Finding Your Family

"So, let me go though it one more time, just to make sure it's all accurate in my head. You're my mom's dad's sister's best friend?"

Holiday nodded. "That's pretty close. Close enough for now, anyway."

"How much closer could I be? What'd I say wrong?"

"You didn't say anything wrong, per se; she is my best friend, but she's also more than that."

"Like a sister?"

Holiday shook her head. "We've been together since we were young, and back then, I thought she was like a sister to me, but over time, our love grew, and... well, eventually, we were married."

"So, you're like a husband and wife?"

"Kind of."

"But don't you need a boy to be the husband? I thought you were both girls."

"We are."

Barb gripped her head. "This is confusing!"

"It'll make more sense when you're older," chuckled Holiday. "For now, just know that we're best friends, we sleep in the same bed, and we love each other. That's all this has to be for the purposes of this explanation."

As they turned into Sugarcube corner, Barb looked around. "Wasn't mom talking about this place yesterday with Aunt Dash and that weird guy?"

Holiday shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't here yesterday. "What was that about a weird guy?"

Barb shrugged. "He was a guy, and he was weird. He kept rubbing his hooves all over Aunt Dash's shoulders and stuff. I think they called him Soarin, or something."

"Ah. Rainbow Dash's coltfriend. Yeah, he's a little strange, but at least he's earnest."

"Earnest? I thought his name was Frank?"

Barb spun around and found herself touching noses with a very, very pink pony with blue eyes. That was all the information she could draw in before suddenly bolting backward and tripping to the floor.

"Surprise!"

Barb took a look at the smiling pony before her. She was indeed very pink, with a fluffy, puffy mane and tail. Her eyes were very large, even by pony standards, and she wore a constant smile.

"Good morning, Pinkie Pie," smiled Holiday. "Meet my grandniece, Barb."

"Meet? I've been seeing pictures of Barb since she was this big!" Pinkie held her hooves close together, mere centimetres apart. "You've really grown in the past month!"

Barb looked back and forth, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Um... Hi? Have we met?"

"Barb, this is Pinkie," introduced Holiday. "She's the premier party-planning pony of Ponyville."

"Are we planning a party?" asked Barb, confused.

"No, I brought you here for pastries."

"But you're not not planning a party, riiiiiight?" urged Pinkie, stretching out her neck and fluttering her eyelashes.

"I guess," shrugged Holiday. "I'd be open to discussion."

"Woo hoo!"

"We can talk about it. In the meantime, can you believe that Barb has never had any kind of doughnut before?"

Holiday knew exactly what would happen the moment she said that. She had intended to, and was still going to, pay for an assorted box of pastries to find out what Barb liked and didn't like, so that she could bring a box whenever she came to visit. She was planning to do the same for the other two and cement herself as the best great aunt ever. The moment Pinkie's gasp was heard, she knew that they would be offered a much bigger box with far less wait time.

In a series of quick zips, Holiday and Barb were picked up, sat down at a table, fitted with long bibs, each given a fork and a butter knife, and presented with a large, tiered tray of baked goods, all within the span of five seconds. Barb had been confused about how two mares could be wed, but this... This blew her mind.

"Well?" asked Pinkie, leaning on the table and raising her eyebrows with a smirk. "Try some!"

Barb had no idea where to start. For a moment, she just sat there, mouth agape and drooling as her eyes darted from one to the next. Even so, if she did have an idea where to start, she had been raised to not just grab stuff; that she should ask for things from an adult, instead. But how could she? She didn't know the names of any of these.

"Here," said Holiday, pulling one from the middle and putting it on Barb's plate. "This is an apple turnover. We grow the best apples in Equestria right here in Ponyville."

Barb started cutting into the apple turnover until she'd taken off a good chunk of it, which she put into her mouth with the fork. Immediately, she began to melt, having never tasted anything so divine before. Dragons were not known for their mastery of phyllo.

After the turnover, she tried all sorts of things. Peach jelly and cream cheese puffs, maple-glazed eclairs, blood orange jelly-filled bismarks, lemon curd tartlets, key lime-topped creme brûlée, coffee cheesecake pops, macadamia and white chocolate biscotti, cranberry scones, churros, and a slice of spiced pear sheet cake. Those were just the ones she could remember the names of.

But there was one in particular that stood out above the others. One confection had achieved perfection; the apotheosis of glucosis, the master sweet that was hard to beat, the dextrose most grandiose.

"Are there any more of those balaclavas?" asked Barb, craning her neck to find one. "Those were really good!"

"No," answered Pinkie, "but I have a ski mask you can borrow!"

"Baklava," corrected Holiday. "What do you think is your favourite part?"

"I don't know," admitted Barb. "It's all great. What's in it?"

"Phyllo, butter, pistachios and honey!" squeaked Pinkie. "Oh, this is great news! I'll be right back!"

As Pinkie dashed off to the kitchen, Holiday pulled out her purse. It was safe to say that Pinkie was already planning a party for later, and when it came time to fund such an event, she would be glad to pay for it, even if Pinkie didn't give anypony a bill. But without any kind of indication of what was going on in Pinkie's head, Holiday at least knew she was going to bring back a box of baklava, which she'd then take home to share with the whole family, so she may as well prepare to pay for it.

Pinkie came back a moment later with three boxes, one of which she dumped the remaining treats into. as soon as she spotted the coin purse, she held up her hoof. "Hold it right there, Aunt Holiday! These are on me!" She loaded the boxes onto her back. "See? Right there on my shoulders. Woo! Let's go!"