"Ya think ah didn't notice?" Granny rocked slowly in her chair, eyes on Big Mac squarely. "Ya ain't as clever as ya think."

Big Mac took a slow step back, just one hoof. "Um... Nope?"

"Ya ain't been talkin' since ya were a teen colt." Granna spat to the ground. "Suddenly yer all yakkin' a storm. Hard to miss that..."

"Ya see..."

"An' another thing!" She wagged a wrinkled leg at Big Mac. "Yer sister's actin' mighty funny. Reminds me... Reminds me of just before ya went quiet. You two are up to somethin', together. Somethin' she don't wanna talk about. Somethin' you don't wanna talk 'bout neither."

Big Mac flipped his ears back. "Ain't... Ain't nothin' big..."

"But it is something," sliced Granny. "An' it's big 'nough ya don't wanna share it with me." She sat back with a flump, as if her bones couldn't hold her up anymore. "Is it that bad?"

"Nope!" Big Mac surged to her side. "Ya ain't done no thing wrong!"

Granny Smith smiled at his comforting words. "But yer still not sharin'. Is it a surprise party? Ain't mah birthday notime soon, silly thing."

"Nope... Ain't that..." Big Mac rubbed at one leg with the opposing hoof. "Jus'..." What was the right words fer it. "Discoverin' mahself."

Granny Smith sat up, ears going upright. "Is... What... ya figured ya liked chasin' fellow stallions or somethin'? Ya wanna run off to a monastery?"

Big Mac blinked, devoid of thought a moment. "Um... nope?"

"Well..." She brought her hooves together. "If it was either a those... ya'd still be mah precious colt, ya know that right?"

Big Mac crashed to his haunches. "Ya mean that?" Who had kidnapped his granny and replaced her with somepony else?! "Really?"

"'Course really!" She swatted at him, though not near close enough to actually strike him. "Whattaya take me fer! Been your granny for how long now? Neither of those thin's would change not a thing! Though yer girlfriend would be mighty upset in either case. But it ain't that, ya just said... so what is it?"

Big Mac rubbed at his cheek. "It's a... bit complicated."

"Try me." Granny folded her arms across her front. "May not know everythin'. Ya young ponies are makin' up new things faster than ah can keep up wit', but ah learned thin's ya probably never heard of before."

Big Mac dared a little smile. "Gonna 'pologize first."

"What for?" Granny raised a brow high. "Ya ain't said nothin' yet to apologize fer."

"Fer assumin' the worst... Yer family... Shoulda had more faith... Yer mah grandma, always had mah back." Big Mac rose to get up next to her. "Love ya." Without resistance, he hugged her firmly, getting one of her arms wrapped back around him in a quiet moment of solidarity.

Granny sat back with a happier smile on her face. "Glad we got that part sorted. Now ya gonna fess up or do I have to tan that hide a yers? Don't think I can't do it! Ya mighta got more hide to work on, but that jus' means ah got a bigger target for paddlin'!"

Big Mac laughed without fear of Granny actually attacking him. "Alright... This is gonna sound mighty odd... Ya rememember back when Luna had that funny dream and we were all in it?"

"Ah huh?" And so Granny listened to the tale of Orchard Blossom's creation. "Lansake!" She slapped at Big Mac, not in an attack, but in amazement. "Ya been hidin' that?! Mah grandson's also a granddaughter? Well shoot... Ah don't even know how to think about that..." She stomped the arm of her chair. "You know I need to meet that 'other you', right? Ain't gonna have no granddaughter ah ain't set my eyes on!"

Big Mac slowly blinked. It was all going so differently than he had dared to imagine! "Ya know she's only up when ah'm sleepin', and ah sleep when yer asleep, usually." He glanced away. "Yer really not upset?"

"Plenty upset ya waited so long to tell me." She huffed with proper indignation. "Now, ah'm a grown pony, if ya haven't missed it. Ah can stay up a night if it means meetin' her." She scowled suddenly at Big Mac. "Ya don't know a thing about a mare's personals. Are ya even takin' care ah yerself?! Bring her by right away. Let your granny fix you up."

"Takin' care ah myself?"

Granny could put together from Big Mac's clueless face the answer there. "Tarnation! Ya get yer mare self over here! Poor thin', left in the hooves of a stallion with no mother figure to learn from."

Big Mac squirmed embarassedly. "Um... 'Bout Sugar Belle."

Granny perked an ear. "Does she know?"

"Oh, yes." Big Mac bobbed his head quickly. "She knows, um... An' she likes it, an' me, all of me."

Granny colored at the implications. "Oh! Well... That's good... ah guess... Considerin' she was yer marefriend already, woulda been more a shame if she didn't like it, or you 'cause of it." Granna placed a hoof under her chin. "Wouldn'ta figured that, but I don't know her that well. If she's happy and yer happy... good. Ah'm still expectin' a great grandchild out of her though!"

"Granny!" Big Mac pushed at the unrepentant elder. Still, he smiled. Things were going in a positive direction. "Yer really alright with... it?"

"No," she replied flatly. "Still a mighty big idea. Gonna take me time to get used to it... But that don't mean ah'm angry at you, 'sides the not tellin' me part. Really... Bring her by! Tell me when ah should stay up."

Big Mac gave a firm single nod at that. "Ayup. Um..."

"What? Is there more?! Ain't that enough?" Granny fell forward to all fours. "Gonna give yer poor granny a heart attack. Alright, what else are ya hidin' from me?"

