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// Chapter 5 
// Story: It Runs In the Family 
// by CartoonNerd12 
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Mrs. Cake hugged Sour and exclaimed happily, "Oh, Sour Grape! I was so worried when you just suddenly vanished like that!"

The unicorn let out a smile though it was hard to tell if it was genuine or fake. The two old friends were in the kitchen of Sugar Cube Corner as it brought memories back to her. She could recall standing in the corner as Chiffon and Pear Butter were busy making goodies of all sorts and she would end up being the taste tester.

She told her friend, "I'm sorry, I was going through something and I had to leave town for awhile."

Mrs. Cake inquired, "Well why didn't you come to me or Pear Butter? We could've helped you."

She shook her head, "No. You couldn't. It was just something I had to do for myself, you understand don't you?"

The baker let out a tiny smile, "Of course I do."

"Good. Now, Burnt Oak told me that a lot has changed since I left and he seemed very sad about it, why?"

Mrs. Cake's own face grew sad as she sighed, "It's Bright Mac and Pear Butter, Sour…"

Sour acted confused, "Oh? What about them?"

The mare lowered her head in sadness, "They're… They're gone…"

Sour made a gasp and welled up some tears for good measure as she uttered, "How… how did it happen?"

Mrs. Cake shook her head, "It's too painful to say but you should know they would have been happy to see you…" her own tears fell.

Sour softly said, "Oh, Pear… Bright Mac… my dearest friends… I wish…"

Mrs. Cake nodded sadly, "I know dear, I wish it too."

Sour thought bitterly, I'm pretty sure our wishes are different… You wish you can have your friends back, I wish one of them could've returned their love to me…




Filly Sour Grape stared across the schoolroom to where Bright Mac was talking with Burnt Oak. Bright Mac took a look and made a wink making the filly blush and told Pear Butter who was sitting next to her, "Isn't Bright Mac the cutest?"

Pear Butter giggled, "He is, but you know I'm not allowed to socialize with him."

Sour gestured, "Oh that's right, the big fight between the Apples and the Pears. Is that ever going to end?"

Pear sighed, "Hopefully… One day…" she stared at Bright Mac.

Sour suggested, "Maybe we can figure out a way to end the feud, hey, why don't I spend some time with Bright Mac and find out from his side why the Apples are feuding with the Pears."

Pear seemed hesitated but gave in, "I guess so."

Sour assured her, "You'll see, I'll find out the truth."




Present Sour Grape had to muster her face from frowning at the memory as she thought angrily, The truth… The truth was that Pear Butter had already had contact with Bright Mac all this time and just kept it a secret from the rest of us… I thought that wink was for me, but it was for her… it always her… Pear Butter… She was one of bestest friends… but I never once thought I could have feelings for her too…




Teenage Sour Grape was having a sleepover with Pear Butter and Chiffon Swirl at Sugar Cube Corner and they giggled away as they were enjoying themselves. Chiffon then said, "Oh dear, I have to get more snacks. Be right back." when she left the room, Sour and Pear were alone.

Sour was feeling conflicted as she looked at Pear, she had grown into a beauty and it was strange to think that because she still had a crush on Bright Mac given the times she hung out with him and Burnt Oak. She wanted to tell Pear her feelings but she was afraid she would scare her friend away.

At the same time Pear was struggling to tell Sour about her relationship with Bright Mac but she wasn't sure how to tell her so with a sigh she faced her friend, "Sour Grape, there's something you need to know about me…"

Sour's eyes widen as her hopes began to raise thinking that Pear Butter was going to confess her feelings to her!

"I should have told you this a long time ago, but I was afraid word would get out and well… to put it simply I was a coward for hiding it in the first place."

"Oh, Pear, you can tell me anything! And I won't judge, I promise, because I have something to tell you too."

Pear took a deep breath, "Well, here it goes… I'm…"

Chiffon came back with the snacks and proclaimed, "Here we are! Now we can enjoy the rest of the night!"

Sour inquired to Pear, "You were saying?" she could her friend was debating before she said.

"It's nothing."

Chiffon questioned, "What's nothing?"

Pear Butter gestured, "I'll tell you later."

Sour Grape was disappointed but she could understand why Pear lost her nerve at the last moment, she would have done the same as this was a very confusing time for her. Her feelings were divided between Bright Mac and Pear Butter; she just didn't know who she loved more.




Back in the present day, Sour asked Mrs. Cake, "Do you remember all those sleepovers we had over here with her?"

The other mare nodded, "Do I ever. We had a lot of fun times here."

"Especially the one we had as teenagers? That was practically our last one before our lives changed forever."

Mrs. Cake nodded again, "I remember…"




It was late at night as Pear and Chiffon were wide awake while Sour slept on. Chiffon asked, "Why didn't you tell her? I thought you were going to tell her about you and Bright Mac?"

