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Young at Heart (Closed: Granny Smith)(Corralwood)


SteelEagle

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Apple Bloom had never been south of Manehattan before in her young life. Truth be told, except for small ventures to that lone big city she had never been out of Ponyville much, let alone the Heartland. She had never really had any sort of wanderlust but when she heard that the Apples were taking a vacation to Corralwood she couldn't help but be incredibly excited. She'd only ever heard about the exotic isles to Equestria's south and read about them in books. It didn't seem real that a place like Equestria could have any territory like it, jungles and volcanos worthy of storybooks keeping in small spaces the exotic culture of the youth who called those islands home. It just never struck her as possible for a pony like her to ever go there and even if she did go there she always assumed it would be as an adult, travelling the world and planting apple seeds as she sang her silly songs.

But that wasn't the story today, not at all. The Apple family had holdings everywhere and while there was no farm on the islands, they had struck some sort of agreement anyway with the locals to haul over a lot of their special cider. It was a huge order, one that took several weeks to prepare and at the end of it they made a boat trip to the islands to complete it. A few days of transporting it and finalizing it and they were tens of thousands of bits richer with two weeks vacation! The first few days had been spent at a resort, splashing around and generally having fun. But throughout it all, they did it together as a family. No shocker there but Apple Bloom had always know that what made her life special was who she shared it with. This vacation had been fun enough on paper as a reward for the hard work they had put themselves through but it was just the start. Just the start because Granny Smith had a surprise for the little filly!

Apple Bloom was told to meet her Granny Smith at the end of the resort, not too far from the somewhat thick jungle and the beautiful beaches that stretched out as far as the eye could see. She did as she was told with one large saddlebag packed with what Apple Bloom had surmised were camping essentials. One tent, two sleeping bags, food, marshmallows, and a whole host of smaller items. A lot to have one filly carry but better she carry it than her Granny Smith! It didn't take a lot to guess what was being planned and Apple Bloom wouldn't have it any other way. She loved camping and she loved Granny Smith, so no doubt she would love camping with Granny Smith! Her tail swishing about in excitement as she waited for her Granny to show, it was all she could to stop herself from shouting with glee.

This was going to be so much fun!

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Granny Smith arrived a little late. The elderly gray maned mare had been busy packing her saddlebags lightly, realizing she wasn't a 'young' pony anymore but still wanting to do her part of the toting for this wonderful campout experience with AppleBloom. Granny had always admired her youngest granddaughter. She had spunk and a lot of energy which reminded her of herself at that young age. And when the two of them performed synchronized swimming together well enough to win First Prize as a contest a short time ago, the experience only served to strengthen their bond even further. True, Granny thought she was all powerful thanks to the bogus Flim Flam Brother's tonic, but still, the hard work and effort she and AppleBloom had put into their winning routine wasn't a bit fake or phony! This event gave the Apple Family Matriarch the confidence to go on this camping trip with AppleBloom on their own. Soon, she arrived next to the eager filly.

"Ready ta go, half pint?" Granny asked with a wide grin. "I was goin' out on campin' trip ever since I was a little filly, littler than you are now! When ya grow up as a settler pony, campin's all a part'a life! Are ya sure ya packed everything we're gonna need?"

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It was hard to believe that her Granny Smith had ever been spry and young like Apple Bloom. The filly always considered her Granny to be a constant star in the constellation of her family, changing so slowly that throughout time it seemed to change little. You could rely on the sun to rise, the Apples to work hard, and for Granny to be the best old fart this side of Celestia. One better even because Celestia didn't seem to show any signs of her age. But it stood to reason that eons ago when the stars were young and flowers were first blooming that her Granny was a filly just like her. Did that mean one day she'd grow up to be as old as Granny Smith. Nopony was as old as Granny Smith. Even the Princesses weren't as old as Granny Smith. But for all that age she was still one of the nicest and most un ponies she knew, so maybe it wasn't so bad to be an older pony. Not that Apple Bloom was in a rush to waste her youth.

