The Better Pony
There were a definite hooffull of perks to growing elderly, as least as far as Granny Smith was concerned. Certainly, the aches, pains and general decrepitness that came with old age were all things that she could do without, and there was the issue of her elder granddaughter treating her as though she were made of glass, but there were upsides to it all too. For example, the fact that Granny Smith could reliably sit on the porch of the Apple Family home and enjoy the sight of the sun sinking beneath the horizon of their orchard without anypony bothering her.
At least that was usually the case. This particular evening, no sooner had Granny Smith settled into her rocking chair then the familiar figure of Grand Pear came walking up the path towards her. “Evening, Granny Smith,” the elderly Pear greeted her as he approached.
“Evenin’, Grand Pear,” Granny Smith replied, not bothering to get up from her rocking chair. “Guessin’ yer here to visit the grandfoals? Well, Big Macintosh is off somewhere with that unicorn filly he’s been courtin’ and Apple Bloom’s gone crusadin’ with those two friends of hers. Not rightly sure what that means, exactly, but it seems t’ involve helpin’ ponies so Ah’m not complainin’.”
“Well, that’s two. What about Applejack?” Grand Pear asked.
“Last Ah saw Applejack she was headed out t’ the market. Course, that was this mornin’ so Celestia only knows what she’s doin’ now. Might still be at the market, or maybe she got called t’ settle some nonsense with those friends of hers.” Granny Smith let out a sigh as she continued to slowly rock back and forth in her chair. “Likely as not she and her sister ‘ll be home before too long, though. Can’t say fer sure about Big Macintosh, though,” Granny Smith added with a chuckle. “The way things have been goin’ Ah wouldn’t be surprised if we’re gonna live t’ see our great-grandfoals. Meantime, Ah’m just sittin’ here watchin’ the sunset ‘til they get home so we can get supper started.”
“Would you mind if I joined you?” Grand Pear asked.
“Suit yerself,” Granny Smith said. Grand Pear proceeded to climb up onto the porch and seated himself on a nearby chair next to Granny Smith. A few minutes of silence passed as the two former rivals sat and watched the sun approach the tops of the orchard before Grand Pear finally spoke up again.
“Our grandfoals turned out pretty well, didn’t they?” Grand Pear said finally. Granny Smith simply nodded her head to this, as if this was something so obvious it didn’t warrant a reply. A few more minutes passed before Grand Pear spoke up again. “Granny Smith, there’s something…you know what, it’s not important.”
“Dang it, y’ prickly pear, just spit out whatever it is y’ wanna say,” Granny Smith snapped irritably.
Grand Pear let out a sigh and closed his eyes. “It’s just…I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Pear Butter after everything that happened.”
“That ain’t anythin’ y’ need to thank me fer,” Granny Smith insisted.
Grand Pear, however, wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Yes, it is. Before I came back, I’d talked with the family I had that had stayed in touch with Pear Butter. Every last pony told me how you had done everything in your power to make her feel as loved and as part of the family as you could. And after the way our families had been at each other’s throats over the years, I don’t know that I’d have been able to do the same in your horseshoes. I guess I just want to thank you for being the better pony.”
“Fer the last time, Grand Pear, Ah wasn’t the better pony, not really, so y’ can stop thankin’ me,” Granny Smith protested.
“But you were!” Grand Pear argued. “When we saw that our foals were in love, that they were ready to spend the rest of their lives together, you embraced that love while I…I…” Grand Pear’s words started to fail him as he recalled the single worst mistake of his long life.
“And Ah’ve said the same durn fool thing or close to it if y’all hadn’t beaten me to it!” Granny Smith snapped. Grand Pear could only stare in shock as Granny Smith looked down ashamedly. “Ah was all set to disown mah own son when Ah heard y’ give yer daughter yer ultimatum. Right then at that moment Ah felt like Ah was starin’ at mah own reflection and Ah hated the pony starin’ back at me. Then, when Pear Butter looked y’ in the eyes and said she’d rather give up bein’ yer kin then to leave the stallion she loved Ah realized what a durned angry fool Ah’d been all these years. Our foals had found somethin’ truly beautiful, and here Ah was ready to tear it all down over some worthless feud. That’s why there ain’t no cause fer y’ to thank me or tell me Ah was the better pony. Ah was every bit as rotten as y’all were, Ah just realized it a bit sooner is all.” The two elderly ponies sat together in silence for several minutes after Granny Smith finished her confession, letting what had just been said sink in.
Eventually, Grand Pear broke the silence. “I’m still going to thank you, you old crab apple.” Grand Pear let out a deep sigh. “We’re really just a couple of old fools, aren’t we?”
“Well, we’re gettin’ wiser, bit by bit. Better late ‘n never, as mah pa always said,” Granny Smith agreed. “Still, may as well look on the bright side. We’ve got three grandfoals who’re wiser ‘n we are –”
“CONSARNIT, STRAWBERRY SUNRISE! AH’M GONNA GET Y’ALL FER THIS IF IT’S THE LAST THING AH DO!” Applejack’s enraged screams echoed through the air, startling several flocks of birds into the air.
“Well, we’ve got two grandfoals who’re wiser ‘n us, at any rate,” Granny Smith concluded. “Applejack’s a good mare, but she’s thicker ‘n molasses at times.”
“She’ll learn eventually,” Grand Pear assured her. “After all, we did.”