Pear Butter sat alone outside the Apple family house with tears still falling down her cheeks. All she could think about was her father. Her brief encounter with him was still fresh in her mind.
She looked behind her. Applejack had not followed her out. Instead, the young mare had opted to stay inside and tend to her grandparents. To Pear, that was a good thing. She didn’t want Applejack to see her. Not like this.
I’m so stupid. Actin’ so poorly in front of AJ and walkin’ out on her like that. What the heck was I thinkin’?
Pear wiped the tears off her face. The soft fetlocks of her hooves were starting to get wet.
“How am I supposed to be a role model for my girl if I can’t even face my own problems!” she shouted as she slammed her hooves down out of frustration. “So stupid of me!
She flopped her head down, allowing her tears to drip onto the dirt.
Guess I’m not ready to talk to daddy yet. Even if he’s an old frail pony, I jus’ can’t do it!” She groaned and slumped down to the ground. Coming here was a mistake. The farm is nice ‘an all, but I wasn’t prepared for daddy. Should convinced Applejack ta take me on a tour ‘round the farm first.
Pear sighed. Recollecting herself, she stood up and wiped the last drop of tears before turning back toward the Apple house.
Reckon Applejack would pop out anytime soon. Gave that girl plenty of time to tend to her grandparents. When she does, she’ll probably ask me why I acted poorly. Won’t be surprised if she came out frantic as a little filly.
Suddenly, the front door of the Apple house burst open. Applejack popped out and, as expected, the mare was in complete disarray. Her mane was shriveled, and Pear could tell that there was some sweat coming off her forehead.
“Ma!” Seeing her mother, Applejack ran toward her, stopping just inches in front of her. “What the hay, Ma?! Why’d ya go walk out on me like that? And Grand Pear too?! Fer Celestia’s sake, he even wanted to talk to ya.”
“I’m sorry, Applejack,” said Pear Butter, who remained calm despite Applejack panicking all over the place. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you like that. I jus’ needed time to myself. Are your grandparents alright? Granny fainted before I left the house.”
“Granny’s fine. She’s jus’ sleepin’ right now. But she ain’t the one who you should be worried about!” yelled Applejack. “Why’d you run away from Grand Pear, Ma? Why’d ya refuse ta talk ta him?”
“Applejack, I—”
“He apologized, Ma! He apologized right in front of you!” Applejack continued ta yell at Pear Butter. Her eyes began to water as she continued talking about her grandfather.
“Ma, he…. Grand Pear spent years regrettin’ what he did. What’s worse is that he never properly apologized before ya passed away! Now he’s got the chance to make things right, but ya left after he apologized!”
She then glared angrily at Pear Butter.
“You had a chance ta make things right, but ya blew it away! Why didn’t ya talk ta Grand Pear?!
Pear bit her lip. She has had enough of Applejack’s yelling. It frustrated her to no end. A scowl formed on her face as Pear marched toward her daughter and lashed out.
“You think it’s that simple, Applejack?! To make it up with a man who disowned you and left you behind? A person who not once came to visit his own family? A person who you’ve tried so hard for years to reconnect with, only to have your hopes dash away because his stubborn pride won’t accept his daughter marryin’ an Apple?!”
Silence. No response came from Applejack. The mare had flinched backward the moment Pear yelled back. Seeing this, Pear’s eyes widened and immediately gave her daughter some space.
“Oh gosh. I’m sorry, Applejack. I didn’t mean to yell at you!” Pear said. “Daddy is a sensitive topic. I get emotional whenever I talk about him.”
Applejack sighed as she tipped her Stetson down. “It’s okay, Ma. Ya don’t have ta panic. Besides, Ah kinda deserved that outburst. Ah did yell at you again.”
“No, sugarcube! That’s not it at all,” Pear replied. “No mom should yell at her kin without reason. Especially fer issues they had no part it.”
“It’s alright, Ma. Ya don’t have ta worry ‘bout me,” assured Applejack. “What Ah’m really worried about is Grand Pear. Why don’t ya wanna talk ta him?”
Pear sighed. “You’re not letting his one go are you, Sugarcube?”
“Not unless ya give me an honest answer,” replied Applejack.