"Yes Ma'am Ah'm ready, can't wait Ma'am!" Apple Bloom jumped up with joy as the heavy saddlebag went with her, landing with an audible smack on her back. No matter. Tail was still wagging aggressively, "Ah bet when you were a settler pony that y'all had ta sleep out in the woods every night! Ah bet thar ain't a pony in Equestria who knows'much 'bout camping as you do, huh Granny Smith?" The filly asked, beaming all the while as she took the saddlebag and brought it off of her back gently on the ground before opening. Out come a heaping of camp supplies that Apple Bloom helpfully narrated.

"We got ourselves a tent, two sleeping bags, yer favorite ground blanket for tha cloth, extra stakes, two hammers, one big blanket, two pillows, a bucket, firewood, sticks, kindle, two small bowls, pot, marshmallows, and a bunch of odds an' ends. Ah think that's all Ah can handle- an' how tha hay did Ah get all that inta one saddlebag?" She shrugged, closing the saddlebag and all of it's improbably packed contents up.

"Ah'm ready, Ah think! What 'bout mah Granny Smith?"

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Granny Smith smiled at all of the questions and comments coming from her filly granddaughter.

"That's right! All the time we were travellin' all over Equestria gatherin' seeds ta seed, we all slept outdoors. Sometimes it was easy, other times, like when it rained or stormed, it wasn't so great. But still, I'll always cherish them days cause all we went through, we did it as a family! Now now AppleBloom, I can't say I know EVERYTHIN' about campin' out, but I gotta admit, I have a whole world of experience doin' it, that's fer sure!"

Granny Smith watched and listened as AppleBloom double checked her supplies.

"Ya didda fine job gatherin' all the things we're gonna need, youngin! I'm ready an' rarin' ta go! Jist as soon as I kin find mah travellin' bonnet," the elderly mare said, unaware that she was already wearing it on her gray maned head.

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Beyond all things, her Granny was sillier than a sundae in winter. She was always forgetting something important or obvious and it was a part of her character that was endearing to a small degree and annoying to a greater deal. She almost forgot to pack for the trip. She almost forgot to pay for her dinner last night. She almost forgot to take her medicines. She almost forgot to wear her socks last winter. She almost forgot to take them off during the summer. She almost forgot to write her brothers and sisters around their birthdays. She almost forgot her own birthday. She almost forgot Apple Bloom's name. She almost forgot Apple Bloom's birthday. She almost forgot Big Mac's gender. She almost forgot the town they lived in sometimes. She nearly forgot to use utensile when she ate her oatmeal. She never did forget that she loved her family and that her family loved her, but she did forgot she was wearing the very bonnet she was worried about and that made Apple Bloom just the slightest hint of red in embarrassment as she let out a small squeak of a laugh.

"Yer already wearin' it...on yer head, you cooky old Granny you. Why, where tha heck would you be if it wasn't for lil' Apple Bloom helpin' ya along?" Apple Bloom offered with a wink as she heaved the saddlebag over and on her back. No doubt about it- Apple Bloom would be doing the majority of the work on this trip but that suited her just fine. Unlike a lot of fillies her age, Apple Bloom knew the value of a good day's sweat on the fields and wasn't afraid of going to bed having earned every minute of sleep. And to do it with her Granny was less of a chore and more of an honor. She loved her Granny but she led such a busy little life that she saw the family's matriarch the least out of the whole bushel of family members. Any quality time spent with her was therefore that much more important and Apple Bloom would endure just about any hardship to be with her very special Granny Smith.

"Well, between yer wealth of experience and mah strong back and energy, we're going to camp so good these next few days that they'll have to rename campin' ta applin'! Let's get ta tha applin'!"

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At AppleBloom's suggestion, Granny Smith reached up to touch the brim of her bonnet.

"Oh! Thar it is! Fer a minute thar, I thought I lost it!" the gray maned mare chuckled, "sometimes, I think I'd fergit mah head if it wannt attached to mah shoulders! Thank ya, half pint! Reckon we're ready ta go now."

As Granny gave her own saddlebags a quick check, she listened to more praise and excited proclamations from little AppleBloom, including her idea for renaming camping.

"Well AppleBloom, I reckon ya gotta point thar! I don't know if'n we kin git other ponies ta go along with callin' it Appln', but I suppose the two of us kin if ya like. Why not? We Apples sure do have a lotta tradition when it comes ta campin' out! Alrighty then, let's get a move on ta go APPLIN'!"

