A sweet tale about finding where your roots belong and a reminder as to how much your family loves you.
The Apple and Pear families, once separated by a feud that began in the youthful days of Granny Smith and Grand Pear, had ended with the unification of Pear 'Buttercup' Butter and Bright 'Mac' McIntosh. However, as the Pear family left to other areas of Equestria, the Apple family soon began to forget about the Pear family and their descendants. When Apple Bloom's great-granddaughter Apple Pear finds a passageway into the Spirit World, she discovers her forgotten family roots and learns just how much her family loves her, pear and apple alike.
A sweet tale about finding where your roots belong and a reminder as to how much your family loves you, written with knowledge of a family's love and affection for each other, and how far they are willing to go to give their everything to the offsprings of the family, no matter how old or young they may be.
It had been a bright morning on the Apple Farm, and it had been rather warm for Autumn. Sweet Apple Acres was vibrant with Apple Earth ponies working on the Apple trees, collecting the harvest to store up for consuming in the Winter and to stock up on enough apples to use in their products so that they can continue to sell apples during the colder months of the year.
Each age group of the Apple Family did their daily tasks as usual. The young foals in the family spent their time playing in the fields or helping to sort out certain products in the sheds or going to school, the more stronger and older mares and colts helped with work in the fields through plowing the fields or bucking apples from their trees, and more senior mares and colts spent time watching over the young for the parents or helping out with making the produce from the apples.
A young mare with a green-coloured fur colour, no older than at least 13 years old, galloped into the gleaming Autumn sun, putting on her great-grandauntie's hat on her head. Her bright red mane had been in a messy-yet-neat twin braids that are tied together halfway through in a ponytail that lies on the right side of her shoulder, and her tail was curly and untamed. Her eyes, ones that shined orange and the other that shined blue, galloped through the Apple Fields, almost galloping away when she was spotted by her mother, who was 10 months pregnant.
"Apple Pear? Seedling, where are you galloping off to in such a hurry?"
"Afternoon mom! Don't tire yourself out too much."
"Now hold on there little mare. What's the rush?"
"I'm meeting Droopy and Nova for a study session and some tea this afternoon."
"I thought you were supposed to be helping the foals with making Apple Jam?"
"Sorry mom, I promise I'll do double-time tomorrow."
"Did you help them already?"
"Yup, taught them the basics, I'll teach them the rest tomorrow."
"Be back by sunset sugarcube."
"Yes mom."
Hugging her pregnant mother, Apple Pear galloped through the gate and raced into Ponyville, the home and birthplace of the Sweet Apple Acres, the town where she spent her entire life growing up and learning the trades of the Apple business.
"My name is Apple Pear, but my friends call me Le or Pe and my family nicknames me Seedling. I'm an Earth Pony and descendent of the grand Granny Smith herself, and I work on the Apple Farm with the Apple Family, which is really big. Why I'm called Apple Pear? It was a name my great grandmother Apple Bloom chose for me, though she doesn't remember why anymore. Then again, she is around 105 years old, and her memory isn't exactly what it used to be. She isn't much of a talker, but it's still fun and relaxing to talk to somepony else when your entire family is busy running the farm."
"Nowadays, she forgets even her own son Tapple Apple, and every now and then she forgets her dead husband Tender Taps is, well, dead. She also goes on about this thing about Pears for some odd reason she's not able to disclose anymore, but whenever I ask my grandmother Slippin' Seed, she doesn't really answer my question at all. Most times I've had to try and ask my other relatives, like my great-grandauntie's son Toffee Core (my grand cousin) or my great-granduncle's daughter Candy Apple (my other grand cousin), and they themselves would tell me 'when your older, we'll tell ya Seedling'. Heck, I've even tried to ask great-grandcousin Pinkie Pie's great-granddaughter Polka Dott about pears having a part in my family history, and she doesn't seem to have a clue either. Most of the time, I actually even wonder if it was just a random name great grandmother Apple Bloom gave me, or if it had something to do with the actual Pear Family that resides in Vanhoover."
"My grandfather acts as the head of the entire farm, when in reality it's Apple Bloom, and he's really strict when it comes to not only business relations with the Pears, but ACTUAL relations with the Pears. He makes sure that the younger foals stay clear from any of the grown-up Pears so they won't 'influence them away from apples', and vice versa for the Apple foals. You can say that both families aren't on good terms with each other like before."
