Chapter 1: Curiosity

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Hello everypony, or rather anypony who's reading this. The name is Granny Smith, owner of Sweet Apple Acres, Equastria's largest apple farm. I may not be a princess or anything, although I certainly have met one. Oh jeez Louise, I've barely starting this thing and I'm already blabbing on.

Alright. Recently, I found a book that Princess Celestia wrote, which was about a dark tale she had to endure, and it inspired me to write about one of my own.

Now this story here is a true story, one about my granddaughter and how her curiosity got the best of her. All that she wanted was a little treat, yet she ended up putting the Apple Family at risk. Although I personally take 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 know. It was something I had kept secret for a very long time. Since I'm not keeping it anymore, I'm not afraid of writing it down anymore.

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, as well as every pony who ever did the same, you will certainly die. I now that sounded grim, but I am NOT sugar coating it. Ponies have fallen because they did what Apple bloom did. She simply handled it perfectly.

Without any further adieu, I give you the tale of Apple bloom and the Golden Apples.

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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 in my old age, I'd probably break my other 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 were hungry.

"Whoo hee! Biggest apple harvest of the year." Applejack said as she and the others walked inside..

"Ugh...isn't there child labor laws for making me work so hard here?" Applebloom asked.

"Nnope." 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 had baked that day boosted their spirit right up, especially because of the 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 asks in excitement.

"Eeyup!"

Hoping it would be what they were hoping for, they all 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 counter. While the apple with deprived from the fruit it once had, 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.

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After cutting up the pies into even pieces, we each helped ourselves. The golden apples are by far the tastiest apples in all of Equastria, and only I knew how to acquire them. Due to the rarity of them though, it's 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 can get, I get use them only to feed me and my family, normally as a special occasion. While they are good to eat on their own, I think I know how to make them into one mean apple pie.

"Amazing as always, Granny Smith!" Applejack said. "It's the only thing I'll eat without just pigging out on em! I swear, these things make me feel like I'm Rarity."

"Hehehe. Yeah. These golden apples of the Orphan Trees will do that." I said.

"Hey Granny, I've been wanting to ask." Apple bloom said. "Why are the tree called Orphans? Shouldn't they be called golden 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. he trees them selves have magic in them throughout their entire lives, until an apple starts to bloom in them. Each tree will only bare the fruit of one, and only one, apple. 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 so sad."

"I'd imagine they'd be harm to farm if a tree only drops one apple." Applejack added.

"They sure are. But while the tree will only grow one fruit, 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 anyway?"

"That, my little Apple bloom, is not for little fillies to know." I answered. "Nor 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 wouldn't be any time soon.

Apple bloom have always loved these golden apples and was naturally more interested in finding more of them then anypony. She grew ever curious over how I get my golden apples and 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, come along to help her so they could enjoy the delicious golden apple together. Little did she knew that all that would do is put them all into danger.

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Author's Note: Okay, here's the first chapter of my newest story! Hope I got your interest. New chapers will come as soon as I finish my other story. Enjoy.