Granny took a good look at their map, pointed to a distant path and then proceeded to lead her youngest granddaughter down that path. The journey was about to begin!

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Apple Bloom could do nothing but agree. The way her Granny acted sometimes, no doubt she'd forget her head if it wasn't attached to her at all times! Of course they'd need that head of hers to get through this all. She was a smart cookie when she wasn't being a forgetful fudge roll. There were thing she knew that Apple Bloom couldn't help but marvel at! Nopony else knew the signs of the incoming zap apples as well as her. Others were bound to have false starts and to be truly ignorant of what the season portended for them all. That was just another reason why this trip was going to be so special for her, reason number seven hundred billion zillion and one. Beyond the pure fact that she loved her granny, sometimes it was great just to learn everything you could from her. No matter how silly it seemed at first her experience and skills were the sign of a mare who knew a lot more than most gave her credit. Well, she got that credit from Apple Bloom for sure!

"Well, someday they'll be forced ta call it applin' 'cause we did camping so good that they'll HAVE to rename it!" the filly said with a giggle as she trotted down the path with her granny. No better day to share and no better way to share than with companionship and with those companions share in the beauty of the world they were traveling in. The large trees produced coconuts to such size that Apple Bloom wouldn't have believed it in a postcard let alone when she saw it. All manner of bug of such size and colors as to boggle the mind hopped, flew, and slithered around without really acknowledging the adorable pair of ponies that trampled joyfully across the landscape. The sun fought through the tree cover to warm the area up but not in a unpleasant fashion, the waves on the beach not too far away crashing against it and providing a counterbalance to the sun above. It was simply a beautiful, happy trot along and Apple Blooom didn't quite care about the heavy load on her back.

"So Granny, why'd ya pick tha location ya did on tha map? Ever been down ta tha islands before?"

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"As a matter of fact, AppleBloom, I have been ta this here island before," Granny Smith began to explain as the two walked. "It was a long time ago, back when I was about AppleJack's age. Back then, I was a prize winnin' baker! Mah pies won a lotta blue ribbons in Ponyville, so when I heard of a big Pie Bakin' Contest out here, on this here island, I decided ta enter it! Mind ya, I ain't never been so fer from home before, but I was determined ta go! So I hopped on a train, got on a boat an' before I knew it, I was here! But as luck would have it, I got here a whole day too early fer the contest, so I decided ta go explorin'! Never been on an island before, an' there was SO much ta see! That's when I discovered all these here coconut trees! Broke up open an' it was so delicious, I brung some back with me! The next day, at the contest, I baked mah first apple coconut pie an' won another blue ribbon! Too bad them coconuts don't grow back home in Ponyville, Y'know AppleBloom, while we're out here APPLIN', we orto grab some of these coconuts ta take home with us! What do ya say?"

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Apple Bloom had heard rumors of Granny Smith and her elite baking skills. They had gone from the days of being elite and memorable to nearly forgettable, the ravages of time taking their toll in skill-based ways. Her pies were still good mind you, but Applejack had become the mare of pies at Sweet Apple Acres and Apple Bloom couldn't wait for the day when she started to learn how to make the best pies in the universe. But the stories of her greatness transcended time and space apparently so even now Apple Bloom couldn't help but taste the brilliant apple pies and coconut pies and even the weird orange pies tht only Granny Smith could understand how to make outside of the Orange family. One day she would reveal her cunning ways to the filly and Apple Bloom would show everypony how special her Granny was through Apple Bloom's very own actions. And they'd have elusive orange pie! Speaking of coconuts, they were surrounded by them all over the place! Granny wanted some and no way was Apple Bloom going to pass up the chance to be a coconut bucker.

"Yes ma'am!" Apple Bloom replied with excitement as she galloped over to the nearest coconut tree. Her legs weren't big and strong enough to be great at Apple bucking, but that was because Apple trees were so sturdy and strong and awesome that a pony like her just needed to get better and bigger before she could hope to have much of an impact. But these coconut trees didn't look like much, all spindly and long with bark that looked flakey and weak. No doubt she could do this lickity split! She reared up and kicked the tree, a duller impact than usual, and received nothing for her efforts. Annoyed, she did it again. Growling, she did it again but this time got a single coconut to land next to her! Ha, most efficient coconut tree bucker ever, right here! She looked at her flank- no cutie mark but it'd work. he picked up the coconut and out it on her head, trotting back to her Granny all proud-like.

