Forbidden Fruits

Granny Smith was not looking forward to the awkward questions from her extended family at the big reunion. But she had long ago accepted Buttercup as her daughter-in-law and nothing more. Especially after the birth of her little granddaughter, Applejack. She could always fall back on her old strategy of telling other ponies to 'mind their own darn business'.

"Thank you for looking after Macintosh and Applejack," Buttercup said to Granny Smith.

"We should be able to gather enough Crisscross Moss from the Hayseed Swamp for the whole family reunion!" Bright Mac said. "And this year, don't spoil little Applejack and let her fill up on apple fritters again!"

"Well of course I'm gonna spoil her!" Granny Smith said, smiling defiantly. "I'm a grandmare! This is the grand part!"

The two ponies kissed their foals goodbye and departed on the long journey to the Hayseed Swamp.

"And that was the last anypony ever saw of them," Granny Smith told her grandfoals as they stood in front of the etched boulder. "They probably caught the Swamp Fever. They nearly made it home too. But they only got as far as this rock before they turned into trees."

Granny Smith walked back to the farm house. The rest of the Apple family gathered around the carved stone with the entwined Apple and Pear tree growing up from it. Etched into the stone was the date of the disappearance of Bright Mac and Pear Butter. Applebloom looked at the date and did the math in her head.

"Hey, wait a minute," Applebloom said. "It says they died twenty years ago, but I'm not even twenty years old myself. How is that even possible?" she asked.

Applejack and Big Macintosh exchanged nervous glances.