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A Moment of Clarity
She leaned back in her chair. From behind, she could hear the sound of voices. Were they calling her? Her neck ached as she turned around, but she put that out of her mind. Everything ached now, so she couldn’t afford to care.
Figures in fog, three of them. “Have you come to visit me?” she asked.
“Yes, we have.” The voice had the touch of an accent.
“Yup.” A much deeper voice.
The third figure, the smallest, said nothing.
“Sorry I can’t see you very well. Somepony stole my glasses. Ponies always stealing my things around here.”
“That’s all right. We can see you.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but then. “Wait, what time is it? I just had my breakfast! I’m late! I need to get to work or there won’t be any more food—“
“Take it easy,” the accented voice said. She looked at the face again. It was clearer, but there was something at the top obscuring it. “No more work to be done around here.”
“Was it supper I just had then?”
“No, it was breakfast, but don’t worry. Anything needs to get done, we’ll take care of it.”
She looked out the window at the trees. Despite what the voice said, she knew that she should be out there taking care of them. With the same ache in her neck she stood up.
“Hey, now. Where you going?” said the deep voice.
A good question. Where was she going? There was something...somepony...who she was supposed to see. “There’s visitors coming. I need to make myself presentable.”
“We’re already here.”
That was it. They were coming. The third of them was supposed to arrive, even though she couldn’t because they had gone, died a long time ago, but then how could the third get here when nopony could what was going on where?
She shook her head. Fog everywhere, but as a beacon was a splotch of pink in the shape of a bow just like the one that used to be worn by, no, was still worn by...
“Apple Bloom?”
The fog parted, retreated to behind her head. She leaned forward. Apple Bloom was smiling, but the fur around her eyes was matted down by tears.
“Granny? Granny Smith?”
“Of course it’s me, little filly! Applejack, Big Macintosh, what’re y’all doin’ up here?”
Applejack shared the same smile as her younger sister. Big Macintosh didn’t show his emotions, but she could tell that he shared the feeling. What were they all so sad about, and what happened to the three figures that...
Oh.
“Granny,” Applejack started.
“No, wait. I understand,” said Granny Smith. “Right now I understand. I’ve gone right out of my head, haven’t I? Senile? Don’t answer. How long has it been since I last recognized you? Don’t answer that either.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be in my right mind, so let me speak. Might never be this clear again. If that’s the case, remember always that I love you. Never said that enough when I was raisin’ y’all. Hard times without your folks. So much to tell you. Just know that...”
She looked at Big Macintosh, but his face went blurry. No! It was too soon! Even the face of...oh, buck! Applejack! Her name was Applej...something! Not now!
With sheer effort, Granny Smith breathed in, forced oxygen to her brain. She shoved the fog back and stared at Apple Bloom.
“You’re an Apple. And so am I.”
She leaned back in her chair. No voices were around. Some ponies had visited her, but she couldn’t remember their names or faces. It didn’t matter. She remembered that she had said something important, and gotten a smile in return. Nothing else needed to be said.
Figures in fog, three of them. “Have you come to visit me?” she asked.
“Yes, we have.” The voice had the touch of an accent.
“Yup.” A much deeper voice.
The third figure, the smallest, said nothing.
“Sorry I can’t see you very well. Somepony stole my glasses. Ponies always stealing my things around here.”
“That’s all right. We can see you.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but then. “Wait, what time is it? I just had my breakfast! I’m late! I need to get to work or there won’t be any more food—“
“Take it easy,” the accented voice said. She looked at the face again. It was clearer, but there was something at the top obscuring it. “No more work to be done around here.”
“Was it supper I just had then?”
“No, it was breakfast, but don’t worry. Anything needs to get done, we’ll take care of it.”
She looked out the window at the trees. Despite what the voice said, she knew that she should be out there taking care of them. With the same ache in her neck she stood up.
“Hey, now. Where you going?” said the deep voice.
A good question. Where was she going? There was something...somepony...who she was supposed to see. “There’s visitors coming. I need to make myself presentable.”
“We’re already here.”
That was it. They were coming. The third of them was supposed to arrive, even though she couldn’t because they had gone, died a long time ago, but then how could the third get here when nopony could what was going on where?
She shook her head. Fog everywhere, but as a beacon was a splotch of pink in the shape of a bow just like the one that used to be worn by, no, was still worn by...
“Apple Bloom?”
The fog parted, retreated to behind her head. She leaned forward. Apple Bloom was smiling, but the fur around her eyes was matted down by tears.
“Granny? Granny Smith?”
“Of course it’s me, little filly! Applejack, Big Macintosh, what’re y’all doin’ up here?”
Applejack shared the same smile as her younger sister. Big Macintosh didn’t show his emotions, but she could tell that he shared the feeling. What were they all so sad about, and what happened to the three figures that...
Oh.
“Granny,” Applejack started.
“No, wait. I understand,” said Granny Smith. “Right now I understand. I’ve gone right out of my head, haven’t I? Senile? Don’t answer. How long has it been since I last recognized you? Don’t answer that either.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be in my right mind, so let me speak. Might never be this clear again. If that’s the case, remember always that I love you. Never said that enough when I was raisin’ y’all. Hard times without your folks. So much to tell you. Just know that...”
She looked at Big Macintosh, but his face went blurry. No! It was too soon! Even the face of...oh, buck! Applejack! Her name was Applej...something! Not now!
With sheer effort, Granny Smith breathed in, forced oxygen to her brain. She shoved the fog back and stared at Apple Bloom.
“You’re an Apple. And so am I.”
She leaned back in her chair. No voices were around. Some ponies had visited her, but she couldn’t remember their names or faces. It didn’t matter. She remembered that she had said something important, and gotten a smile in return. Nothing else needed to be said.