"One cocunut, right here!"

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"That's a good'n, AppleBloom!" Granny Smith neighed. "Say, how about we take a few of'm and then roast'm on a fire when we camp out! Well, I mean after we open'm and such. Them thar coconuts are hard on the outside, can't cook'm at all without cut'm open and fix'm up right. Thar's lotta other funny new things we kin eat out here, but be careful! Not every fruit, nut er berry's safe ta munch on. We'll jist have'ta keep a lookout fer some good fruits, like all them bananas I see on the tree up yonder! Bananas are always good fer cookin' er even jist eat'n off the tree! Maybe we kin even find some mangos too! Ya see anything like that around, half pint?"

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Apple Bloom's eyes lit up at the thought of roasted coconut! She had never had a coconut and now if it was roasted the only thing that could make it better wouldbe if she was given some candy to along with it. This was going to be the best camping dinner ever if her granny had her say and she was having just about all the say in the world right bout now! Apple Bloom tossed the coconut in her saddlebag and galloped back over to the trees. She knew it'd take work but if it took several more coconuts to set the pair up for a full trip of coco delights, she'd do what was needed. A few more bucks and a second coconut fell down, nearly bonking her in the head. She stuffed that one in her bag, happy to have had an easier time with the second one than the first. She then went to work on a new tree, spying one not too far off that seemed a bit on the smaller side as far as the coconuts were going.

"Ah'll just get two more, Granny!" Apple Bloom bellowed as she went to work on this tree. One, two, three kicks, nothing, a fourth buck- no result. What the heck was it with this tree? She gave ot a look, boring holes through its odd-looking bark. Cooperate already, you stupid coconut tree! Apple Bloom was a filly with a date with her granny for coconut brunch and this tree wasn't going to fight her like this. Not no way, not no how! She reared up and bucked it again and again, and with a final crack she saw not one, but two coconut shadows grow smaller before knocking against themselves and rolling to either side of the vacationing farm filly. "Yeehaw!" she neighed with joy, imitating her big sis a bit as she reared and then quickly went about collecting her coconuts. This'd be a feast fit for fillies and grannies, that was for sure!

"Got some more coconuts, Granny! What else yer wantin'? Some bananas? What about this green berry and this red berry? Or this mango berry?" She said as she poked at small little bunches of berries that grew invitingly off of their bushes. No doubt she wanted to just stuff her face but she'd heed her Granny this time- no need to get sick on a vacation!

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Granny Smith was delighted to see AppleBloom's enthusiam. Now they had plenty of coconuts for roasting on the campfire! The elderly mare watched as her granddaughter sought out other fruits to eat. Then she was directed towards a group of nearby plants with many different colored berries.

"Reckon some bananas would be nice, and them thar red berries are good ta eat, but them green ones ain't fit fer ponies! Them green berries will make us sick as a dog if'n we eat'm. That's one rule of hoof ya gotta learn about wild fruit. Jist because a nut er berry LOOKS good an' SMELLS good, it don't mean it's safe ta munch on. Take them red berries fer example! That look good but as you kin tell, they smell bad. But when ya bake'm inta pies er heat'm up ta make jam, they smell a heap better! Them green berries smell wonderful, don't they? But don't let the smell fool ya! Them green ones ain't nutin' but trouble! Trust me on this, AppleBloom. I learnt the hard way when I was here before. I picked some of'm when I was goin' make mah pies fer that thar contest I was enterin'. Lucky fer me one of the locals at the hotel I was stayin' in warned me that they were bad! I tossed the bag of green berries I had out the winder, an' I thought that was the last I'd see of'm. Unknown ta me, one of mah pie bakin' rivals grabbed that bag befur it could land in the trash can and ran off with it. That poor mare baked them judges a big ol' pie with'm! Durin' the judgin', after all three judges tasted her pie, they had ta go git First Aide! I ain't never seen ponies turn the kind of colors I seen them judges turn! When they came back, hours later, they disqualified mah rival! Then they tasted MAH pie and I won the contest!"

