The Strange yet Terrible Curse
My life was normal like any other. The only thing that was missing was the sight of the elements of harmony. Legends, heroes, almost gods of a time before me. When I was born they were all gone, long gone. Only stories and monuments remain of their legacy they left behind. The all have burial grounds too, just scattered about. One of them changed my life forever, taking things I loved from me. Before I get there, there needs to be an understanding of how things happened.
I learned of the heroic elements of harmony when I was a filly in school. My teacher, being a descendant of the creative Cherilee, knew much about them and what they did, which still many ponies did anyway. But O, my friends, the stories she told! Their heroics saving the entire country many times. Any villain who dared cross their path was dispatched quickly and justly, with little or no collateral damage. We studied them and their doings for a span of two or three weeks.
Eventually the day came when we learned of their tomb locations. There was really only one located nearby, the tomb of Applejack. Supposedly it lay just outside of Apple Acres, which was now abandoned. The Apple family had moved its business elsewhere some five years before we had this lesson. We learned that all of the tombs were very special in their own ways, but the most special was Applejack's. It was rumored that there was a curse laid upon it, but hidden deep within its walls.
The story goes that Applejack, as she got older, became a but obsessed and crazy. She became worried and contempt that somepony would steal the family's cider recipe that was so successful. It could be said that jealousy got to her brain, dear friends, and maybe it did. The true reason was still unknown but indeed she was buried with the recipe in her grasp and it still laid with her in death. The curse was rumored to have been place by Celestia herself, but to this day she refuses to deny nor confirm anything affiliated with the topic.
The curse was to fall on those who dared to try and take her beloved recipe. Nopony knew what exactly would happen to them if they tried, the curse wasn't exactly specific, so nopony even tried to break into the tomb. Every student in the class was wide eyes with jaws dropping as our fantastic teacher finished off the story of the tomb. That was the only topic spoken for the rest of the day. We talked with our parents about it as well. Mine seemed happy that I liked what I learned so much, but from the look on their faces it seemed they knew nothing about the tomb. My juvenile mind thought nothing about it and I went back to babbling on about the topic.
It was the hot topic in any conversation at the school for the next few days, then it vanished, like a fog raising. Everypony just forgot about it, now it seems strange to me but I know what happened. Our immature minds pushed it away for more exciting things to come. In fact, I didn't think about it for the rest of my school career. It had completely slipped my mind, lost forever in the vast void that is my imagination.
Now, my early twenties began. Me, having graduated not long ago, decided to wander the country for a while. At the time I lived in Las Pegasus, but I wanted to see my native land a bit more than I had, possibly visit my hometown of Ponyville again. My adventures brought me to every corner of the land. I discovered many diverse beings and creatures and wrote about them in a journal, a journal I would lose five months later. I would lose it during my visit in Ponyville, my fillyhood home.
I went to every nook and cranny I could in Ponyville, including the sight of my old house, which was just an old foundation now. This pricked at my heart strings, but I had things to see my friends! There was still much more to see, mainly including old Apple Acres. The picket fence that was once the marker of Apple Family land still remained, although its white paint was long faded away. The gate, wide open, inviting all adventurous inside, which my friends, was me. I wanted to see what hidden treasures may lay inside these abandoned lands.
My first sight was the immense stretch of apple trees that still inhabited the area quite densely. Most were dead, but some still had some golden delicious on them, which almost hypnotized me, myself being a bit hungry. I pushed away my thoughts though because I had a goal, to find something interesting in these old lands. I ventured through the vast fruity forest and found virtually nothing, which disheartened me a bit, but my search continued, in lands that big there had to be something! I kept looking for hours until I saw it.
Just over the tree tops I could see a high tower, from what I could see it seemed to be made of stone. This interested me highly, of course, so I moved towards this strange structure. I pushed my way through the highly dense undergrowth and made my way to the tower. Upon arriving, I quickly realized that it wasn't just a tower, but a whole temple like building! I stood with jaws dropped as I realized what I had found. The very tomb of Applejack, the element of honesty, lay right in front of my young eyes!