Pear confessed, "I don't know… I was ready to tell her but when you came back, I changed my mind… I kept him a secret so long that I've gotten used to it, you know?"

Chiffon nodded, "That is true, I mean I found out all by myself, you didn't even tell me."

"That's right. And I'm sorry I never told you but it's like I said, Bright Mac and I just happened."

"You don't have to apologize; friends don't tell their friends everything."

Pear smiled, "Thank you… Though I do feel guilty keeping this from her…" she looked toward Sour's sleeping body. "But I promise this, when the moment is right, I'll tell her."




Cup Cake's face sagged thinking how Pear never had the chance to tell their friend and felt it was her duty to fill in for her, "There's something you should know. Pear Butter wanted to tell you but since she never got the chance… But she and Bright Mac have been in love ever since they were children."

Sour seemed shocked by the news as she said, "Oh? They were?"

The baker nodded, "And they got married but you disappeared before we could let you know."

"As I recall… Pear Butter was going to have to move away to Vanhoover right?"

Mrs. Cake stated, "Oh she was, but then Bright Mac quickly set up a wedding for her and he proposed!" she cringed, "We… we were going to invite you but we didn't know where you were and we couldn't wait another moment so they got hitched before it was too late."

Sour said, "I was finding a departing gift for Pear Butter. You remember how upset she was when she told us she was moving? Well I decided to go to Canterlot to find the perfect present for her."

Cup Cake inquired, "Why Canterlot?"

She explained, "Pear Butter was our best friend since grade school, I only wanted to make sure she had the best I could offer as a remembrance of all the things we've done."

"But then why did you leave Ponyville? And why didn't you give Pear Butter your gift even after she stayed with Bright Mac?"

Sour's brow began to sweat as she gave off an uneasy look, she had to think of a good excuse and fast, "Oh, um… I was going to come home but then there was terrible trouble in Canterlot and I had to stay to help. I suddenly then realized I had a greater calling to fulfill and so I traveled all across Equestria to help any poor unfortunate soul that came my way. I would have come home sooner but well… these kinds of things took time."

"Oh absolutely!" Mrs. Cake agreed. "And you were always so sweet and helpful when we were young, that it doesn't surprise me at all that you would go out of your way to make sure that ponies are getting the help they need."

Sour exclaimed, "Yes! Exactly!" then she made a somber face, "Although… it does pain me that I wasn't here when my dearest friends had…" she made fake sob and held her hooves to her face.

Mrs. Cake slowly wrapped her arms around her and uttered, "I know dear… I know… But… There is some good news I can tell you."

"Oh?" she moved her hooves from her eyes.

"Pear Butter and Bright Mac had three lovely children before… well you know… They had a son and two daughters."

Putting on her best sincere voice, she proclaimed, "Did they?! My goodness!"

Mrs. Cake nodded happily, "That's right! And I'm sure they would be thrilled to meet you!"

"I would be delighted!" as she thought with a smirk, Because I was so hoping I would…




Apple Bloom and Pip were laughing away as they walked around town. But the laughter ended the minute they were about to pass the dance studio making Bloom stop to look at it.

Pip questioned, "You used to come here with Tender?"

She nodded, "It's where we first met, when we were just kids. When we grew older we used have dates here with him tryin' to give me some dance lessons since he knew what a poor student I was… In fact it was his way of repaying me since I was able to help him get his cutie mark. I loved every one of those lessons but I still wasn't much of a dancer even before our break-up." she sighed.

"You know… you never told me why you two broke up… Everyone in town thought you would last forever."

AB admitted, "So did I…"

Pip seemed troubled by that tidbit of news but felt relaxed when she explained.

"I was so sure we would go on for a long time, longer even. But Tender wanted to move on to bigger and better things, and who was I to stop him? He was a talented young stallion who deserved to be up there with the stars… He actually wanted me to come with him and at first I was going to but then I thought of my home, my friends, and my family… making me realize my place was here. We had a fight and then we broke up."

Pip shook his head in astonishment.

"I learned quickly we were just two different ponies who wanted different things…" tears welled up in her eyes, "But it hurt, Pip… it really, really hurt…" she sniffled.

He wrapped an arm around her and gently spoke, "There, there… It's gonna be alright, luv…"

She stopped crying as she looked at him, "I know… I have you now and that's what truly matters at this moment." then she giggled, "Who would have thought in the last five years that Pipsqueak the shortest colt in our class would have grown into this giant of a stallion!"

Pip chuckled, "Aye, luv, who would have thought? Heck, there was a moment where I thought I wouldn't be able to grow at all!"

They laughed.

Just a few feet away from them, Mrs. Cake and Sour Grape spotted them and Mrs. Cake said, "There's little Apple Bloom right now, though she's not so little anymore…"

Sour inquired, "She's the youngest of Bright Mac and Pear Butter's children, right?"

Cup Cake nodded, "She is. Come, I'll introduce you to her."

Sour Grape smirked, "I would like nothing better."