"Like before you ask? Well, my mother and father tells me that the Pears and Apples had once been in a feud with each other, all starting with Granny Smith and the Pear's grand ancestor they call 'Grand Pear'. I've heard that the feud lasted for years, ever since the youthful days of Grand Pear and Granny Smith, and how it only ever really stopped when the Pears moved to Vanhoover. Whenever I hear that story, Apple Bloom starts calling for her parents, who were never disclosed in our family's history tree, and no matter who I asked no one would tell me anything. The only thing I've ever really known about them was that their names were Bright McIntosh and Buttercup, and that was all they ever said."
Apple Pear galloped through Ponyville, through the various streets and corners. She stopped by the Cake's Bakery, which is now run by the twins Pound and Pumpkin Cake and their grandchildren Cup Cake and Sprinkles Cake. Inside, she found Droopy and Nova sitting at a table with their other friends Boltzing Blitz, Toffee Core, Candy Apple, Polka Dott, Tipsy Fly and Gemstone. After sitting with them for a while eating a few of Droopy's muffins, Apple Pear greeted her friends a short bye and galloped away to one of the shops along the street.
"At school, I'm considered an oddity due to my family's mysterious past, but it's not too bad. I'm good friends with Droopy Dipper (great-grandson to Derpy) who inherited Derpy's Wall Eyes, Nova Crystal (great-granddaughter to Twilight Sparkle) a Pegasus with larger than normal Pegasus Wings who's the descendant of Princess Twilight Sparkle (REALLY cool mind you), Tipsy Fly who is 1/3 draconequus, 1/3 earth pony and 1/3 changeling, who looks my age but is really young, and we usually see him with Discord, Fluttershy, or his parents who are still alive (REALLY cool too), Polka Dott (great-granddaughter of PinkiePie and Cheese Sandwich) with her missing right hoof, Boltzing Blitz with his smaller Pegasus Wings, Gemstone (daughter of Spike and Rarity who's passed years ago) with her half dragon-half unicorn appearance, and of course my cousins Toffee Core and Candy Apple."
Galloping towards a shop a few streets away, Apple went inside and rushed behind the counter of the store, grabbing on a delivery bag and was met with a colt by the name of Grazing Pear, his features seeing better days. The elder colt looked at the young mare with eyes that meant that she was late once again, and cleared his throat.
"You're late again Miss Pear."
"I'm sorry, I lost track of time on my family's farm sir."
"Don't make it too much of a habit like last time young one."
"How's your cold sir?"
"Been better than yesterday that's for sure. Must've scared off half of the customers yesterday mornin'."
"You sure gave me a fright with that sneeze o' yours yesterday."
"I may be old, but I've still got my own voice. I'll have to give you double-time to make up for the times you've been late this month. Until about sunset I reckon."
"I'm supposed to be home by sunset."
"I'm sure you'll be able to find an excuse as always Miss Pear. Get on galloping otherwise I'll have to give you more overtime."
With Apple nodding quickly, the Earth Pony helped load the mare's satchel with various Pear products, and as soon as she arrived, she galloped away to get started on work if she wanted to not get her family worried about her again. Apple's faced turned to a frown when she remembered the last time she came home after curfew, getting confined to the Apple Barn for an entire week with no form of social interactions from not only her friends but from the kids in her work group. It wasn't pleasant, but it ensured that any young Apple Farmer was kept in line with the rules of the Farm.
"I also recently got part-time work as a delivery mare for a Pear Store. Yeah, my family doesn't know that about me yet. They just think I'm hanging out with my friends after school. I fear that if they find out, they might start the Apple and Pear feud all over again. Sometimes I get to work pretty late, while other times I get to finish early. One time when I was late so often 2 months ago, I had to work way past sunset, and my grandfather grounded me for it! I guess if it means I can keep in line to become a good Apple Farmer, I can get my cutie mark to help carry on the family line of Apple Farmers."
"...and that's kind of my story I guess..."
"Miss Pear, I asked for 3 jars of Pear Juice and your name, not your entire backstory."
"Oh! I'm sorry, I kind of got carried away."
"Don't make it a habit Missy. Have a good evening."
"Wait! Before you leave, can I ask for your help on how to find my cutie mark?"
"Your cutie mark? Still haven't gotten it yet?"
"No. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to earn it on the Apple Farm, even after doing everything I can."
"Cutie marks are earned when you know what it is you're meant to do. Tell me, do you know what it is you want to do?"
"Not exactly."
"I suggest going to the Cutie Mark Crusaders for this. You know who they are, right?"
"Yeah, my great-greatgrandmother was apart of the original group."
"Then I'm sure you'll fit right in. You know where they meet up, right?"
"Not exactly."
"They're just beyond that hill in an old-looking tree house. You can't miss it."
