Author's Note

And thus ends another chapter. But the story is not yet over. Be prepared for the last chapter and a whole lot of sex. And as always, thank you for your patience and support and remember to stay tuned for more chapters and remember to keep on bronying on.

Family Reunion

It was now 1:45 P.M and it was time for you to pick up Antonio from school. With Bright Mac and Pear Butter sound asleep, you just let them be. You got up from the couch and headed for the front door, grabbing your keys and headed outside. You closed the door and locked it. Then, you walked to the truck and climbed into the driver's seat, closed the door, buckled up and started up the engine. You pulled out of the driveway, then drove off to your brother's school.

You couldn't deny that you'd have to tell your brother the interesting news. You're not absolutely sure how he's gonna react when you tell him about Bright Mac and Pear Butter staying at the house. However, you're gonna be completely honest with him, nonetheless.

The drive to school was quick and easy with less traffic than you expect. You had arrived just in time for the final bell to ring, signalling the end of the school day. All of the students were leaving the building with smiles, frowns and even hungry faces and you had a hunch that a large amount of them just wanted to go home and toss their homework aside to either rest or play video games.

Amidst the crowd, you located Antonio walking out, looking more chipper than usual. Whatever made his day, if he doesn't stop smiling, it might get stuck like that, just like how mom said.

You saw him coming towards the truck and opened up the door for him to climb in. He sprints at you and hopes into the passenger seat. He closes the door and puts on his seatbelt. "You seem quite chipper about today, did something great happen today in school?" you asked. Antonio reached into his backpack and pulled out a bright green sheet of paper and hands it to you. "What's this?" you took a closer look at what was written on the sheet of paper and soon found out why he was excited.

On the paper, it clearly states that the school will be hosting a music show that'll be hosted in the Canterlot City Plaza and everyone is welcome to participate. The only catch was that it was a group music show, so Antonio would have to be paired up with either one or more of his classmates or family members.

"Hmm, so that's what this is all about. You want to participate in the music show. That sounds pretty amazing, kiddo, but it also says you gotta have an instrument in order for you to be in it as well," you said. "I'm assuming you want me to teach you how to play dad's guitar, right?" Of course, Antonio nodded. But there was still one thing you had to make sure he didn't do so you could let him participate. "Did you keep your promise on not starting fights today and are you gonna do all of your homework?"

"Yes, bro! I don't care if I have to work my brain overtime, I'll get my homework done! Just please, can you teach me how to play dad's guitar and join me in the music show? I really want to perform!" he said. Antonio wasn't kidding around, you could see it in his eyes.

"Alrighty then, bud. Now, remember. You made a promise and you can't go back on it. And, there are some things I gotta tell you as well," you paused before starting up the truck. Once it's on, you drove away from the school and explained to your brother the situation at hand. "Now listen, Antonio. Mom and dad's fortune isn't gonna last us forever, so I took the liberty of finding myself a job. Luckily, my boss, Applejack, was generous enough to allow me to come to work at 8 A.M. That means she's giving me the chance to take you to school before I have to go to work at Sweet Apple Acres."

"Wait, you mean that girl you told mom and dad about when you were still in high school? Wasn't she the girl you said you had a crush on?" he asked, teasingly.

"That's right. I'm not ashamed to admit that I love her, but I can't worry about relationships right now, as an older brother, you are my number one priority. Another thing I gotta let you know about is that we're gonna be having some guest at the house today and they're gonna be staying for a while, so I want you to be on your best behavior and make them both feel welcome in our home, okay?" you asked.

"Okay. So where'd you meet these... "people?" he asked, confused.

"Hate me or not, I did what I think is right: I found them on the sidewalk in the city when I was heading home, they both got mugged and don't have any money on them whatsoever."

"Whoa, seriously?! Why would some bozo attack them like them?" he asked, getting upset.

"There are a lot of muggers out there who'll do anything to get their hands on other people's valueables, which is I was so mad when you walked home yesterday by yourself. That's why I tell you to wait at the school, so no one'll hurt you or take your money or other stuff that's worth a lot of money."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Antonio felt guilty that he had run home after school yesterday. You came to a stop at a red light and gave him a gentle rub on his head.

"It's alright, I forgive you, bro. You've already learned your lesson." Now that you finished explaining everything to Antonio, you focused more on driving home. It took you a few more minutes to finally pull up into the driveway and turn off the engine before stepping out of the car. Antonio ran up to the front door while you took time in order to lock up the truck. You walked up to the front door and unlocked it, then stepped aside to let your brother walk in before you.

