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"Well pluck my fiddle, Buttercup!"

"Come on, Granny!" Pear Butter boasted with a smile. "You know me and Bright haven't talked too much about it."

"Talked much my plum. Don't think I don't hear y'all whisperin' about it every chance you young'uns get!" Her countryisms seemed to grow all the more stronger with every ounce of emotion she poured into her voice.

Pear Butter let out a lofty laugh. "Sure, maybe… They'll come soon enough. But we know how much work they can be, and"

"Get me my damn grandchildren, Buttercup!" Though seemingly harsh, Granny's face was painted with a massive grin. In-laws will be in-laws. Especially mother-in-laws pressing on the next generation of children, subtle or not.

"Alright then." Pear's mouth curled into a hearty smirk, and she sunk down lower to the ground in a playful charging stance. "Might just have to give you a whole herd of 'em! Ten, twenty… a whole parade of little children, runnin' round, knocking over every possible item we own, eating our year's supply of apples"

"You think you can play my own game with me?" Granny interrupted with a scoff, her grin only growing wider. "I invented it, you plum. At this rate I'll be sittin' in the grave, rottin' away and still waiting on some foals!"

Pear chuckled, standing upright again. "Don't you worry, Gran, they're coming. And you'll be the first to know, I promise," her eyes rolled, the smirk still planted smug on her face.

"That better be a promise, girl! I'll need time to set up the nursery. Time! Hay, I should start now. Knowin' you, you'll wait to surprise me and I won't have any time!"

"Alright, alright! We can all decorate together." Pear Butter couldn't help but giggle- her conversations with Granny never failed to make her laugh. "I'm telling you though, Granny, me n' Bright just wanna have some more time together. Of course we want to make our family grow." She offered a gentle smile.

Granny dismissed her words with a wave of her hoof. "Egh, whatever. Time doesn't grow on trees like the apples do, you know! As my great, great grand Apple used to say: 'Chase Your Stars, Fool. Life Is Short.' And she was damn right about that! Lookit you, frolickin' around. I'm more bored than a bee stuck alone in a barn."

"Oh, come on," Pear snorted happily. "You'll be just fine for a little while longer, Granny."

"You sure hope I'll be."

——————————————————


Quietly, Granny Smith rocked slowly in her chair, her eyes opening as she let a world of color in. She looked above, the walls painted in pictures of her beautiful family. Her face was wet. Why?

Oh. She thought. Crying again. Just the sole thought of Pear Butter was enough to do it. Oh, her sweet, sweet Buttercup. She'd blessed Granny with three beautiful grandchildren.

"Granny, we'll be inside for dinner in 5!" She heard Apple Bloom call from outside the barn.

Granny slowly stood from the chair, taking careful steps to the kitchen. How she missed her sweet boy, her Bright Mac, and that lovely bundle of joy Buttercup. How she missed them both.

What a beautiful, painful memory.


——————————————————-


- Granny considered Pear Butter a daughter. Despite her former hatred for the Pears, it was so difficult to hate the poor girl. Granny wasn't cruel- when Pear Butter was rejected by her father, Granny Smith was quick to take her in. She wasn't just her son's wife, or just her daughter-in-law. No, Pear Butter truly was a daughter to her. Granny loved her, and the two developed a quick connection with each other.

Clearly, the loss of Pear Butter and Bright Mac hurt everyone. It took a different toll on Granny. She had to move on, though, for the sake of the three children left behind. Their passing struck Granny Smith in a different way- a harsh, cold way.


- Granny Smith is constantly seen wearing a scarf apron of sorts. Not here, though- it hadn't been made yet. Pear Butter and Bright Mac actually made it for her as a Mother's Day present. For years, Granny didn't know Pear Butter had anything to do with it. She'd simply assumed it was the work of Bright Mac, no matter how suspiciously clean the sew-work was. She later found out years into the marriage, and they had a good laugh over it. After they passed away, she's never seen without it.


- Both Pear Butter and Granny Smith are very small, at least in Earth Pony terms. Granny's even smaller than Pear Butter, though. She's half the height of her son, Bright Mac, and her short height, nor Buttercup's, never gets passed on into any of the Apple children.


- Pear Butter and Bright Mac were brutally killed in a timberwolf attack. They died bravely protecting the farm and their family. Big Mac was about 7 or 8 at the time, and Apple Bloom a newborn. Unfortunately, all three children were present during the attack. Big Mac shielded Applejack's face and held her back- she tried so hard to run and help. He, at that age, saw the whole thing- there's a reason he doesn't talk much.





Granny just didn't know how short it'd be



I'm finally back from vacation! The whole time, I could not stop thinking about this. I really wanted to draw this scene and show the relationship Granny and Buttercup had. I really adore the overall tragic love story. It's one of the cutest ;-;

Some things above are my own headcanons! Mostly their death, Granny's scarf, and Big Mac's reason for not talking. Tried some new lighting, and I changed up their colors just a little! Made them a little duller and more earthy. I really tried putting a lot of time and thought into this piece, especially since I hadn't done art in a while. (:


Annnnddd lastly, I've had something academic related come up so I'll need to go out of town for about a week and a half. I'm a lil frustrated because I just got back, and I won't be able to do any art again, but after that I should have the rest of the summer free. I leave this Thursday, and won't be back until the Sunday of the week after. I'll try to get some more art in before then, and hopefully lots after (:

Hope you enjoy, and thanks for checking it out! <3


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Posted previously at: 2019-07-18T09:13:06