"And I have just enough time to get back home afterwards! Thank you ma'am, have a good night!"
"And to you too Miss Pear."
Galloping back to the pear shop, Apple got her pay and after wishing a good evening to Grazing Pear and galloped in the direction of the old-looking tree house. The young mare hoped that the Cutie Mark Crusaders could help her solve her cutie mark dilemma before her family starts worrying about it.
What Do You Love Doing Most? Meeting the Cutie Mark Crusaders
Apple Pear stood in front of a well-kept but old-looking house that had a slightly faded sign on the front door, one that read 'Cutie Mark Crusaders! Knock before you enter!'. Apple thought about her other options for trying to get her cutie mark, and considered the fact it was close to sunset too. Maybe she could just go back home and tell her parents about it so that they can maybe help her instead of having their daughter stay past sunset away from the farm.
After much hesitation, Apple gathered up as much courage as possible and knocked on the door with her right hoof, standing there waiting for a response. She collected hearing hooves inside the worn-out building, but no other sound came from within. The door opened and there stood a purple colt with orange hair and orange eyes. He had wings on his back, and behind him was a yellow mare with a horn on her head, a colt with colours similar to Shining Armour, and a green and red mare that was an Earth Pony just like her.
"Welcome to the home of the Cutie Mark Crusaders! I'm Skating Blitz, great-great grandson of Scootaloo herself, and these two are my friends Sweet Cookie and Tenor Rhythm. They're not descendants of anyone special really. What's your name?"
"Um, my name is Apple Pear and I guess I can say I'm the great-great granddaughter of Apple Bloom herself."
"Really?! Why didn't you come by before?! Come right in, make yourself at home!"
Apple Pear, taken back by the sudden excitement of Scootaloo's great-great grandson, clumsily make her way into the house and sat herself beside the Earth Mare. Upon observing the mare further, Apple realised that she had no cutie mark, making the Apple Child more at ease with the situation. Sweet Cookie trotted towards Apple and sat herself in front of the mare. By observation, it seemed that the unicorn was just a little older than Skating Blitz, if not just a bit younger than Tenor Rhythm.
"What's your family background Apple Pear? Other than the fact you've descended from apples."
"I've always been descended from apples. My great-great grandmother just randomly came up with Apple Pear for reasons not even my grandfather Tapple Apple can disclose to me."
"You do know that every name has some correlation to one's cutie mark. Take me as an example, my mother is a chef pony and my father was a technician. While my cutie mark derived from my love of music, it correlates to how I love to cook and my involvement in technology and magic. My name also kind of gave me some ideas about cutie marks being correlated to names, but not a strong one."
"I guess that makes sense..."
Cookie smiled a warm smile before Tenor trotted towards them and sat down with them, clearing his throat.
"What do you enjoy doing the most? You'll get a better understanding if you know."
"I don't really know...I've tried everything on the Apple Farm, but no cutie mark."
"Then your destiny does not lie with the Apples."
"What?! How can you say that?!"
"Well, you did say so yourself that you've done every job on the Apple Farm and yet no cutie mark. I reckon you need to get out of family pressures first if you want to find that cutie mark of yours."
"You really think so?"
"Positive. I mean, look at Marmalade over there, she's a Pear Foal who hates working on the farm in Vanhoover."
"Wait, she's a Pear?!"
Marmalade, who was talking to Skating Blitz, spun her head towards Apple Pear's direction with a hint of disgust at how she had been called out. Getting up, she made her way towards the Apple Mare and looked at her menacingly, something that made Apple Pear shudder with discomfort and concern.
"What's so bad about Pears, Apple?"
"What are you doing out here in Ponyville?"
"One of my relatives works in that Pear Shop in Ponyville that you most obviously despise working at. Yeah, don't think I don't see ya there every now and then."
"Look, I don't want any trouble, I haven't seen a Pear Farmer my age trotting around."
"Funny, cause I see your kind trotting around everywhere with your plastic smiles."
"Both of you, calm down! This is not what you both are here for! Under my advice, alongside Cookie's and Tenor's, you'll both have to come to terms with each other before you attempt to find your cutie mark, understand?"
Both mares looked away from each other, but both nodded in agreement after much hesitation. Smiling, Skating Blitz cleared his throat and spoke with a loud voice about his plan of action to get Marmalade and Apple Pear a cutie mark on their rumps, saying he'll do so by sundown tonight. Both mares looked at him with confusion plastered on their faces, but were told to sit down by Tenor and to not say anything as it might make the situation more confusing for them. With the sun setting low, Apple Pear had to make her way home before she got in trouble again, the Cutie Mark Crusaders bidding her farewell and asking her to come back in the following day.