“Then I guess I got no choice. Alright, I’ll tell you everything, AJ. But ya better get comfortable. This is gonna be a long story.”
“Is this about the feud between the Apples and the Pears?” asked Applejack. “Because if it is, ya don’t have ta tell me. Ah already know everything ‘bout that.”
“This ain’t about the feud itself, Applejack,” said Pear Butter. “What I’m about ta tell you is what happened after I married your father.”
Applejack tilted her head. “After? What do ya mean by that? Pretty sure you ‘an Pa lived a happily married life here in the farm. Only real problem you had was Grand Pear leavin’ you behind and adjustin’ to the Apple way of life.”
“What?” Pear raised an eyebrow. “Applejack, jus’ how much do you know about what happened after your real parents got married?
“Uh.”
Applejack did not reply. For a while, the mare said nothing. Then, after a moment of silence, Applejack finally answered.
“Sorry, Ma. Ah don’t know nothin’ ‘bout what happened after. Ah jus’ figured you ‘an Pa lived happily together after yer wedding.”
Pear groaned. So, she doesn’t know. Guess she never heard from her Granny ‘bout how bad she and the Apples treated the other me after their marriage. Gosh. To think we both had to go through all that. Makes me dizzy just thinking about it.
She sighed. “Alright, I’ll tell you what happened. But jus’ to be clear, what I’m ‘bout to tell you is what happened between me ‘an my Bright Mac. Not your real parents.”
Applejack nodded. “Ah get it. So, what happened between you, Grand Pear, and the rest of the Apple family?”
“Let’s see.” Pear closed her eyes as she tried to think of a way to start her story. “I guess it’d be best if start off on my wedding day.”
“Oh, did you ‘an Pa have your wedding on a farm like mah parents?” asked Applejack. “Their wedding spot is not too far from here. It sat on the border of the Pear ‘an Apple farm before the Pears moved away.”
“Applejack, please, don’t interrupt me. I haven’t even started yet!” Pear replied. “And no, we didn’t have our wedding at the farm. We had ours at a local chapel.”
“Oh! Uh, okay. What’s a chapel?”
“I’ll tell you later. For now, let’s get back to the story. You see, my wedding day was supposed to be special. Before the Pears moved out of Canterlot City, Bright Mac proposed to me on the day before the move.”
Pear smiled. “That was one of the happiest moment of my life. For days, I thought I had to give up on my relationship because of the move, but Bright Mac wanted to be with me no matter what. I…. I cried when he showed me the wedding ring.”
“Wait a minute. You got married before the Pears left town?!” Applejack said in surprise. “Mah Ma ‘an Pa did the same thing! Their wedding was the night before the Pears left.”
“What?!” Pear’s eyes widened. She paused for a moment and stared at Applejack, unsure if she was telling the truth. But the look on her face said otherwise.
“I-I see. Looks like she and I have a lot more in common than I thought. Anyway, after he proposed, he took me to the local chapel. There, all our friends were waitin’ ‘an dressed up in fancy cloths. Bright Mac even had my friends get a special wedding dress jus’ for me!”
A smile returned on Pear’s face as memories of her wedding day filled her head.
“It looked like our day was going to be perfect, that is until both of our families stopped the wedding.”
“What happened?” asked Applejack. “Was it Granny ‘an Grand Pear who stopped the wedding?”
Pear nodded. “Yes, it was. Along with several other members of both families. Someone had notified them and they immediately came to the chapel to stop our wedding.”
Before she continued, Pear took a quick glance at Applejack. She was getting nervous. Her hat was tipped down, and Pear heard a loud gulp coming from her daughter’s throat.
“What did they do?” Applejack asked. “Did they try ta separate you ‘an Pa from bein’ together?”
“They did,” Pear replied, immediately. “Both of your grandparents ordered us to stop and come back to them, but we refused.”
Pear sighed. The wide smile she had earlier was gone, and replaced by a frown.
“We told both our families that we love each other and that we wouldn’t let some stupid feud get in the way. Thankfully, the chapel’s pastor ignored them and pronounced us husband and wife. But before we had our first kiss as a married couple, a fight broke out.”
“A fight?! On yer weddin’ day?!” shouted Applejack. “Who started it?”