Once inside, you hung the keys up on the wall. Sure enough, a few short moments after Antonio was about to relax, you hear him shouting, "Bro, are these the people you mentioned?!"

You look and notice Bright Mac and Pear Butter having a few cups of apple juice. The moment they look in your direction, they both waved. "Howdy there, partner. Ya have a safe trip?" Bright Mac asked. You nodded and then slumped yourself down on the couch.

"Howdy there, sugarcube. Mah name's Pear Butter. Ah'm guessin' yer his lil' brother?" Pear asked.

"That's right. My name's Antonio. My brother told me a lot about you guys on the way here. About how he rescued you two off the streets after you got jumped. Is that true?" he asked.

"Bro, really? Now's not a good time to bring up something like that!" you said.

"Oh, it's alright now. The lil' guy was only askin' a question. And yes, mah husband and Ah were unlucky to get jumped by a couple o' delinquent muggers. We're flat broke an' we got no where else to go. We've got yer brother to thank fer lettin' us stay at yer house," Pear confirmed. "He's even willin' to talk to his boss to help us git some brand new jobs."

"Really? Jeez, bro, how busy are you gonna be? First you get to work at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack, now you're gonna offer these nice people to work with you?" Antonio asked.

In the midst of his questioning, Bright Mac and Pear Butter had these looks of shock and awe. It's like whatever Antonio said might have affected them in some strange way. You took notice of their expressions and got curious of what it was that seemed to bother the married couple. "What's the matter, you two, did we say something we weren't supposed to?" you asked, a little concerned.

"Did Ah hear right, or did yer brother say yer workin' fer Applejack?" Bright Mac asked.

"And is it the ver' same Applejack who works at Sweet Apple Acrers, an' has an older brother named Big Macintosh and a lil' sister named Apple Bloom?" Pear asked.

"Y-Yeah, that's right. How do you know her?" you asked.

"Ah can't believe Ah'm about to say it, but... Applejack happens to be our daughter," Bright Mac said. It came as a shock to you that out of all the people you rescued, it was actually Applejack's own biological parents. You had a hunch they might be related to Applejack in some way and you were right. You heard Applejack mention her parents a couple of times, but never knew what they were like.

"But if you're her parents, what kept you from coming home to your kids?" you asked.

"It's a long story, are ya sure ya wanna hear it?" Pear asked. You nodded without a second thought. Pear Butter and Bright Mac came to the living room and sat down on a seperate couch and told the story about why they couldn't make it home to AJ and her family. It turned out that they had to stay out of town because Pear Butter's father, Grand Pear went into a coma when he fell down the stairs of his house.

For the past 12 years, Pear Butter refused to leave her dad's bedside until he would wake up. Bright Mac stayed with Pear and kept her company while they were waiting for Grand Pear to recover while watching over Grand Pear's house so that when he did wake up, he'd come home with a smile.

There were also a few times when Pear Butter almost gave up hope that her father would ever wake up from his coma, but Bright Mac was able to give her some words of encouragement to ease Pear's pain. And when 12 years passed, Grand Pear woke up and made a full recovery. When Grand Pear found out that his daughter and son-in-law stayed by his side, he made Pear smile when he said he was wrong about Bright Mac his mother Granny Smith being "bad apples."

After a few months of staying with Grand Pear, Bright Mac and Pear Butter explained how they were heading back home to see how their kids were doing, but they ended up having a stroke of bad luck when their car broke down just as they were coming back to Canterlot City.

Of course, as if that wasn't bad enough, a drunken driver smashed into their car a few minutes after they got out of the car and were calling for a tow truck. Unfortunately, their car couldn't be fixed and had to walk home, which lead to them getting mugged by a couple of young thugs. After explaining everything in their story, you finally understood why it was hard for them to come home.

"Now I see why I haven't seen you guys. I can understand what happened to you during your round trip and I'm really sorry for what happened," you said.

"Ah hope it ain't too much trouble, but do ya think tomorrow you can take us with ya to Sweet Apple Acres, we really want to see how our kids are doing," Pear asked. They say that no words can describe a mother's tears, which in Pear Butter's case, it was hard to describe how sad she is having to leave her kids behind for 4 long years and how curious she is to know what's become of her beautiful children.

"It's no trouble at all. I'm heading off to Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow for work, anyways. Just be ready by 7 A.M, so I can take my brother to school tomorrow, then we'll head on over to Sweet Apple Acres," you said.

"Not a problem. We've always been early birds since the day we were born," Bright Mac assured. "Ya have our word that we'll be up bright 'n early tomorrow mornin'. Ain't that right, Buttercup?" Of course, Pear Butter agreed with a nod and a bright smile. After the agreement, you headed upstairs into your room and took off your shoes before placing them inside your closet.