It seemed to be built somewhat like a temple indeed. From where I stood, I could see the entrance, which was most likely the the exit as well. The tomb's monumental tower rose some 50 feet in the air. I was in awe at the sheer architecture ingenious of this tomb. The stories my dear old school teacher had told us were fantastical, but nothing compared to seeing it right in front of you! My mind hatched a great idea, I should enter the tomb.
I trotted up to the entrance, which were two doors some twenty feet high, or plainly, really gigantic doors. They were quite easy to open though, which was surprising to me. Ever still, my friends, I entered the tomb with excitement in my heart and curiosity in my brain. I noticed that the tomb had been overtaken a bit by some slight plant growth. There were vines dangling from here and there, but you could still see anything in the tomb quite well.
O the beauty, my friends! Crystal apples lined the very walls that led you to the burial chamber. Stories of the great Applejack and her friends were inscribed on the walls as well, depicting their great lives to you in great detail. The torches in side were lit by an undying magic that was created to make everlasting light, just perfect for the tomb of a hero. I soaked in every detail with my eyes and reveled in its sheer beauty! I was dumbstruck for possibly the first time in my life!
Then I arrived at the burial chamber and O! My friends, I began to cry as I was in the presence of one of the greatest heroes in our country's history! In front of me some fifty feet away was the very sarcophagus of Applejack herself! Two giant crystal apples lay on the wall behind the coffin to add to the scene that stood before me. (Me being stupid) I had to see the body! Yes my friends, I did defile the grave of Applejack. To this day, I regret what I did but I did it to learn and see the hero for myself.
I opened the coffin lid and there lay the bones of Applejack, still with her hat on. She was surrounded by incredibly rotten apples, most likely fresh when buried with her. Her hat had many holes in it and a few cobwebs hung from her skull. The most interesting thing was this old piece of parchment that was wedged in between her forelegs. I told myself that I had to see what secret that paper possibly held. I delicately pulled the paper from her legs and opened it up with the greatest of care right there in front of the coffin. I was looking right at the secret Apple Family Cider Recipe! Once again jaw dropped, I sprinted out of the burial chamber, through the long hallways, and back out into the orchard.
Days passed from that experience that I had and I still had the recipe in my hands. I must say, dear friends, that I did not notice the sign that told of the curse inside of the tomb. I had completely forgotten it from my memories as well. My young mind had no idea what I had gotten myself into. Anyways, I had no idea of what I was going to do with this old parchment. I sat for many days pondering what I could exactly do with it. Then, one day, as I sat on my motel bed (which was most uncomfortable) the idea hit me. I should make some cider and make some money.
I got to work on making a small batch of the golden nectar. The list was very bizarre and it took a while to acquire all the ingredients, but after five days of looking, I had all I needed. I spent the most of a Thursday chopping and stirring and tasting. The cider was indeed tasty, in fact, virtually a perfect beverage! When I thought I was ready, I set up a table in the center of Ponyville and began my business.
I sat there for a couple hours with not a single customer. My hope were just about at their lowest when I finally got my first customer. It was a yellow mare with a green mane and tail. I did never learn her name, she simply claimed that she was dreadfully parched and demanded a glass of cider. I gave it to her and she lay some bits on the table. At first, she just sipped it once and stood staring at me. I was confused and became a bit frightened. Had I mixed it wrong? I got my answer when she chugged the rest of it and then ran off into the distance. What the hay had just happened?
That question too, my friends, was answered the very same day. The mare had run off to tell all of her friends that there was a fantastic cider being sold int the center of town. Within minutes I had a line that stretched for five hundred feet. I sold out of the few gallons I had very quickly, but I promised I would return the next day with even more cider (I still had lots of ingredient left). Most everypony was very satisfied with the cider and claimed it was the best since the Apple Family's. I never mentioned that it was really their recipe, my mind became obsessed with the gain of profit.
I had the same out turn the next day, only this time the line became a bit longer near the end of the day. How many ponies lived in Ponyville now?! I made a profit of over one thousand bits, just off cider! I was amazed and very, very happy. This same pattern lasted for a few more months, I became the richest pony in town and decided to settle down in Ponyville once again. One day, I received a very important visitor. There was a knock at my door and when I opened it there was a businesspony from Fillydelphia standing right in front of me. He introduced himself (his name slips my memory) and I invited him inside. We sat for two hours talking, mainly about business. He introduced a plan that would soon make me a millionaire. He proposed that I make my cider business, which had now become almost nationally famous, a full scale business operation. The idea of a factory didn't appeal to me at first, but I eventually agreed.