“The Pears,” Pear Butter answered, which caused her daughter’s jaw to drop. “One of my kin stepped up ta the alter ‘an hit your father right in the jaw. No one saw it comin’. Not even your grandfather.”
“What?! They hit Pa?! Tell me that ain’t true, Ma!” screamed Applejack. She stared at her mother, hoping that it was a lie. Much to her dismay, Pear meekly nodded her head.
“Yes, it happened, Applejack. Your father was hurt because of my family. When it happened, was devastated. I didn’t think my family would ever stoop that low.
Pear sighed. “After that, I immediately rushed to Bright Mac, along with our friends and the Apples. They immediately pushed Daddy’s goon away, but Granny was angry. A fight was about to break out, but your father stepped in and told both families to stop.”
“Wow, ta think Pa had the guts to step in after he got hit in the face,” said Applejack. “That’s bold. A real stallion Ah tell you what.”
“Darn tootin’! It’s one of the reasons why I married him,” Pear replied, pridefully. “Anyway, after he stopped the fight, I joined him. We told our families again that we love each other and refuse separate. Your grandpa got mad and asked if I’d rather be an Apple than a Pear. As soon as I said yes, he denounced me ‘an left the chapel.”
Applejack stared at Pear Butter in dismay. For a time, the young mare kept quiet. She was too bewildered by her mother’s story to even speak. Finally, after a moment of silence, Applejack spoke up.
“Gosh, ta think all that happened. Mah parents never went through any of that. Sure, Grand Pear left Ma alone, but he never ordered anyone to hurt Pa. Did you ever hear from him again?”
Pear shook her head. “No, I haven’t. I never heard from him again after the wedding. I can only assume he still hasn’t let go of his grudge. And to be honest, sugarcube, I’m not plannin’ on tryin’ anytime soon.”
“What?! But he’s your Pa!” shouted Applejack. “Shouldn’t ya at least try ta talk to him?”
“I have, Applejack,” Pear replied rather quickly. “Even after my wedding I still loved my daddy, so I sent him letters and phone calls every so often. But he never replied.”
“What the hay is a phone call—Uh, Ah mean, Grand Pear never spoke with ya again? He’s still holdin’ a grudge after all these years?”
“I assume so, yes. I hoped that one day he’d let go of that grudge, but I gave up when he sent back all the letters I mailed to him shortly after Apple Bloom was born.”
Applejack flinched. “Gosh, no wonder ya don’t wanna talk ta him. Ah mean, our Grand Pear is a completely different pony, but Ah get why yer hesitant. But where do the Apples fit in all of this? Didn’t they take you in jus’ fine?”
Pear shook her head. “No. They begrudgingly took me in. Granny loved Bright Mac too dearly, so she agreed to our marriage. But that don’t mean they accepted me. Some of your Pa’s relatives harassed and bullied me for a while. The feud was still fresh in their heads even with the Pears gone.”
“What?!” Applejack’s head twitched. “Bullying?! Harassment?! How in the hay did this happen in our family?! Did Pa or Granny know anything about it?”
“They did,” Pear answered. “Bright Mac stepped in plenty of times to protect me, and Granny had to constantly berate other family members to stop. But I knew they wouldn’t accept me anytime soon. I had to prove it to them that my marriage with Bright Mac wasn’t a mistake.”
“What did you do?” asked Applejack.
“I worked my hiney off,” Pear answered, bluntly. “I had to relearn everything I knew about farming and learn it the Apple family way. Over time, I gained the respect I needed to slow the bullying. By the time Big Mac was born, the entire family accepted me as their own.”
“W-wow. Ta think my own family treated ya so badly.” Applejack whimpered. “Ah…. Ah had no idea.”
“AJ, please, I don’t need you to worry about it,” said Pear Butter. “It’s all in the past. Only thing we can do is move on.”
“But what about mah parents!” yelled Applejack. “Hearing your story makes me think about them! Did they go through the same thing too?!”
“Calm down, sugarcube!” replied Pear Butter. “Remember what I jus’ said.”