You closed the door to your bedroom and pulled out your cell phone and were about to call Applejack, and it was a good thing you saved that number from the add right after calling Applejack for a job.

So, you dialed the number again and waited for Applejack to pick up. No one picked up at first, but on the 6th dial tone, you heard a familiar voice of a certain cowgirl you love so much. "Howdy there, this is Applejack speaking, may Ah ask who Ah'm speakin' to?" she asked. You immediately tell her your name. "Oh, well howdy there, sugarcube, nice to hear from ya again, did ya need somethin' from me?"

"Actually, yeah. You see, I've got a very special surprise for you tomorrow and I was wondering if maybe when you're all set and ready for work, I can show you what I have for you and your family." you said.

"A surprise? What kind o' surprise is that?"

"You'll see. Just make sure you have your family ready for when I head on over for work tomorrow. I promise you it'll be a wonderful surprise."

"Well, alrighty then. Just don't be late, okay?"

"Of course. Talk to ya later, AJ," Once you had everything set up, you hung up and put away your phone before laying on your bed, staring up at the ceiling. "This is it... no turning back now," you said to yourself.

The next day, you were awoken by your alarm and turned it off. You checked and saw that it was 6 A.M and the sun is barely coming out from your window. You climbed out of your bed and stretched your whole entire body and let out a tired yawn, feeling a bit refreshed, but still wanted more sleep.

You got out a fresh pair of clothes, which were a sleeveless white shirt and blue jeans. You walked out of your room as soon as you put on your socks and shoes, noticing that Bright Mac and Pear Butter were already downstairs in the kitchen and they were cooking up breakfast. You smiled when you witnessed how they kept their word about being early birds. Now you knew exactly where AJ got her honesty from. With a sigh, you walked down the hall and headed inside of the bathroom.

Since your brother doesn't wake up until 6:15, you let him sleep in. Now was as good a time as any to get started with your personal hygiene and dental hygiene. In other words, you wasted no time in brushing your teeth thoroughly until there was no sign yellowness whatsoever.

After a thorough brush, you flossed your teeth before putting on your deodorant. You just couldn't believe that today was the day you would not only be working for Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack, but also introducing her mom and dad as, too.

Now that you were cleaned up, you checked your phone for the time. It was now 6:25 A.M, so it was about time to check on your brother and see if he was awake. You walked over to his bedroom door, which was wide open and he was leaning up against the wall, struggling to get his shirt on. He had his pants on and his backpack all nice and ready for another hard day at school. You can hear him groaning tiredly as if Antonio didn't get enough of a good night sleep last night.

"Stay up late again?" you asked, unamused. He only answered by flashing a sheet of paper with a bunch of math problems and answers he wrote down. "Oh, now I see. Antonio, I know you want to perform at the music show, but that's not gonna help if you stay up late and overwork yourself."

"My... bad," Antonio replied before yawning. You rolled your eyes and waited patiently for him to be fully awake and then headed downstairs to see that Bright Mac and Pear Butter had some pancakes, sausage, bacon and eggs all set up, ready to be eaten. Antonio's jaw hit the ground from the delicious sight and immediately sat down, but you cleared your throat.

"Wash your hands," you said. Antonio sighed in annoyance and got up from his seat and went over to the sink and washed his hands, dried them off and then returned to the dining table. He sat down and took his seat in the same spot he sat before you stopped him.

Antonio began eating his breakfast as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. "Easy there, sugarcube," Pear gestured Antonio, making you chuckle a bit. Now you knew where Applejack got the whole "sugarcube" bit from. "Don't eat so much or you'll either choke or you'll be running to the bathroom faster than a turkey in November, okay there, sugarcube?" Antonio nodded and put on the brakes, chewing his food a little slower. Pear Butter giggled from how big his cheeks had become from overstuffing them. From her point of view, she couldn't help thinking how he looks like a squirrel with his big cheeks.

Later on, all of the plates were finally empty and all that was left was to head out. And so, everyone followed you outside to the truck. You unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver's seat. Your brother climbed into the back seat with Bright Macintosh and Pear Butter.

You turned on the engine and put the truck in reverse. You pulled out of the driveway, put the truck in drive and drove off towards the city. Not a word a said throughout the whole trip, other than a couple of relaxed sighs and your brother trying to catch a few last minute Z's. You checked the mirror in the middle of your truck and noticed Antonio napping on Pear Butter's lap. You can also see that Pear Butter was also stroking Antonio's hair, relaing him like any good mother would. It's been so long since your brother ever felt the love of a mother's touch ever since you and Antonio lost your parents.

