//------------------------------// // Curious // Story: Apple Bloom and the Golden Apples // by Animegx43 //------------------------------// Hello everypony, or rather anypony who's reading this. The name is Granny Smith, owner of Sweet Apple Acres, Equestria's largest apple farm. I may not be a princess or anything, although I certainly have met one - oh jeeze Louise, I'm barely starting this thing and I'm already blabbing on... I'll cut straight to the point; I have a tale that I'd like to share to any pony who's reading this. Now this story here is a true story, one about my granddaughter, Apple Bloom, and how her curiosity got the best of her. All that she had wanted was a little treat, yet she ended up putting the Apple Family at risk, although I personally took full responsibility of it, since I was the one who got her curious in the first place, as well as withholding information she probably should've known in the first place. It was something I had kept secret for a very long time, but since I'm not keeping it secret anymore, I'm not afraid of writing it down. Now I must warn you all. Everything you read here must be kept to yourself, for if you attempt to repeat the events that went on with Apple Bloom, together with every pony who all did the same, you will certainly die. I know that sounded grim, but I’m not going to sugar coat it. Ponies have fallen because they did what Apple Bloom had done. She simply handled it perfectly. Without any further adieu, let's begin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It all started on a surprisingly busy day at Sweet Apple Acres, with all three of my grandchildren hard at work. Applejack and Big McIntosh were bucking away at trees to bring down the apples, and Apple Bloom had to catch each one of them with a basket on her head. They were harvesting apples all day, leaving them very little time to socialize with their friends. I myself would've helped them out, but with my old age, I'd probably break my only good hip, and I'd like to have at least one hip that's still real. Since I couldn't help with the harvest, I decided to prepare a little treat for the hard workers. By the end of the day, the three kiddies were done and exhausted, and I was certain that they would be hungry. "Whoo hee! Biggest apple harvest of the year." Applejack said as she and the others walked inside the farmhouse. "Ugh... aren’t there child labor laws for making me work so hard here?" Apple Bloom asked. "Nope," Big Mac answered. Although Apple Bloom expressed it the most, all three of them went into the living room, sat down, and practically stayed down there. The poor dears all worked hard that day, but the smell of the apple pie that I had baked boosted their spirit right up, especially because of the special type of apple I used that day. "Ooh. I think Granny Smith made a pie today... wait a second." Applejack said. "I know that smell." "Oh my gosh! Could it be?" Apple Bloom asked in excitement. "Eeyup!" Hoping it would be what they were all thinking of, they ran into the kitchen and saw me as I took out a great big apple pie from the oven. That wasn't the only thing they noticed, for they also saw a giant apple core on the countertop. While the apple was derived from the fruit it had once coated, the kiddies could tell still see the golden colored skin that remained at the top, as well as recognize the size of the apple itself, for the pie I made was made solely from this apple. "Who here would like a golden apple pie?" I asked them all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After cutting up the pies into even slices, we each helped ourselves. The golden apples were, by far, the tastiest apples in all of Equestria, but only I knew how to acquire them. Due to the rarity of them, it was simply impossible to mass produce them on farm, but I'll be getting more into that later. At any rate, because of how few of them I was able to get, I use these special apples only to feed my family and I, normally for a special occasion. While they’re even good to eat on their own, I knew how to bake them into one mean apple pie. "Amazing as always, Granny Smith!" Applejack said. "It's the only thing I'll eat slowly and not just pig out on em! I swear, these things make me feel like I'm Rarity." I chuckled. “Yep, the golden apples of the Orphan Trees will certainly do that." I said. "Hey Granny, I've been wanting to ask you." Apple bloom said. "Why are the trees called Orphans? Shouldn't they be called Golden Apple trees or something?" "Well, that's a very interesting question," I answered. "You see Apple Bloom, the Orphan Trees are a special, magical tree, sort of like the zap apple trees. The trees themselves have magic in them throughout their entire lives, until an apple starts to bloom in them. Each tree will only bear the fruit of one, and only one, of these apples. The apples are giant like a watermelon, and gold...well, gold. These apples, when fully ripe, will have all of the magic of the tree stored in them. Finally, and tragically, once these apples are picked, or have fallen off, their tree will quickly wither up and die." "Gosh. That sounds awful sad." "I'd imagine they'd be hard to farm if a tree only drops one apple," Applejack added. "They sure would be, but while the tree will only grow one apple, as you can tell, they are one heck of a fruit." "Well if they are so hard to farm, why don't we start doing that now?" Apple bloom asked. "Where do you get them from, anyway?" "That, my little Apple Bloom, is not for little fillies to know," I answered. "Not for fully grown stallions either!" "Aww..." Bic McIntosh said. Now maybe I should've went ahead and told them all the truth as to where I actually get the giant golden apples, but I had always feared that it would tempt them to get more of their own, which was something I didn't want them to do. The only way I could've discourage them is if I told another, darker secret regarding the apples, but I had always hoped to take that secret with me to my grave, although with the strength I've been having lately, I still doubt that it will be anytime soon. Apple Bloom had always loved these golden apples and was naturally interested in finding more of them than anypony else ever had. She grew ever curious as to how I got my golden apples and had decided to find a way to get more. Now, I wouldn't say that little Apple Bloom was a greedy filly, but I definitely did a poor job keeping her from being curious. She even had plans on having her friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, coming along to help her so they could enjoy the delicious golden apple together. Little did she know that all that it would do was put everypony in danger.