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Apple Bloom could only listen to her Granny's story with a proud smile slathered on. It was rare for a filly too understand acutely just how great somepony she loved was until she could understand the fact that her life experiences made her just that special. Itw as good to hear about the different berries. Apple Bloom didn't think the green berries smelled all that great but they would probably have worked well in a pie if it weren't for them being poisoned. They had the right texture for that sort of coverage, same as the red berries which did have an awful smell to them but didn't shock Apple Bloom in the slightest that they would work well in pies. All sorts of smelly things worked well in pies. When she was justa little filly her love of learnong how to bake was equalled and nearly exceeded by her disgust at the ingredients. Her Granny knew all the ins and outs of baking- maybe they could bake a pie later!

In any case, Apple Bloom made sure to continue her epic hunt for bananas, getting a whole bunch of them in short order as she listened to her granny finish the story up. Now they were all set and prepped and ready for good eatin' and good familyin' while they were out applin'! It didn't take long for her to fill her saddlebag even more and it wasn't long after that when the Apple ponies out on their friendly adventure of love an companionship fund the perfect camping spot. It wasn't on the beach itself but a little into the trees, past the first row of the palms. Close enough to enjoy the beach but not as windy. Perfect!

"Gosh Granny Smith, Ah betcha that you mutsa won every baking competition you entered! Y'all know everything there is ta know 'bout everything! How much did you win in that competition?" She asked, bounding towards the spot and putting her saddlebag down. "We're here!"

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"Well AppleBloom, I can't say I won EVERY pie bakin' contest I entered," Granny Smith confessed, "I've had mah share of loses, but the key ta everythin' in life is ta try yur best an' never, ever give up! Can't be lucky enough ta win every time. Remember when we had ta compete against them bamboozallin' Flim Flam brothers in that cider makin' contest? You, me, AppleJack an' Big Mac tried our best ta win, an' even with AppleJack's friends helpin' us, we lost. Of course, in the end, we won because I insisted on makin' our cider with care an' quality but them unicorn brothers didn't. But even if we had lost the farm, I was proud of the way we stood by our principles an' didn't try ta win by takin' shortcuts. I wasn't always a great baker, but I kept tryin' an' even learnin' from mah mistakes over the years. An' I don't claim ta know everythin' thar is ta know in this here world either. No pony knows it all, not even the Princess sisters in Canterlot. But I reckon I do know more than mah share about things cause I've roamed this here earth fer a long, long time. Experience can be the best teacher of all. Ah! We make it ta the campsite! Time ta unpack!"

The elderly Earth mare carefully took off her saddlebags and started to unpack. Though AppleBloom had brought the bulk of the supplies, even the big tent, with her, Granny Smith still had a number of important things in her saddlebags, including the cooking utensils.

"This ol' campsite's jist as good as I remember it! Need ta set it up, it'll be evenin' real soon."

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Thinking back on it, Apple Bloom agreed with her Granny a full ten thousand percent. It had been a troubling little event when they had come down to the farm and tried to put the finishing touches on Apple Bloom's little day of chaos. She had unintentionally tossed her family into that situation with her overeagerness to engage them in their little mind games and signed a verbal contract that the Apple family was dearly unprepared to keep with. Even with the help of their friends they fell short of the underhooved methods of the Flim Flam brothers. It was only because of those very same tactics that they ended up being run out of town, but the personal shame she had felt at being the root cause of it all couldn't be washed away by the sweet release of victory. It took a lot of time and hard work on the farm to build herself back up to the point she felt like she was good enough to be an Apple once more. and now today she was going to learn even more about being one. All things told, life could be much worse.

"Yeah well Ah'm none ta pleased ta see'm 'round tha farm on account of dating somepony in tha family. Feels a bit like betrayal ta see somepony you care for snuggle up close with somepony else who tried ta destroy. Maybe thar all nice now or maybe thar not. Either way, A still feel pretty good 'bout beating them- well, forcin' them ta cheat ta beat us is beaing them in anu scenario," Apple Bloom replied as she opened uo her saddlebag, bring out the tent, stakes, lines, saddlebags, and food. She went about pulling the tent up and slamming the four stakes down with her hooves, grunting with effort as she pounded them into submission. What followed next was her setting up the tent itself, flaps open with two sleeping bags inside. Ta-da, one insta camp complete!

