Chapter 10: Grand Pear's Worst Nightmare
After hearing from Grand Pear and Posy about what Big Bosc said to him, everyone, including the Mane 6 and Megan, were outraged with what they heard.
"I can't believe Big Bosc yelled at you that way!" Megan angrily huffed, "And on the day of his own sister's funeral too."
"Even Celestia was outraged when she eventually heard about it," Posy said, "I took Big Bosc home and demoted him to weed puller after what he did."
"Oh, Grand Pear! I had no idea about what you’ve been through," A teary-eyed Apple Bloom said.
"That wasn't the worst part of it, Apple Bloom.”Grand Pear said.
****
“After I went back to Vanhoover, I went back to my pear jam production...”
Grand Pear is getting dropped off by some cab ponies who drove him from the train station in Vanhoover. They were in front of the station, and Grand Pear was stepping down from the carriage.
He faces the two cab ponies and pays them a large amount of money for the help, the ponies responding by taking off after getting paid.
Grand Pear directs himself to his factory, and proceeds inside.
****
“...But, as time went on, I became very depressed. Big Bosc's words wouldn’t stop replaying in my head. I had such a hard time concentrating on my work, I had to put Pear Spice and Red Pear in charge while I rest. I never got over it.”
Grand Pear is in his bedroom, lying on his bed facing towards the ceiling while the words Big Bosc said to him kept replaying inside of him. His eyes were full of bags.
****
“Then one day, shortly after your sister and her friends turned Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna, I was in my bedroom, contemplating what Big Bosc said when I finally snapped...”
Grand Pear began breaking everything in his room that had his face on it. He buck-kicked his vanity mirror; he ripped the pictures with his face from his albums; he smashed the family photos hanging on his walls, leaving cracks on his face; and he even bucked his reflection in the window, causing him to injure his hind legs and scream with pain.
Pear Spice came into the room because of all the commotion and saw her uncle lying on the floor with two broken legs. She was horrified beyond anything and gave immediate comfort to her uncle.
****
"I couldn't help it. It felt like all the grief for Pear Butter and all the self-hatred I had for disowning her and losing my family caused me to lose myself. I was smashin' and rippin' everything that had my face on it. I was fiercer than an attack dog that had his nap interrupted until I smashed my bedroom window. Unfortunately, that caused my legs to become injured and wounded from all the glass. Pear Spice heard the commotion and saw how hurt I was...”
"Well that explains why you looked wobbly when you walk.” Granny says.
****
“My niece rushed me over to the Vanhoover Mercy Hospital and got me to the emergency room. According to the doctor, I only sprained my legs, and I needed ten stitches on each of them. They said it was best if I stay overnight for observation, in case I brought internal injuries too. That night, when I was asleep, I had the most unusual dream...”
Grand Pear fell asleep in his bed, and when he woke up, he finds himself in the courtroom of the Canterlot Castle. He finds the place filled with ponies who are glaring at him from the stands to the bottom. He also sees a jury of twelve ponies from the Apple Family.
"What's going on here?" Grand Pear said.
He turned around and saw Princess Celestia, standing at a podium before him with a grim look and a gavel.
"Princess Celestia, what is going on?" Grand Pear asks.
"We are at your trial, Grand Pear," Princess Celestia said.
"Trial?! What am I accused of? What are the charges?" Grand Pear asks.
"The crimes are being a horrible father and intolerance to fellow farmers due to pride!" Celestia stated.
"What!?!"
Grand Pear turned around and saw the prosecuting attorney. To his horror, it was Big Bosc, who was for some reason also wearing a prosecutor’s wig. Big Bosc presented himself to Celestia and the jury.
"Fillies and Gentlecolts! We are here to see that justice is done! I wish to prove that that former father of mine is a horrible father and a pony of pride! The worst kind!" Big Bosc harshly speeches, "I have with me evidence to prove his guilt!"
Big Bosc took out a pink scrapbook that his father recognizes.
"That's Pear Butter's scrapbook from when she was a filly!" he said.
Celestia uses the gavel to quiet Grand Pear.
“Order.” she says, “Go ahead, Big Bosc.”
"August 21, 1987!' shouted Big Bosc.
"Pear Butter's birthday? Oh no!"
The scrapbook magically replayed the very mentioned birthday of Pear Butter.
****
Pear Butter was Apple Bloom's age having a birthday party with her mom, her brothers and sister, as well as the rest of the Pear clan, with the exception of Grand Pear. She was sitting at the table as she blew the candles on her cake.
"Happy birthday, Pear Butter!" Posy said as she gave her a present.
Pear Butter was about to open her present when her father busted in looking stern.
"What are you doing?!” he shouted, "It's harvest time for our pears, and we need to catch up to Granny Smith and her apple kin!"
"But it's Pear Butter's birthday!" Posy shouted, "Can't the pears wait until after she opens her presents?"
"Not while the pears are still ripe! Everyone to the pear trees now!"
