Tourmaline rested on her bed in the room they had rented from the inn they had stayed at. A cool autumn breeze filtered through the open window, causing the pegasus to shiver from the chill. She got up from her bed and closed the window before taking a seat at the small table in her room. She could hear her companions sleeping in the next room; Wanderer’s loud snores easily drowning out Tormod’s.
She and the other two had stopped at the small town to restock on supplies before they were to make their way across Equestria’s southern border. While they were out shopping, Wanderer had insisted they buy a few jars of zap apple jam to add to their stores. She had questioned the purchase, saying they would go bad on them before they had gone far, but Wanderer had scoffed. He claimed the jam never went bad and said it was the best thing since sliced bread.
Her and her brother were skeptical but he was persuasive. They bought a few jars and when they had returned to the inn, Wanderer had gone on to tell a story about the zap apples the jam was made from.
Tourmaline smiled inwardly, she didn’t know if the story had been true or not, but she did like hearing it. Her friend was known to exaggerate things on the occasion, so she doubted how truthful his story was. Still, it was an interesting story.
She looked out her window to the bright, full moon and remembered something. Princess Luna had put out a flyer, saying that she would be interested in any story or bit of lore throughout Equestria to add to her newfound library. Tourmaline chuckled quietly, finding the idea of Wanderer’s story as part of the collection funny. The more she thought on it though, the more the idea grew on her. Finally she retrieved her writing materials and a blank sheet of parchment, and began to write.
Dear Princess Luna,
Earlier today, a friend of mine had told me a story about the zap apples and about where they had come from. I don’t know how true the story is, but I found in interesting. Maybe after you read it, you would too. I’ll try to keep it as close as how Wanderer told it as I can.
"From what I was told, zap apples came from the time when Discord ruled the world. It was said that they came about when he decided that red and green apples were too boring."
My brother asked him where he heard this from; Wanderer said it was from a pony he knew. I asked if it was from his mom and he denied it. I saw his blush though, so he wasn’t fooling me. He kept telling his story anyway.
"Since red and green apples were too boring, Discord decided to try a different color. Before he could start though, some wolves started barking and howling. In annoyance he turned the wolves into the timber wolves we know today. Something about if they were going to bark all day, they may as well be made of it.
"Discord couldn’t decide on what color to make them and as he thought about it, a wind storm passed through that nearly blew him over. A flock of crows then flew past him to escape a terrible thunderstorm that had appeared out of nowhere. It was said the storm was made from Discord’s own brainstorming, but nopony truly knows."
At this point I grew skeptical, but he tells a good story.
"Annoyed at the storm, Discord used his magic to make it disappear. The magical backlash caused a meteor shower to happen, but he didn’t pay any attention to it as meteors fell all around him. He still struggled with choosing a color for the apples.
"The answer came as suddenly as the lightning storm that appeared from his revelation. Since he couldn’t decide on one color, he made the apples have all the colors of the rainbow, and had the timberwolves, the wind storm, the crows and thunderstorm, meteor shower, and finally the lightning storm all precede the apples ripening.
"When Discord was finally beaten, only the zap apples in the Everfree Forest were left when his magic disappeared. And that is where we get our zap apple jam from."
I had never had zap apple jam myself and he had me try it. I will say it was the best jam I have ever had. Wanderer asked me how it was, and when I told him what I thought of it, he said (and I quote) “That’s because the flavor is ‘shockingly’ good.” I still have a headache from that.
Anyway, I hope you like his story, Princess Luna. I think I would be a good addition to your collection. Maybe something for the little foals to read and laugh at. Until I hear another good story, I wish you well.
Your faithful subject.
Tourmaline.
Satisfied with her letter, the pegasus quietly left the inn to place it in the town’s mailbox. When she returned to her room, it was not long before she found herself asleep.