'All ready, Granny Smith!"

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Granny Smith nodded with approval of the job AppleBloom did to set up the camp, complete with their tent.

"Fantastic job thar, AppleBloom!" the elderly earth mare neighed, "I couldn't have done it better mahself, even back in mah younger days. I chose this site on purpose cause thar's somethin' here that no other campsite on this here island's got. Now, let me see if'n I kin find it."

The gray maned green mare began to slowly turn her head, looking around in all directions. As she searched, she continued to talk with her granddaughter. "Yeah, I know how them Flim Flam Brothers are! I shouldda knowed better than ta trust their crazy sales pitch about that fake tonic they were peddlin'! That was as bad as the time those two bamboozlers showed up at AppleJack's apple booth in disguise an' tried to kiss her! Don't know how I kicked one of them brothers outta sight like I did, maybe it was cause I was so mad! Anyway, I can't go round tell'n our kinfolk who they kin go sparkin' with. But if'n Flam does anythin' to her, he's gotta be wearin' my horseshoe mark on his posterier! AH! THAR IT IS! I SEE IT! Come with me, youngin'!"

Granny Smith dashed a short distance from their campsite over to what appeared at first to be a large, tall bush.

"It's under all this brush, kin ya help me move it outta the way?" Granny Smith asked. "Under all this brush is an old time brick oven with a domed roof! I figger both of us kin clean it up so we kin bake a few pies while we're out here! How'da like me ta show ya how ta make a coconut an' banana creme pie from scratch?"

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Apple Bloom followed her Granny across the way, listening to her intently while wondering what se was looking for. She had picked this exact spot for a reason and a mind that was often so foggy with memory had a certain clarity when it came to planning this out. Sort of exciting! Her granny so often suffered from lapses that seeing her as excited as Apple Bloom could imagine her Granny ever being made Apple Bloom even, well, more excited! It was all so exciting! Spending time with family was never a bad way to plan a day out. Maybe that was why the brothers were so keen on spending time with the Apples. Intoxicating bunch of awesome ponies, who could blame them? Too bad as far as Apple Bloom was concerned the bridge was burned down and warning signs regarding the brothers were posted on both sides of the river crossing. What it was that her cousins saw in those cheats did not come to her easily, but she was far more likely to kick them both in the face than accept one as family no matter what. Maybe that was mean of her but if anypony deserved that meanness from her, it was those two.

"Well, all Ah gotta say 'bout them now is if Ah hear any of 'em are trying anythin' funny with our family again Ah don't think they'll get away with it as easy, what with Twilight spending as much time with Applejack as she does now. Ah bet they'll be turned into newts or somesuch for their deeds!" she laughed, imagining being forced to keep them as pets until they served their sentence. Now if being a slippery little critter wasn't punishment for being slippery little critters, she didn't know what was!

They got to the place that Granny Smith indicated, the not-so ancient hiding spot of a domed brick oven! That blew Apple Bloom's mind away. How long ago did she hide it here- all those years ago?! And in all that time nopony thought to take it? Apple Bloom went to work, slowly uncovering it under the brush and pulling it out. It was a bit heavy but that was fine. She was mostly just shocked it hadn't broken apart in the storms or th wild animals or nothing. Apple family heirlooms were made to last apparently, just like the ponies wo used them! Apple Bloom hugged her Granny's foreleg in jubilation as she pulled the brick oven inch by inch to the campsite. Learning to cook tropical pies in the tropical land down south, now there was a story to impress her classmates if she ever heard one!

"Heck, Ah'd love ta learn how ta make coconut and banana cream pies from ya! How long does it take?!" Apple Bloom squeaked, hopping around the brick over in energetic wonder.