Everyone groaned as they went outside. Grand Pear noticed Pear Butter in front of her cake, looking upset.
"You too, Birthday Girl!"
Pear Butter silently walked out with her head hanging down.
****
The memory ends, and the jury ponies start to murmur to themselves about what they saw, which Celestia immediately decided to quiet down.
"I-I just wanted to keep up production! I never meant to ruin her birthday like that!" Grand Pear panicked.
"That’s not the worst of it," Big Bosc said, "June 21, 1991!"
"The water silo incident?!"
It magically played back to the day when Bright Mac wrecked their water silo.
****
Grand Pear trotted toward the field when he saw it flooded and the silo wrecked.
He angrily trotted toward Pear Butter and said, "Pear Butter! What did you do?"
"I-I'm not sure," Pear Butter nervously said.
"I asked you to pull weeds, and you wind up wrecking a silo that took me six weeks to build?! I should have trusted Peary with this chore!"
Pear Butter was about to cry when a familiar voice spoke, "She didn't to it, Sir!"
Bright Mac appeared.
"Excuse me?" Grand Pear said.
"The water silo! It was my fault.” Bright Mac said as he took off his hat.
****
The memory ends.
"I know I was hard on her, but I didn't know what happened at the time," Grand Pear excused himself.
"Let's see if you have an excuse for this memory," Big Bosc said, "Pear Butter's Wedding!"
To Grand Pear's Dismay, he saw the scrapbook play the last memory he had of Pear Butter: her wedding and the night he disowned her.
****
Grand Pear was confronting Pear Butter and Bright Mac.
"Are you choosing to be an apple over being a pear?" he yelled.
"Are you making me choose?" a teary-eyed Pear butter asked as she sobbed.
"Yes, I am."
Pear Butter gathered up her courage and said with tears, "Then yeah. I am."
Grand Pear was appalled on hearing those words.
"Fine!" Grand Pear yelled as he angrily trotted away.
Pear Butter cried as Bright Mac and Granny comforted her.
****
The memory ends.
Grand Pear hung his head in sorrow, seeing that was the last memory he had of his daughter, and one that he couldn’t deny on why he was here.
He quietly approached the Princess and said, "I'm ready for my punishment, Princess."
But before she could say anything in response, the doors to the courtroom suddenly slam open.
"I object!" shouted a familiar voice.
Grand Pear and everyone gasped when they turned and saw Princess Luna bursting through the doors.
"Sister! I wish to act as defending lawyer on Grand Pear's behalf," Luna requested.
At first, it seemed like Celestia would say no, but...she couldn’t deny her own sister.
"I will allow it.” Princess Celestia said.
Luna gives a nod of thanks to her sister for allowing her to participate. She turns to face the jury, and the appalled Big Bosc.
"Fillies of the jury! You may see Grand Pear as a horrid father and pony, but I went into his memories and I saw the opposite of what you saw. I wish to replay the aftermath of the first two memories.” Luna said.
Luna's horn shone and it replayed to not long after Grand Pear ruined his daughter's party.
****
Pear Butter came into her home. She was tired and sad from what happened earlier at her party when...she saw a big present in the room...right next to her father, who looked at her with a loving smile.
She was awestruck upon what she saw, and trotted straight towards her father and the present, until she was only a few inches across from him.
"Is this for me, Daddy?" Pear Butter asked.
"Yes. It is," Grand pear said, "I just needed a distraction while I had a friend of mine bring it in."
Pear Butter opened her present and gazed with awe when she saw what she got: a pink dollhouse she saw at the window of a Ponyville toy store.
"Happy Birthday, Pear Butter!" Grand Pear said.
Pear Butter became teary-eyes with joy, and jumped up to her father and hugged him. Grand Pear returns the embrace.
****
The memory ends, and the jury and Celestia were awestruck by what Grand Pear did to make up for the mistake. Big Bosc was immediately shocked, but it didn’t keep his stubborn self from trying to oppose.
“T-that doesn’t help anything! He still-“
But Celestia and her gavel interrupt him.
“Continue, Luna.” she says.
With a lighting of her horn, Luna showed what happened after Pear Butter and Grand Pear came home from the water silo.
****
Grand Pear and Pear Butter were walking back to the house, until...Grand Pear stops in front of his daughter and looks at her with an apologetic look.
"Pear Butter...I'm sorry of those things I said," Grand Pear said, "I'm just scared. The Apple family is doing better business in Ponyville than us Pears. I got nervous and lashed out.”
Pear Butter smiles in understanding upon the explanation her Dad gave, and she nuzzles his cheek to show that everything was okay.
“It’s okay, Dad,” she whispers, “I understand.”
“How's about if I take you to Sugarcube corner for tea and cupcakes?"
"Sure, Daddy," Pear Butter said.
****
The memory ends, and Grand Pear smiled as his eyes filled up with tears.
"I completely forgot what happened after."