By the end of that year, there was a full scale cider factory within sight of Ponyville, Getting workers wasn't hard at all, many ponies were interviewed to work there. Within one month of opening the factory, we had produced some five hundred thousand bottles of cider. I still never mentioned the recipe not truly being mine. I never had any trouble showing the recipe on the label though, the Apple Family (sadly) no longer existed. Their last member had passed one the previous year.
My parents moved back to Ponyville from Manehattan to enjoy the spoils of life with me. We embraced the very second we saw each other and they moved right across from my manor. They indeed had their own manor as well. O my friends! How my business grew! Soon we became the leading cider provider for the country and then we went international. We hit number one internationally not long after. My life was set for the rest of my life, which had barely began in the first place. I slowly forgot about the original recipe, which still however resided in my office, locked away tight.
The next five years went by fast. My millions became billions, then almost trillions. I was now at age 28 and practically ruled the entire world! It was fantastic, my friends, I was on cloud nine! I never had any financial problems with the company or in my own private life. I had not married yet, even though where ever I roamed, beautiful mares eyed me from every corner of any street you saw (which was pleasing). My parents remained very, very proud of me and still enjoyed the spoils they received as gift from me. I loved parents dearly, which makes the last part of my story even harder to say.
The curse, my friends, still followed me. I just did not know of the hell that would soon plague me. O how stupid and juvenile I had been to defile that grave of such high importance in history! I would soon pay dearly for my error, and it would end me through and through.
At the beginning of the sixth year of business, I decided to take a walk on one of the oldest paths remaining in the town. This path had been trodden by the very elements themselves as they went off to fight the second invasion of Discord and his chaos. It was very quite, really tranquil and beautiful. Nature surrounded me on every side and I smiled the entire way down the path. Eventually the path came to an open plain just outside of town. At a curve lay one of the oldest benches in the land. I came up to this ancient bench and looked upon it. I though of its history and who had possibly sat there. Questions spawned in my head like crazy. Then, I felt a pain in my chest.
This pain grew fast and attacked fierce. I clenched my chest and began to froth at the mouth. The searing hot pain took me over an I fell beside the bench. My world had gone black.
I woke up, my friends, in the same place, but I seemed a bit...higher. I did not know what had happened, but I could not speak a single word. I also could not move. I was dreadfully scared, what had happened to me? A few days later, it donned on me what I now was, it had to do with the curse of which I remembered with fear.
News must have gotten out that I was missing, for search parties eventually reached my position. They would always come up towards me, look at me with great confusion, and then buck me violently in great anger. They would scream and ask where the hay I was. O my friends, how I wish I could have cried out to them, but I couldn't. How I wished I could move towards them, but I couldn't. How I wished I could cry tears, but I could't. You see, my friends, the curse is strange yet completely effective.
I stood frozen in the middle of the plain as what is known to ponies everywhere as an apple tree. Yes, I had turned into the very thing that had been a big part in my business story. It is not a funny thing my friends. No longer can I cry, no longer can I laugh, no longer can I talk. No longer can I move, no longer can I sleep, no longer can I enjoy wealth. No longer could I enjoy the strong love of my parents, whom most likely, bless their poor souls, sent out the search parties.
I can only remember and view the world with invisible eyes. I do not know how I have communicated this story with you but I implore you to learn from my failure! I do not know my name any more, nor do I remember how I looked. All I have are old memories and the long lasting form of an apple tree. You don't really know what you have until it is gone. How I wish I could just speak again! How I wish I could have seen my parents again! The small things we have are quite big after all, money is not everything in the world.
In the end, my friends, I remain a tree and suffer for what I had done. I defiled a grave to make profit, which is an incredible sin of which I must and will continue to pay for. I have been in this state of being for over twenty-five years now, wishing I was able to shed tears but can't. The search parties still come, but they never think twice about the lonely apple tree.