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Granny Smith giggled when AppleBloom mentioned the Flim-Flam brothers being turned into other creatures. Though the gray maned mare didn't particularly like their antics, she wasn't really the vengeful type. Enough about the past, time to focus on having a good time together. As the two ponies continued to clean up the brick oven, Granny Smith began to explain her plan.

"Looks like this ol' oven will still work. Thar's plenty of other brush an' old branches in the woods behind us fer firewood. Now, the trick ta bakin' pies out here in the middle of nowhere is ta have the right ingredients. Brought flour an' other bakin' stuff in mah saddlebags, but the key ta what we're gonna do is the fruits ya picked up along the way. In a normal pie crust, ya use milk but thar ain't none way out here. That's where the coconuts come in, cause you kin use coconut milk ta do the job jist as well! We'll also use coconut milk ta make the creme part of the banana creme fillin' too! Course we're gonna eat other things too. Can't jist survive on desserts alone, y'know. If'n we're gonna have fresh pie ready by suppertime, reckon we're gonna have ta start really soon. And then, why the pies are bakin', we kin git our campfire goin' so we kin roast some chestnuts too."

In a matter of minutes, the brick oven was cleared and cleaned enough to use. Finding a nearby large flat rock to use as a table, Granny Smith proceded to place the items she needed from her saddlebags on top of it.

"Ready ta git started, AppleBloom?"

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Apple Bloom had brought the small cleaning solution with her. She had wondered why she had been told to bring it but now it all made sense. Creating the solution itself was a tricky endeavor in and of itself! You couldn't just buy it at the store. First you had to plant a very specific type of flower known as the Solicia Apscurni. Ponies likes to just call it Soap for short. It was a weird little flower where the leaves produced this light film. You could pick the leaves off and ground them up with some water to produce this really nice cleaning solution. It worked wonders on everything and with a little scrubbing even the harshest of rust stains and growth and old fell. And as she finished up her cleaning, she kept a running tab on the things her Granny needed to show her how to make some of the most mouth watering pies this side of forever and ever. After a little while she as finished, tossing the solution back into her saddlebag and witnessing a sparkling- well, not really as bricks can't sparkle- brick oven take form in front of her. This was going to be so much fun!

"Yes ma'am, all ready ma'am!" Apple Bloom shouted with glee as she started to remove all the ingredients. No matter what the pie it was important to cook it right and the first step was making sure she had gathered all the right ingredients. She had made sure to get at least double of whatever Granny Smith had asked for fruit wise. Granny had brought the majority of the baking ingredients otherwise and out from the nether of the saddlebag rolled forth onto the prepared safe surface. Extra utensils were splayed out in front of her as the filly prepared herself. Soon it was all ready, Apple Bloom staring excitedly back up at her Granny with the hungry eyes of a filly engaged in great educational pursuits such as science, math, space stuff and pie making!

"Ah'm ready ta go!"

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Granny Smith was delighted to see AppleBloom working so hard to help get the oven and campsite all set up! Looks like she takes after her big sister in so many ways! Now it was time to teach!

"Okey Dokey AppleBloom! Time ta git started," the elderly Earth mare said as she handed her an object that looked like a combination drill and corkscrew. "First, we gotta git us some coconut milk ta mix up our flour an' creme with! I got one of these myself, let me show ya how ta use it!"

Granny Smith produced an ordinary milk jug as she grabbed the coconut, held it tightly on the edge of the rock over the jug and then planted the 'device' on one end. After turning the object's hoofcrank and watching it dig into the coconut, when it reached the correct depth, she yanked it out and allowed the coconut milk that drained out to fall into the open mouth of the milk jug below.

"Nuthin' to it, youngin! Wanna give it a try? Gotta have a lotta milk today fer our pies!"

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Apple Bloom looked at the drill-corkscrew combination with alarm for a second. She had only seen such a thing a few times in her young life and never in a good circumstance.

Then again, she had only ever seen them in some of those horror projection videos that she had snuck in to see. Those nightmares were vivid and the corkscrew brought a shiver to her spine. But after that shiver passed she knew what to do with it. She stuck it into the coconut and twisted, pulling out the recently made 'top' with ease. The coconuts on the island lacked a certain strength that others had, being super easy to work with and even easier to smell the juices from as they wafted out of the open hole with ease. She then did as Granny did, allowing the milk to spill out into the jug with a few less than exhaustive glugs. After it was done, Apple Bloom peered inside and gave the coconut a bit of a shake. One last tiny bit if milk draped off onto her snout, which she couldn't reach with her tongue until it rolled closer.