“But—”
“No! Stop it, Applejack. Don’t judge your kin or your grandparents for their past. So, what if Granny and the Apples mistreated me at first, so what if your grandfather abandoned me. It’s in the past! And may I remind you that you have two grandparents instead of one! Be grateful for them, sugarcube!”
The farm suddenly went quiet as mother and daughter stood still. Their eyes were deadlocked. Applejack remained silent, while Pear eyeballed her.
“Look,” Pear stated as she finally broke the silence. “I will never look back at those harsh few months of my marriage with regret. I endured because your father and I loved each other. No amount bullyin’, harassment, a family feud, or even a punch to the face will stop us. We endured, and in the end, it all paid off.”
Pear grabbed hold of her daughter, tipped her hat back, and looked at the mare straight in the eye.
“AJ, someday your gonna find someone you love. And when you do, don’t think it’ll be smooth relationship all the time. Ya’ll face plenty of hardships together! But if you truly love one another, you’ll endure and become better because of it.”
“Um, okay. Wow.” Applejack rubbed her neck as a flush of red brightened on her cheeks. “Ya really think Ah’ll find my own special somepony someday?”
“If that’s what ponies you mean by lover, then yes.” Pear replied. “If you are lucky, then you’ll find a man who’ll accept and love you no matter what. If you’re really lucky, then you’ll find a man who’ll not only love you, but will also be outright handsome like your father.”
“A man? I take it ya mean stallion?” Applejack asked with a wry grin.
“Applejack! My point stands!”
“Okay, I get it! Sheesh.”
“Thank you! Now come here and give your mother a hug.”
Applejack smiled. She grabbed hold of Pear and pulled her close. They hugged each other tightly with neither pony wanting to let go. After several minutes later, Pear finally released her daughter and looked her with a smile on her face.
“So, what do you want to do now?” Pear asked
“Well…. I was hopin’ to show you ‘round the farm. See how big Sweet Apple Acres is,” answered Applejack. “And if ya don’t mind, Ah’d like to show you the place where mah parents got married.”
“Oh, yes, about your parents. I’ve been wanting to ask you something regardin’ those two ever since we got here.”
“Yeah. What is it?”
“Where is your father?”
Applejack winced. “Ah…. Uh.”
“Applejack?”
Pear watched as her daughter had suddenly grown nervous. Her eyes were shifting left and right and her body was shaking, so much so that Applejack fell flat on the ground. It was if the mare had some sort of breakdown.
“Sugarcube, what’s wrong?” asked Pear Butter.
“You…. you wanna see, Pa?” Applejack replied, nervously.
“Of course, AJ! He may not be my real husband, but I’d still like to see him,” Pear answered. “But why are you so shaken up all of sudden? You were fine jus’ a minute ago.”
Applejack bit her lip and looked away. “Well, it’s jus’ that…. Ah was hopin’ you wouldn’t mention Pa.”
“Huh? Why’s that?” Pear asked.
“Cause it’s really difficult ta explain,” replied Applejack.
“Difficult to explain? Now what in the heck are you talkin’ ‘bout? Where’s your father? And why don’t you want to talk about him?”
“Well because…. because, um.” Applejack sighed. “He’s gone, Ma. He’s not here with us anymore. He’s gone.”
“What? Gone?” Pear Butter tilted her head. “What do you mean by that, AJ?”
“Come on, Ma, please. Don’t make this harder fer me. Ah feel bad enough talkin’ ‘bout this already,” said Applejack.
Pear Butter looked at her daughter with a raised brow. “What’s that supposed to mean? Applejack, what on earth are you not tellin’ me?”
“He’s dead, Ma!” Applejack shouted in frustration. “He’s dead. Gone! Passed away a long time ago!”
Pear Butter’s jaw dropped. “What? He’s…. he’s dead?”
She looked at Applejack in the eye, not sure if she was telling the truth. “Sugarcube, please, tell me that this is some sort of joke.”
Applejack shook her head. “Afraid that’s the truth, Ma. He’s gone. Passed away ‘round the same time you did.”
Pear’s jaw dropped again as her daughter’s words pierced through her.
“No.”
She covered her mouth and looked down, unsure of what to think or say. For a while, Pear remained still and kept to herself, causing Applejack to worry for her. Then, she collapsed. Tears fell down her cheeks as she plumped down to the ground.