For the next couple of weeks, both Apple Pear and Marmalade were forced to work together with the CMC in order to obtain their cutie marks, trying various things such as cooking, cleaning or teaching. As the month drew close to an end, Apple Pear and Marmalade made a silent agreement that maybe coming over here might have been too much of a stretch to make, what with trusting strangers with getting their cutie marks. One night during one of their meetings after trying out entertaining as a potential destined career, Skating Blitz looked at both mares and walked towards Apple Pear first, much to the slight dismay of Marmalade.
"Young Miss Apple Pear, I'm going to ask you a simple but challenging question. You'll have to answer with your great-great grandaunt's honesty though. Promise you will?"
"I promise."
"Good! Then answer me this: What do you love doing most?"
"Huh? Why ask a question I don't have an answer to?!"
"You promised to answer honestly PearPear!"
"Please don't call me that..."
"Answer the question~"
Apple Pear sighed, turning her head away from the pegasus in from of her. It was a challenging question for her since she never really sat down to think about it properly. Sure, it graced her mind with its presence every now and then, but it had done nothing to make her stop and evaluate its purpose. Now that she needed to evaluate that thought, it didn't seem to come to her at that moment, making her blush from the awkward silence that had filled the room.
"What I love doing most?"
"It isn't a hard question if you really think about it not from your mind but from your heart as Scootaloo once told me!"
"Well, what I love doing..."
Looking around the room, Apple Pear looked at the faces she had grown to trust over the month. Sweet Cookie with her new ideas and optimistic standpoint, Tenor Rhythm with his encouraging and 'challenge yourself' demeanour, Skating Blitz with his never-ending positive energy, and even Marmalade as a growing friend despite their indifferences caused by their families. Closing her eyes, the young Earth Pony thought long and hard about what she loved doing the most. She thought of her friends, she thought of her Pear Job, she thought of her family, but the most she lingered on was both the Pears and the Apples.
"What I love doing, no, what I love being involved with..."
She thought to her chores on the Apple Farm and her part-time work at the Pear Shop. Honestly she had loved doing both, since one that is less stressful evens out the other full of family expectations, and she had once tried to combine apples and pears together. After much consideration, she opened her eyes and looked Skating Blitz directly in the eye.
"What I love being involved with are Apples and Pears."
The room had been filled with silence, a silence that didn't last as long at it needed to. Marmalade looked at Apple Pear with some surprise in her eyes before she scoffed and shook her head. Tenor Rhythm and Sweet Cookie looked at each other before turning to Skating Blitz, the Pegasus shaking his head with a smile on his face.
"It is a good place to start, but you'll need to be a bit more specific than that if you want that cutie mark."
"How so? Didn't I answer honestly?"
"Don't get me wrong, you did answer honestly. What do you enjoy doing with fruit? Making juice, cakes, jams..."
"Oh, those? I don't really know, I did everything to do with fruits but I don't seem to enjoy any of them."
After whispering to the Pegasus next to her. it was now Cookie's turn to walk up to Apple Pear that, an idea plastered well onto her face. She leaned towards Skating Blitz and told him her idea, something that made him smile before backing up next to the other colt as she took charge of the situation.
"Tell me little Apple, your family makes really good products form apples. What's your favourite?"
"By far I love Jams. Why do you ask?"
"Well, Marmalade here loves making some Jam, so I was thinking maybe we can kill two birds with one stone and try to make some jam here!"
"With that?"
"Glad you asked me Pear Mare~"
"Cookie, you really don't have anything to work with here. All we have are cooking ingredients."
"Do we have enough of it Tenor?"
"I mean, yeah you bought a lot of-"
"Perfect! Marmalade, Apple Pear, follow me! It's time to make some Jam!"
Both Earth Ponies looked at the excited Unicorn in a confused manner, but followed her anyway. She led them to the house's kitchen where she started using her magic to get some bowls, a few pots and ingredients out. She pulled out a few apples and pears, along with sugar, half a lemon and a bit of salt. After getting everything out, she instructed everypony else to get an apron on, all ponies in the room looking at her with patience. After getting her own apron on, Cookie cleared her throat and began handing out bowls.
"One of my friends' parents is a jam maker. She taught me and my sister how to make Jam when we were a little bit younger. I reckon that since you both loved to make Jam, we should make some ourselves! And since there are 5 of us, we can split into 2 uneven groups and make our own Jam from either Apples or Pears."