"Still related..." He followed her as they descended onto the front lawn. "Ain't been idle, as Orchard Blossom. Um, she's a police officer now."

Granny took her turn to blink. "Really now? Ah'll have to congratulate her when ah meet her." She prodded Big Mac firmly. "Which better be soon! She got any other honors ah aughta know 'bout?"

"Well..." Big Mac considered a moment. "She is an official princess, like Twilight."

"Ah have a princess fer a granddaughter?!" Granny laughed at the whole thing. "Well shoot! The girls are never gonna believe me when I rub their faces in this little bit..." Oh, the cruel smile on her face. "They won't even believe me, but ah got proof... But first, gotta meet her, the other half-ah-ya! Stop keepin' me in suspense." She raised a brow. "By the way, yer a grown pony... Ya lookin' fer a stallion as the, uh, lady half?"

Big Mac began to color swiftly. "Ah already said Sugar Belle knows, an' she likes it. Wouldn't be right to go cheatin' on her. We're both, um, me." He pointed to himself. "So we both got a girlfriend."

"Well, shoot... Suppose ya got a point there..." Granny's dreams of extracting a grandfoalf from her new granddaughter, injured. "Cheatin' on our special someponies ain't much the Apple way. That means she's right special, ya see? Ain't many ponies that'd just take that as it is. If mah stallion was suddenly a mare, not sure how ah'd go an' react to that..."

Big Mac struggled for words. Speaking of him was generally a taboo topic. Big Mac decided to just leave that right where it started. "Ah'm just happy yer takin' it alright."

"Yer still Big Mac." She turned to face him. "Well, 'xcept when yer Orchard Blossom. Who is an Apple, hm?"

"Hm? Oh! Yes." He nodded quickly. "She sure is. Ah'm an apple, to the core!"

"Apples, forever," gently echoed Granny Smith with a pleased smile. "Good. If ya got that, then I'm sure I'll love her least half as much as ah love you, an' that's a lot of love, lemme tell ya."

"Got it all put away!" There was Golden Apple with a big smile. "Granny! Oh, hey, you're my granny too now, right?"

Granny squinted at the new pony. They had an apple on their rump... "Who are ya related to? I don't remember you at no reunion."

Big Mac hurriedly got between Granny and Golden Apple. "Golden Apple's from far away, but came to help with the harvest. Right neighborly. Welcome Golden Apple. Golden Apple, this is Granny Smith."

Golden Apple made a hat tipping motion despite having no hat. "Pleased to meet you." He flashed a grin that was perhaps a little too wide. "I heard so many good things about your dinner. Can't wait to try some later."

Granny smiled at the compliment. "Well, if yer helpin', then ya get to try some of that. Dinner'll be ready 'round sundown." She looked Golden Apple with an intensity. "Ya don't look very strong."

Golden Apple whistled out a laugh. "I may not look it, granny, but I can pull my weight just fine, promise. What's next, Big Mac?"

"This way." He led his new relation back into the orchard. There were apples awaiting to be harvested, with or without a chaos spirit's help. "Oh... You were right."

Golden Apple smirked victoriously. "I usually am... But what am I right about, specifically, this time?"

Big Mac tossed his head back towards the family home. "I went an' told Granny Smith about... um... everythin'... And she... She wasn't even mad, 'xept the part where I waited to tell her."

Golden Apple laughed in joyous victory. "I told you! You have a fine collection of friends, related or not. It's enough to make me jealous..."

"Jealous enough to join the family a little while..." Big Mac shook his head before approaching a heavily laden tree. "Let's earn that dinner she's makin' right now."

"She's nice enough, but she's no Fluttershy." Despite his snapback, Golden Apple was moving baskets into position. He would earn his seat at that evening's dinner table.

"I know you have to go." Sugar Belle nuzzled her boyfriend fondly. "Take care, alright?"

"Not just yet." Big Mac reached into a pocket and pulled out a strange flat contraption. "This is fer you."

Sugar took the thing and turned it slowly in her hooves. "What is it? Shiny."

"It gets shinier." He pressed the botton on its side, causing it to flicker to life. "They call it a phone. I got one too. Press this here." He showed the contacts button. "See, got my face an' everythin'!"

"Ooo!" Sugar began to clap giddily. "What happens if I press your face?" Which she did.

Big Mac's side began to buzz as the theme song to some show began to play from within him. He dug out his own phone and answered it. "Yallo."

Sugar's eyes widened, hearing Big Mac speak in front of her, but also from the phone she held. "Is it magic?! Oh, this is the best present!" She set the phone aside in favor of tackling Big Mac in a big hug. "I'll love it forever, but what made you think of it?"

Big Mac returned the hug with a smile. "So you can reach me. If ya check, there's me, and also me. Ya can call either of me if ya wanna reach me. I'm always open fer a call from ya, okay?"

Sugar bounced back with a step with a cheerful laugh. "I love it! I love you! You thoughtful pony you... Now I have to think up something to get you... Oh! You can call me too, 'course. Um..." She poked at the phone. "How... do you... use this?"

So Big Mac had to show her how to hang up, a valuable part of the experience, "An' if ah call." He did just that, causing her phone to jump and play a different melody about ushering the winter times away. "Press that big green one."

"Right here?" She pressed her hoof to the answer button on the screen. "Did it work?"

"Ayup," Big Mac replied, audible twice at once. "Now yer a pro."

Author's Note

We skipped back to the scene with their fun times at Sugar's bakery. Granny took that well!

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!