“Ma!” Reacting immediately, Applejack rushed toward her mother and tended to her. “Are you okay?”
“Sugarcube, Ah jus’ learned ‘bout my husband’s death! Do I look like I’m okay?” Pear shouted.
“Oh, uh, sorry. Didn’t mean to rub it in the wrong way.” Applejack sighed. “Guess now ya know why Ah didn’t want ta talk ‘bout this. Ah’d figured you’d know eventually, but not till everyone was here.”
“No, what ya jus’ told me was the right thing, AJ. Because now I know where I want to go next,” Pear replied as she stood up and wiped her tears.
“You do?” asked Applejack.
Pear nodded. “Yes. AJ, we’re gonna visit your parent’s graves.”
“What?!” Applejack shouted. Her jaw fell out due to shock. “Why’d ya want ta go there?!”
“Because I want to pay my respects,” Pear answered. “Applejack, please, let me see them. It’s the least we can do.”
Applejack bit her lip. “Well, okay. If that’s what ya want, then Ah’ll lead ya there. Follow me into the farm. We need ta past through it ta get there.”
Adjusting her hat, Applejack turned around and entered the apple farm. Pear followed shortly, and the two of them trotted together again. But unlike before, there was no talking. Applejack refused to say a word, leaving Pear alone with only her thoughts.
Poor Applejack. To think she lost both her parents. Must’ve been hard for her ‘an everyone else in the family. I wonder, how did Bright Mac and the other me die? I know from Cheerilee that she died a few years after ‘Bloom was born, and AJ told me Bright Mac died the same time she did.
She sighed. Maybe it’s best if I don’t ask. Don’t want ta put my daughter in an uncomfortable position.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Pear noticed the absence of Apple trees in front of her. Instead, they were replaced with lush green plains and hilltops. It didn’t take her long to figure out that they had left the farm.
“We’re jus’ outside Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack, why are we here? And what does this place have to do with your parents?”
“Because this is where they are, Ma,” answered Applejack. She then pointed to a nearby hill not too far away from them. “See that hill over there? That’s were mah parents are. They’re restin’ place is right up top that hill.”
“Oh, alright. Well, what are we waitin’ for? Let’s go up that hill,” Pear said.
“O… Okay.” Applejack slowly made her way up the hill while avoiding any eye contact with her mother. This caused Pear to look at her with concern as Applejack’s attitude has changed ever since she got here.
AJ looks really upset. I wonder, is she upset because she doesn’t want to be here? Pear thought. If that’s true, then perhaps coming here wasn’t the best idea. Guess I just have to pay my respects quickly and leave.
As they soon reached the hilltop, a gush of wind started blowing on Pear’s mane. She looked back and saw Sweet Apple Acres in all its glory. The farm stretched for miles with Apple trees covering the entire hills and grassland.
“Now that is a view,” Pear said out loud.
“Ya like it?”
Pear turned to see her daughter slowly approaching her. Her voice was very quiet and it seemed like her attitude hasn’t changed.
“Of course. This is wonderful, Applejack! We can see the entire farm for miles!”
Applejack smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, it is a nice view. Ah always appreciate seein’ this every time Ah come up here.”
“Yes, I can see that. But, Sugarcube, this isn’t the reason why we’re here, right?”
Applejack shook her head. “No, Ma, it’s not.”
“Then can you please tell me where the graves of your parents are?”
Pear waited patiently for her daughter to answer, but none came. The mare kept quiet and was still avoiding eye contact. Then, a sigh came out of Applejack’s mouth as she slowly lifted her hoof and pointed at a certain direction.
Pear followed her daughter’s hoof and saw two strange looking pillars at the very tip of the summit.
Hmm? Is that the gravesite?
She looked at Applejack for a response, but the young farm pony shied away and hid behind her hat.
Judging by reaction, it looks like I’m right. Well, guess I better get a move on.
Pear slowly made her way toward the pillars, ready to pay her dues. Though for reasons unknown, she felt nervous. A cold shiver had swept through her spine and her entire body began to shake. She didn’t know why, but looking at the gravesite made her uneasy.