Everypony eventually nodded in agreement as Cookie gave the two mares pots to use, the two colts splitting up to work with either one of the mares. Eventually after some debate, Marmalade decided to make Pear Jam, Apple Pear settling on Apple and Pear Jam after a long debate. Well, it was a debate Skating put at ease more or less.
The task was much more fun than anypony considered it to be. With Cookie watching over the stove, the two groups worked together to make their Jams, Skating helping Apple Pear and Tenor helping Marmalade. When the selected fruits were sliced and mashed with the sugar in a pot, Cookie helped both mares place their pots on the stove and tasked them to watch over their creations while Skating Blitz offered to go out and get something to drink for the lot and Tenor suggested to Cookie that they both make something to go alongside the Jam. Everypony agreed that having another kitchen handy wasn't as far of a stretch as Skating had suggested at first.
Apple Pear and Marmalade stood in complete silence for the first few minutes waiting for their mixtures to boil, but afterwards they soon started engaging in small conversations that grew into lengthy ones, the result of getting along after seeking the CMC for their Cutie Marks showing quite visibly.
"You know, while you are an Apple, you're not so bad."
"Heh, you're not so bad yourself Marmalade."
"I think Marma is more appropriate now that we're, y'know, friends."
"I guess so. In that case, Ap or Pe is alright by me."
Both mares nodded and continued on with their work. Once the mixtures were ready Apple Pear and Marmalade covered their respective pots with different-coloured lids so that they can see who's was who's. Marmalade turned to see the other kitchen area with something inside the oven, and it looked an awful lot like donuts of some sorts. Apple and Marmalade walked into the waiting room where Tenor and Cookie were, reading a book together whilst being rather close to one another, making both younger mares smirk. After another few seconds, Cookie looked up, a smile plastering her face.
"How did they go?"
"Pe and I just finished. How long until those donut-things are ready?"
"Should be good in about a few more minutes."
"...Doesn't it take long to cook them?"
"Only without a neat little spell to speed up the heating process~"
"Huh, interesting."
"How about you two ladies sit down, it is a bit uncomfortable standing there on your hooves all day."
"I think I'll go stir my jam a little bit more."
"Really Pe? You just put the lid back on and you can't get enough of it?"
"I can't help it, I didn't know how fun it was to make this sort of stuff!"
"Well, no one's stopping you then. I'll be here if you need me."
Apple nodded and left Marmalade with Cookie and Tenor. Trotting back towards her pot, she still felt the heat radiating off of the pots on the stove, the sweet smell of jam drifting through the air. The added smell of the donuts in the next kitchen made the Earth Pony a bit hungry. The silence and the added smells in the area gave the Apple Mare ample time to think to herself. She thought about how fun it had been to create what she had created, and she remembered how fun it had been to hang around ponies that felt the same way. As she thought, she quickly came to discover how she had found it interesting to mix apples and pears together. She remembered tasting her creation for the first time and finding it rather delicious. If anything, Apple Pear found herself glowing in delight, the bright light emitting from her body almost blinding her, but it did cause her to scream.
Hearing her scream, the ponies in the building galloped into the kitchen where they saw the young Apple Farmer looking at her rear, the outline of a cutie mark visible from the bright light. Cookie smiled with wide eyes, Tenor looked on in curiosity, and Marmalade looked with intrigue and excitement. When the light finally gave the four of them a break, the cutie mark that Apple Pear obtained was nothing but strange. It was the image of an apple and pear inside a jar, something that got both younger mares excited.
"I-I-I-I got it?!"
"Y-y-you have it?!"
"I HAVE A CUTIE MARK!" "YOU HAVE A CUTIE MARK!"
"I can't believe it!"
"Congratulations are in order young Apple Farmer, donuts on me!"
"What, a way to end the day, huh?"
"The end of the day? Is it already sunset?!"
"Yep, I think Skating Blitz should have been back by now with those-"
"I HAVE TO GO! Thanks for this, I'll come back for the food later!"
Apple Pear in a panic galloped out of the kitchen and sped outside the now open door, almost colliding with Skating blitz who just came back from the Cake Shop. Confused and jump-scared, Blitz looked on as the Apple Farmer raced all the way home, looking back at his friends in a confused manner.
"Uh, what's up with the Farmer?"
"She just got her cutie mark!"
"She did?! Aw, shucks and I missed it! What did it look like Cookie?"
"Something I'm not entirely sure her family would approve of..."
"How come?"
"She's an apple, and there's a pear on her cutie mark."
"My family always despised her family and vice versa, so to think what they'll do when they find out..."
