilight's question before it was asked.

Granny reached into the tuft and pulled out the ring; her countenance reflected a guilty pleasure. The old Earth pony eyed the simple band zealously, and started to stroke the ring with her cheek, which disturbed Twilight greatly.

"Isn't that-isn't that odd, now? Yet, after all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it?" Granny tone grew more sinister and hushed, as if being drawn into the power of the ring,

"I think you should leave the ring behind. Is that so hard?" interjected Twilight, which seemed to bring Granny out of her corrupted state. Granny quickly turned and faced her friend, a pleading look on her face.

"Well no..." Granny reassured, but she turned back to the ring, and focussed all her attention on it, "...and yes. Now that it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine. I found it! It came to ME!" Granny's tone grew increasingly aggravated; her zealous eyes unwavered from the ring.

"There's no need to get angry," Twilight conjected calmly. The Unicorn's complexion exhibited a rising concern for her increasingly disturbed friend.

"Well, if I'm angry, it's your fault!" Granny only afforded Twilight a side glance with her vicious accusation, before turning back to the ring.

"It's mine. My own. My Precious." Granny's voice cooed for the ring, her eyes widening in the zealotry which befell her.

"Precious? It's been called that before, but not by you," stated Twilight.

Granny heard what Twilight had uttered, and knew what she was insinuating. She quickly covered the ring with her other hoof to protect it from the other pony who would try to take her precious from her.

"What business is it of yours what I do with my own things?" yelled Granny, her tone growing increasingly malicious.

"I think you've had that ring quite long enough," stated Twilight, holding her ground against the hostile form before her.

"You want it for yourself!" accused Granny Smith, much to the shock, and anger, of Twilight.

"GRANNY SMITH!" bellowed Twilight in such ferocity, that she burst into flames. The hostile Granny cowered before her fiery form, "DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS!"

The room around Twilight grew darker, and her pitch deepened, as the building itself seemed to shake with the power of her voice.

"I'm not trying to rob you!" stated Twilight. She returned to her normal self, only slightly singed.

Light returned to the room, and the building stopped shaking. Twilight's voice even returned to its normal volume and pitch.

"I'm trying to help you," assured Twilight; a reassuring smile played over her features.

Granny whimpered, and she stepped forward to embrace her friend, tears of sadness welling in her eyes. Twilight returned the hug, and softly stroked the fur around Granny's neck to calm the old pony down

"We are friends, Granny Smith. Trust me, let it go," pleaded Twilight, looking straight at the geriatric pony that stood before her.

Granny could not stand to match Twilight's gaze. She was ashamed. She had gone down to such a low level as to accuse her friend Twilight of trying to take her ring.

"You're right, Twilight," sighed Granny, admitting that her friend, once again, was right, "The ring must go to Apple Bloom." Granny stepped away from Twilight, and proceeded to place her travel pack on her back.

"It's late. The road is long. Yes, it is time." Granny moved towards the front door, but before she could even reach for the handle, she heard Twilight's voice again, "Granny."

Granny stopped in her tracks, as she turned to her friend, who was approaching her from the living room.

"The ring is still on your person," continued Twilight, much to the dismay of Granny Smith.

"Ah. Yes," Granny agreed, as she pulled the ring from her person, and held it aloft in her hoof.

Twilight glanced to the ring, and back to Granny, spying the unrelenting stare which her senior held upon the golden band. Granny however, did not want to relinquish her ring so easily, as she had possessed the magical item for over 20 years. Her hoof shook, and it started to tilt slightly. Her hoof eventually turned perpendicular to the floor, in what seemed like an eternity, and the ring fell to the solid canvas, a thud made which should've been quiet for such a small object.

Granny quickly opened the door, and stepped out of the building. The old Earth pony gave pause before her front steps. Twilight stood in the doorway, waiting for what final words her departing friend had to offer.

"I've thought up an ending to my book," said Granny. She quickly turned to face her friend, and prepared to recall what she had just thought, "And she lived happily ever after, to the end of her days."

Twilight stepped forward, and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"And I'm sure you will, my dear friend," added Twilight, as Granny and she shared a farewell hoof shake.

"Goodbye Twilight," parted Granny Smith.

"Goodbye, Granny Smith," parted Twilight as well.

Twilight let go, but savored the probable last moment she had with her oldest friend. Granny soon turned, and continued down the clear cut path which led to the streets of Ponyville. She wouldn't have to worry about being spotted, as she still heard the ponies looking around Town Square for her.

"The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began..." sang Granny Smith, as she continued down and into her permanent vacation.

***

Twilight went inside and shut the door behind her. The lavender Unicorn hoped the ponies would be occupied in their search for Granny Smith a little while longer. She wished not to be disturbed. Twilight slowly circled the ring which sat on the floor, and eyed the golden band with an innate curiosity only she and Sweetie Belle were known for. Twilight kneeled down on her back legs, as to more closely examine the ring which lay on the ground. She then slowly reached for it; nervous twitches shook her leg as her hoof slowly approached the ring. But before she could come within an inch of the golden band, her mind was overwhelmed by a sudden vision of an eye, wreathed in flame. Her hoof retracted from the dangerous object, which had resided itself in peaceful Ponyville for over 20 years.

"Riddles in the Dark. My precious."