Superstition aside, Pear continued to move forward and eventually reached the gravesite. She looked at the pillar to her right, scanning to see if there was anything it could tell her.
Then, she found it. Plastered on pillar’s center was a plaque and some engraved words lined up together on it in three separate lines.
What’s this?
She leaned her head to get a better look at the plaque. The words were small to read, but still manageable if she moved her head in close. As she drew closer to the plaster and its words became clear, Pear read the line of words out loud.
Here lies Pear Buttercup Apple
Beloved wife and mother
May she rest in harmony
Pear stared at her counterpart’s resting place and sighed. Seeing it made her upset, but she couldn’t take her eyes off it. The more she looked, the more she thought about her counterpart and how her death had a heavy impact on her family.
A real shame you had to die so young. You had your whole life ahead of you. ‘Bloom was just born and your two oldest kids were going up fast. But all of it was taken away in just a snap. Makes me sad just thinking about it.
She then glanced over to the second pillar to her left.
Now all that’s left is my husband’s grave. She whimpered. Well, here goes nothing.
Reluctantly, Pear made her way toward the second pillar. Her body began to shiver again as she moved closer to the gravesite. But that didn’t stop her. No way. She wanted to see this grave for herself and pay her respects.
As she approached the pillar, she immediately noticed that it looked exactly as her counterpart’s grave. The décor was similar, and like her counterpart’s, there was a plague plastered on the pillars center. On it where lines of words that were difficult to read.
Pear gulped. She hesitated to read at first, but nonetheless inched closer to the plague and read the lines.
Here lies Bright Macintosh
Beloved Husband and Father
May he rest in harmony
Pear sniffled. She stepped away from the pillar as she finished reading the plague. Water poured down her eyes as she stared upon her husband’s grave. Then, she collapsed to the ground and cried her eyes out.
“Ma!” Seeing this, Applejack ran toward Pear Butter and tended to the mare. “Are you alright?”
“N…. No, AJ. No, I am not,” replied Pear Butter as she wiped her tears away. “Seeing the graves of your parent’s makes me sad. To think that they passed away so young.”
“Yeah, well, it all happened when Ah was jus’ a little filly,” explained Applejack. “Apple Bloom was jus’ a few years old at the time too. Can’t really remember her exact age though. It was hard fer me ta think back then since our family was goin’ through such a tough time.”
Pear gasped. “So, what Cheerilee said was true. Apple Bloom grew up without her parent’s raisin’ her.”
“Yeah. It was tough raisin’ ‘Bloom by ourselves. Ah remember wakin’ up a couple of nights with her cryin’ in her bedroom askin’ where you ‘an Pa were.”
Applejack bit her lip. Her eyes were starting to water again as she buried her face under her hat. “Gosh, thinkin’ about those days still hits me bad. It was tough growin’ up without ya Ma. We missed you. I missed you.”
Pear watched as Applejack began to cry again. Remembering her childhood memories had worsened her mood, and her sobs were getting louder every second. Not wanting to see her daughter like this, Pear reached and wrapped Applejack around her hooves.
“Calm down, sugarcube. It’s okay. I’m here now, so quit cryin’,” Pear said in a soothing voice as she hugged Applejack tightly around her body. “Everything is gonna be alright. You’re not alone anymore, nor are your siblings. I’m here now and that’s all it matters.”
“Ma.”
Upon hearing Pear’s words, Applejack dropped her hat and squeezed her mother. As the Stetson fell to the ground, the two ponies embraced for what seemed like hours. Neither one wanted to let go. Instead, both mother and daughter embraced the moment as Celestia’s sun shone brightly upon them.
“Hey, Ma? Ya mind if Ah ask ya a question?” asked Applejack.
“Yes? What is it, sugarcube?”
“Do you think that…. um, aw shucks how do Ah put it? Here, let me whisper it to ya in the ear first.” Applejack leaned closer and muttered something in her mother’s ears. Her words caused Pear’s eyes to widen and push her daughter away.
“Applejack! What…. what on earth are you sayin’?” Pear asked in surprise.
“Ya heard me loud ‘an clear, Ma,” replied Applejack. “Do ya think you can do our family a big favor ‘an stay here in Equestira?”