Sour Patients, Sweet Patience

by Nico-Stone Rupan

Epilogue

Sour Sweet zipped up her suitcase and made one last look around for anything she may have forgotten. She finally nodded. That was everything.

Floor Bored sat at the edge of her bed. Her head was hung down, staring at her feet. She hated that Sour was leaving. She and Sour had only known each other for a few weeks, but this had been the longest friendship she had ever experienced. She wasn't sure that she could have another one like that again.

"Floor?"

Floor perked up and saw Sour smiling down at her.

"I wanted to thank you before I leave, Floor."

Floor cocked her head. "Thank me? For what?"

Sour chuckled. "Well, you made this place pretty sufferable. It was fun being your roommate. You're an interesting person."

Floor shook her head. "You're just saying that, Sour."

Her eyes suddenly popped as she felt the touch of another person. Sour had gently wrapped her arms around her. It was a feeling Floor wasn't used to. Usually people completely avoided her vincinity because of her body odor. Yet here was Sour giving her not only physical contact, but affection without hesitation.

"Floor, you have worth," Sour whispered into her ear. "Treasure yourself."

Sour parted to see the tears streaming down the young NEET's face. Of course, that only made Sour give her another hug.

A few minutes later, Sour was heading down the hallway. She stopped when she reached a woman with a scarred face. She was leaning up against the wall with her arms crossed, her hands tucked in so tightly that they couldn't be seen.

"Little miss popular," Fizzlepop Berrytwist greeted in her own special way. "You have a lot of people waiting for you, don't you?"

Sour nodded. "I do."

"I wouldn't know anything about that."

"Well, you could start. If you really wanted to." Sour reached into her pocket, pulled out a card, and handed it to Fizzlepop. "Here."

"What's that?"

"The business card for my husband's publisher. I forgot to give it to Floor." Sour had smirked when she said the word, 'forgot'. "Perhaps you could give it to her for me? Maybe get to know her while you're at it? She's a good writer."

Fizzlepop smiled. "She'll get it. See you, Sour."

Sour finally stepped through the front doors of Canterlot Pychiatric Center. Her sight immediantly went straight across the parking lot toward a man holding a little girl. Sour's pace quickened with every step. Her resolve not to cry broke down as she got closer and closer. By the time Sour reached her family, she was sobbing with a big smile. Second Person knew what his wife wanted the most, so he held out their daughter to her.

"Mama!"

Sour took hold of Bitter Honey. She beheld that little face. There was not a trance of fear of her own mother. Just joy. Pure joy. Just the way she liked it. Sour began smothering it with kisses.

Bitter grinned. "I knew you would get out soon, mama!"

"You did?"

Bitter nodded. "Yep! Mister Carpathia and Screwball told me so!"

"Oh, Bitter," Sour chuckled through her tears. "I'm going to pretend you never said that, baby..."

Second went over and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. "Let's go home, Sour."

As the three of them loaded into the car, Fizzlepop and Floor peared out from a window inside the building.

"How are we ever going to have a scene like that?" Fizzlepop asked thoughtfully.

Floor allowed herself a small smile. "Through the power of –"

Suddenly, the Storm King shot over and wrapped his arms around the two women's shoulders and spouted in mock-cheeriness, "Yeah, yeah. Patience and therapy and medication, and –" He snuck his tongue out in disgust. "– blegh!"

****************

*DING DONG!*

Niban Person took a break from the preperation of her husband's sandwich. She quickly went to answer the front door, only pausing a moment to check the condition of her graying beehive in the hallway mirror. She opened the door to see a couple of ladies standing there, one of which being her own daughter-in-law.

"Why, Sour Sweet!" Niban gasped excitedly. "How lovely! Those awful Jesuits finally let you out!"

"Hi, Niban," Sour said politely. "I'd like you to meet Starlight Glimmer."

"Nice to meet you, Niban," Starlight greeted cheerfully. "I'm the founder and head pastor of Our Church: The Peoples Organization for the Expansion of Christian Communism. Care for me to explain how the Book of Isaiah teaches that Republicans will burn in Hell forever?"

Niban stared at Starlight, expressionless except for a slight eye twitch.

Sour grinned trollishly. "Starlight's gonna be your new best friend, Niban..."

THE END

Comments

[NebulaNyx]

Thank you for bringing a smile to my face.

[FourShadow]

Awww, I liked this story.

I'm glad to see Sour finally out and happy endings round.

Great job big guy. Earn yourself a cuteness!

derpicdn.net/img/2017/9/11/1532927/large.png

As always, keep up the good work! I can't wait to see whatever one-shots you have planned. Maybe some more fun adventures with Sour along the way? Maybe some Lemon Zest tales?

[Shadowsnake89]

Bitter nodded. "Yep! Mister Carpathia and Screwball told me so!"