But sadly, your little daydream had ended as you pulled up to the school. "Wake up, Antonio, we're here, now no sleeping in class, okay?" you said.

He let out a yawn and unbuckled his seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride, bro," he said, climbing out of the truck before closing the door and running off to the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat. Now that he was taken care of, you left the school and drove off to your new job. Checking the back seats, Pear Butter and Bright Mac were cuddling with each other, resting their eyes. It was a very cute sight to see and just couldn't stop thinking about how great it would be if you and Applejack would cuddle.

At 7:50 A.M, you pulled up onto the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres. And as expected, Applejack, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith were all waiting outside the house for their new employee to show up. It was no surprise that Apple Bloom was still in high school. So, with that thought out of the way, you parked the truck next to their pickup truck and turned off the engine.

"Okay, we're here. Now just stay here until I open the door, and not the front door," you whispered. The two opened up their eyes and nodded. Soon, you got out of the truck and walked over to AJ and the others, "Hi there, everyone, I know I'm a little early, but I thought I'd decide to show up and get an early start on helping you out around the far, alo how are you guys doing?"

"We're doin' alright, sugarcube. Nice to see that ya kept yer word. So, what's this here "surprise" ya wanted to show mah family an' Ah?" Applejack.

"I'm glad you asked. And since you waited so patiently, here's your surprise," you said. Not another word came from your mouth and let your actions do the talking. You walked back to the truck and then opened up the back passenger door and watched as Bright Mac and Pear Butter step out and made themselves known to the Apple family, leaving them speechless beyond reasonable doubt. You closed the door and approached Applejack with her two parents standing beside you.

"Everyone, say "hello" to Bright Macintosh and Pear Butter," you said, calmly.

"M-Ma? Pa? It's really you?" Applejack asked, which they nodded. Big Mac couldn't find the words that described how happy and sad he was seeing his parents after so long. Granny Smith cried tears of joy, seeing her son and daughter-in-law finally being brought home safe and sound. Afterwards, Applejack ran up to her mom and dad and gave them the biggest hug she could give them. And for the first time in a long time, you heard Applejack sobbing as she and her parents shared a tender moment with each other.

Soon, Big Mac and Granny Smith joined in with Applejack. Bright Mac and Pear Butter were also shedding tears, yet their smiles still shined brightly upon their faces.

"Ah missed y'all so much. Ah though ya might've fergottin' 'bout us," Applejack cried on her mom's shoulders, "Do ya have any idea how many times that Ah've cried mahself to sleep?"

"We're sorry, Applejack-sweetie. Ah wish we could've come home sooner," Pear Butter said.

"Can ya ever find it in yer hearts to forgive yer mom and Ah fer bein' away fer so long?" Bright Mac asked.

"Eeyup," Big Mac said.

"The important thang is that y'all 're home safe an' sound. Ah prayed fer the day Ah would see mah children again and mah prayers were answered," Granny Smith said. The apple elder then turned to face you. "Thank ya, sonny, fer bringin' back mah children. Wherever did ya find 'em?"

"Well, it's a long story, but..." you said. Then you began to explain everything that happened to AJ's parents from the time they left and the time you brought them here.

"Mah children... mugged?!" Granny Smith asked in shock.

"Who in the hell would gang up on ya like that?!" AJ asked, wanting to smash the muggers who did this to their parents, but Big Mac put his hand on his sister's shoulder.

"That's not important now, AJ. What's really important is that yer mom and Ah are home an' we can be a family again, an' this time, we ain't goin' anywhere," Bright Mac said. "An' besides, Ah want to hear about everythin' that went on while we were away. An' just look at how much you and yer brother have grown."

"Aw, shucks, pa," Applejack said. "Ah'll tell ya right after our chores are done and until Apple Bloom gets home, then you can tell us all what we did."

After a long talk with each other, Everyone went to work on the farm. Big Mac shared a little father-son moment with his dad, having a little race to see who can plow the fields faster. Pear Butter helped out Granny Smith by sorting out the good and bad apples for cider season while you and Applejack worked on picking apples in order to have them delievered to the farmer's market and supermarket. The leftovers would be harvest for a fantastic banquet that'll later fill up everyone's empty stomachs.

Today has brought a lot of joy into everyone's lives, especially Applejack's. For 12 years, she hadn't seen her parents, but now, everyone is back together like a big happy family.

Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces made you feel more at ease. You only wish that your parents were still alive to see this with their own eyes. If you could see them one last time, you would be so sure they'd look at you and say "we're so proud of you, son. You're a true hero,"