Reminiscing

I open Granny's bedroom door and realize how rare it is for me to come up here. She and Grandpere are currently talkin' with each other, probably catchin' up on all the things they've missed over the years. "Hey, Applebloom. Did ya need somethin'?"

I nod and walk further into the room. Big Mac trails not far behind me. "Uh, hey, Granny. And Grandpere Pear."

"Hello, Applebloom," Grandpere replies. "What did you need, now?"

I take a deep breath and try to speak up and push my luck. "I, uh, wanted to hear your sides of the story of Mom and Dad's perishin'. If it's okay with you, of course."

Granny's eyes grow wide for a straight minute or two, and I swear she looked like she was right on the verge of sayin' "no" to tellin' the story and just forgettin' it like she always used to. I honestly wouldn't blame her for it; I think it would actually be weirder for her to agree than to disagree. But then again, we all have our moments.

I guess this was one of the moments I was talkin' about, because it's pretty much a miracle to me once she says, "Alright, dear, but sit down. I had and still have a lot of thoughts on this one."

I do as directed, and Bic Mac takes a seat on the carpet as well, on the right side of me and puttin' weight on me with his big hoof.

Anyways, Granny asks me, "How much do ya already know?" I tell her I know the reason for both Ma and Pa's death, and that I only want to hear her opinion on it all. She looks relieved, probably because she doesn't have to tell me about their death. Just her thoughts. She looks up with that nostalgic look in her eyes. "Well, ya see here..." she starts off.

Granny Smith stood at Bright Mac and Pear Butter's wedding place, the place where Grandpere, that stupid betrayer to family, had left his daughter to Vanhoover. It was very natural there; so many shades of green and such a bright sky, so many beautiful voices of birds singing their afternoon song. But despite the greatness of the Pear and Apple unition place, it was still not a great day.

She had just witnessed a private funeral, as private as their wedding was meant to be, one that Granny Smith obviously had a connection to. She couldn't take it. Her son and daughter-in-law were now in repose, and she wasn't sure how to feel about that other than depressed.

She wished there were something she could do to get her family back. Not just because raising three young foals was going to be hard, but because it was impossble to feel anything positive with some of your most loved ones gone forever. She didn't even despise Buttercup, who was a Pear, as much as she should have. If she had to be honest, she loved her like any mother would her daughter. But when that daughter is gone, the mother longs for their daugher even more.

Currently, Granny Smith just wanted a requiem for her children. But at the same time, she wanted solitude. They contradicted eachother, but she still wanted both. No one would disturb her as she tried to take in what had happened. She walked back towards the barn, very slowly, and arrived along while later although it was only a few minutes away. Though it was afternoon when she was last seen at the tombstones, it was now sunset and a late dinner.

As she opened the door, she saw her two oldest grandchildren playing a board game with each other and laughing. They were both snacking on apples, and even had Applebloom with them, on the couch. She was the youngest, hardly even two months old. But she was sucking on apples as well, and Big Macintosh, who was the oldest, was watching over her. He had only finished school a month ago before summer break had come, yet he was still very responsible and helpful every now and then. Applejack was the middle child, a young filly who used to have classes at the Ponyville Schoolhouse before they didn't have enough to keep sending her there. But she was lucky enough to stay there long enough to earn her cutie mark. And just in time, too, because everypony had always teased her about her blank flank; she was the last in her class to earn it.

Granny Smith tried to ignore them, but she saw a spark of love ignite between the three, and she felt as if she didn't need solitude anymore. And not only that, but the three having fun together reminded her so much of the way Bright Mac and Buttercup always played around together. It was as if they, together, were her memory. And it wasn't a bad one.

She continued to walk upstairs feeling drowned and still depressed, and Big Mac with his sweet personality, stopped her. "Are you alright, Granny?" he asked. "Do you want dinner or somethin' first, maybe?"

Granny felt the warmth of his words and heard the comforting in his voice. She tried not to smile, but it was hard. It was very faint but she knew it was there. "Just toss me an apple."

And then Big Mac chuckled, as if he was able to move on from everything. It was as if he were the example to her. She could see him trying to cheer her up. He stepped to the side to grab the apple for her, and she didn't expect what happened next.

"Ready to get tossed?" came the unmistakable voice of Big Mac. And then came a shriek and stifling giggles from Applejack.

There was a lot of clatter and laughing, and eventually, Granny Smith got curious and decided to check on what was happening. When she looked, she saw a big game of tag or something similar, and laughed for once. It had been so long since that had happened. "Granny, help me!" Applejack shouted through her uncontrollable laughing.

Big Mac snickered even more. "She can't help you; she wanted an apple to be tossed to her. Speaking of which..." he started once she stopped running. Then, he took the opportunity and picked her up. He swung her around a few times as if she were riding a big swing, and faked a throw to Granny Smith. "Granny, catch!"

Applejack was never flung from the air then, and surprisingly, she was having more fun than she was scared of falling. Granny laughed, too, grabbed herself a dinner of leftover flapjacks cooked by Big Mac, and sat down on the couch right next to Applebloom. With a smile, she broke a tiny piece of flapjack off and fed it to Applebloom, who was watching the scene as if it were a movie. Granny watched, too, and eventually, it got to the point where she joined in on a pillow fight with them.

They all were in a good enough mood by late night although, surely, Bright Mac and Pear Butter and their eternal slumber were on their minds. Granny brought out sleeping bags so that they could sleep under the stars, looking up at the ponies before them who had passed. That included Bright Mac and Pear Butter. Applejack and Applebloom were the first to close their eyes, and Big Mac and Granny talked with each other, conversing about stories about the stars and his parents. Soon enough, his eyes closed and Granny had the solitude she'd wished for. She was deep in her thoughts when she realized she wasn't too disappointed anymore. She'd come to accept, just with the heavy heart she would always carry around.

She opened her eyes, looked at the sky, and saw two shooting stars. With a smile, she fell asleep under her ancestors.

"So it wasn't too hard?" I ask. It sounds like she was able to do fine with a little push from Big Mac.

She shrugs. "Yer brother helped me overcome it. Without the constant reminder of joy from him, I probably would've died already; my life would've ended the same way yer mother's did."

I nod and smile. "I'm still here for you, too. I'm sure we can help each other whenever we need it."

That gets a laugh from everypony else in the room. "Lunch is ready!" we hear the faint voice of Applejack call from downstairs.

"Flapjacks," Big Mac informs them as all three of them walk out of the room. I slowly follow behind them. Once they're all out of the room, I stop at the door and look behind me. With a smile I spot a family picture. It's got Granny, me, Applejack, Big Mac, and even Ma and Pa. We're all standin' together like a happy family, with the exception of me, of course. I was hardly old enough to understand things like this. Pa looks a little tired, and Ma looks concerned, but we're still all together in the image. I close my eyes and daydream of life with us all together again. It's a perfect life.

I open my eyes again and rush down to the kitchen, where my family is all waitin' for me. Just like any good family should be. My life ain't perfect, but no doubt it's amazin'.