"Oh, Bitter," Sour chuckled through her tears. "I'm going to pretend you never said that, baby..."

Yep, just deny it. The only way to guarantee you'll stay sane.

A nice and strange ending. I've become accustomed to that from your work. Bravo. Now everyone can move on. Except Niban. Give her a week and she'll be the one in need of a psychiatric stay.

[BetaHammer]

Alls well that ends.....well terrible for some, but well for others

[The Bricklayer]

Suddenly, the Storm King shot over and wrapped his arms around the two women's shoulders and spouted in mock-cheeriness, "Yeah, yeah. Patience and therapy and medication, and –" He snuck his tongue out in disgust. "– blegh!"

Heh.

[FanOfMostEverything]

It certainly says something when even the staff calls you "the edgy one." Still, wonderful tale from start to finish. A well-crafted arc, a hint of... something between mother and daughter, and a lesson for Sour on the importance of only trolling the people who can take it. Thank you for another great installment in this worldline.

[Nico-Stone Rupan]

8749718
Don't worry about Niban. She'll just sit back, watch some Ozzie and Harriet reruns, and reminisce about the good 'ol days of McCarthyism to get her mind off things.

[lazyreader19]

"Nice to meet you, Niban," Starlight greeted cheerfully. "I'm the founder and head pastor of Our Church: The Peoples Organization for the Expansion of Christian Communism. Care for me to explain how the Book of Isaiah teaches that Republicans will burn in Hell forever?"

Oh man, that was some ride. Thanks for everything, and looking forward to any future installments you might write

[JediAlexColbent]

Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect ending. Sour’s out and back with her family, Tempest/Fizzlepop and Floor are on their way to recovering together and a horrible waste of human life is finally learning what the word “irony” means.

There’s only one way I can think of to send this story off properly.
Yes, that one.

[Kagitaar]

Her and Sour had only known each other for a few weeks, but this had been the longest friendship she had ever experienced.

She and Sour

Discord at least tried to help. With her knowledge of crazy magic shit, I'd think that's at least one thing Sour can chalk up to magic. Also, proselytizing Starlight is the best revenge.

[Nico-Stone Rupan]

8750878
Fixed

[Backround-guy]

All I can say to Starlight is, good luck we'll always be here.

[CSC]

"Nice to meet you, Niban," Starlight greeted cheerfully. "I'm the founder and head pastor of Our Church: The Peoples Organization for the Expansion of Christian Communism. Care for me to explain how the Book of Isaiah teaches that Republicans will burn in Hell forever?"

Wow......I never thought the bible could be used against Republicans like that.

Those red pastors better fight for universal health care.

Also, this was a great story. Quite the entertainment. Keep going!

[Nico-Stone Rupan]

8751123
If you want to know what inspired that joke, read this passage (Isaiah 32:5-8, KJV) but replace the word "churl" with "Republican"...

5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

I didn't make that interpretation up, by the way. That came from an actual Christian communist website

[CSC]

8751364

[Random_Reader11]

Cool. Didn't understand the last bit, but cool.

[Nico-Stone Rupan]

8771031

Didn't understand the last bit

Niban is a far-right religious person, so Sour introduced her to Starlight, a far-left religious person, to annoy her.

[Random_Reader11]

8771519
Okay. So she is seconds mom. I thought it was his dad.

[Nico-Stone Rupan]

8771935
Second's dad's name is Ichiban Person.

[Random_Reader11]

8772979
K. Thank you.

[BenRG]

The terrifying thing is that Starlight won't actually understand or believe any request for her to leave Second's parents alone. She really is that self-delusional!

I'm thinking of Emily Dickenson, the American recluse poet whose works were only discovered after she lived her whole life with her mental illness and died alone. Floor Board reminds me of her a lot.

[Enduring Man-Child]

I've learned that there are now names for two of the things I used to be/suffer from: NEET and MDD.

Unfortunately, over fifty years ago in a rural environment no such diagnoses existed, and you were just a weirdo. Wish I'd known all this back then.

[Rammstein45]

Whew! I legit need to take a minute to gather myself after this one. This story by was was the most intense of the series I have read yet. I was literally sitting here reading this one, depressed out of my mind because of what Sour was going through, and a few scenes on the edge of tears. This particular story was an absolutely incredible journey for Sour, and I was beyond relieved when she was finally allowed to go home. Bravo!

[knightcommander]

"Nice to meet you, Niban," Starlight greeted cheerfully. "I'm the founder and head pastor of Our Church: The Peoples Organization for the Expansion of Christian Communism. Care for me to explain how the Book of Isaiah teaches that Republicans will burn in Hell forever?"

"Christian Communism"

i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/218/958/a24.jpg

In all seriousness though, great work.

[Ice Star]

I’d read a whole spin off series about the wacky adventures of Christian Commie Starlight. She’s a riot!