"Hmm..." she considered the taste and texture with loud smacks of her lips before smiling wide, "yep, that'll do!" Apple Bloom giggled, putting her jug down as her tail waggd. This was going exceptionally well so far! Nothing untowards had wrecked their trip so far and the coconut milk smelled and tasted divine. The only way this could get better is if they found some geodes laying about. Nothing made a better cup than a fancy lookin' geode! She put the jugs to work alongside the rock and corkscrew, quickly getting all of their coconuts squared away. Her little hoof was getting a workout but that was not nearly strenuous enough to give her even the smallest prospect of trouble. She finished it all in short span and set them all down, looking up expectantly at her Granny.

"What next?" She asked, tail wagging in excitement.

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Granny Smith watched her youngest granddaughter work with great interest. The elderly mare always knew AppleBloom was a very quick study, and she proved it again, learning how to 'milk' coconuts with ease. When the filly had finished, Granny Smith was ready to answer her eager question.

"I'll tell ya what's next," Granny said with a smile, "time ta git the oven ready fer pie bakin'! If'n you kin gather up some wood an' start the fire, then I'll line up all the ingredients we'll need ta start fixin' our pies! This way, by the time we have the pies ready ta bake, the oven will be ready ta bake'm! Like I said before, plenty of loose firewood over in the woods next ta our camp, ya won't have no problem find'n any! Can ya start a fire by yurself? If so, that'll save us even more time!"

Giving AppleBloom her instructions, the lime green mare turned her attention to preparing to fix the pies. If she timed all this just right, by the time the young filly had got the oven all fired up, Granny would have all of the ingredients chopped up and the pie dough ready to her and AppleBloom to use. Quickly, with the lightning quick hooves a baker of Granny's decades of experience could muster, the gray maned mare chopped up many bananas, started to kneed out the flour she mixed with the coconut milk and then turned her attention to the coconuts themselves. Emptied of their milk, Granny's experience taught her that there was a certain place on each coconut that if properly struck with a hammer, would shatter it into useable pieces. Putting on a pair of dressmaker glasses, Granny carefully found the correct places to strike each coconut to open them with ease.

"Gotta have plenty of shredded coconut fer our pies," she said, carefully cutting away at the white insides of each coconut. These were going to be the best banana creme/coconut pies ever!

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Apple listened intently, her energy almost cascading through her in harsh waves. She just wanted to go out there and do whatever her granny told her to do because if there was one thing Apple Bloom needed more of, it was life lessons from Granny Smith. And cooking lessons. Granny Smith could cook circles around most ponies and she was proving it in the here and now. She told Apple Bloom to get the firewood so they could get the oven ready to go. Now, that was the good stuff right there! Some ponies had these contraptions they had made using localized geothermal energy to cook but that always struck Apple Bloom as terrifyingly dangerous and prone to stories of warning rather than happy memories. Old brick ovens were still widely used by Equestrians and out here on the beach nothing could be better than a smoke-grilled pie ready for the good eatin'! Apple Bloom snapped off a quick salute.

"Ah'll get tha firewood lickity split!" She responded and then leapt backwards, followed by a hard gallop deeper into the island's thick rainforest canopy in search of some great firewood for a great oven for a great pie.

Firewood on the islands was a bit unusual. Unlike the woodland forests of the Equestrian mainland, the islands had different trees. Equestrian trees burned easier and were easier to work with, the bark not very resistant to a pony-created fire. The islands operated more naturally and the trees that sprang more naturally were far more resistant. The key was to get barkless firewood that was just laying around, the fortunate results of ponies who didn't take more than they needed but always seemed to have more than they needed to take. A few logs were found all nice and prepped, but she was also lucky quite a bit. Dead trees were a sad state of affairs for a filly to behold but their bounty was unquestionable in this stage and at this place. She brought out the tiny little hoof-saw she had hidden away and went to town on a half-dead tree some 100 paces from he campsite. After a few minutes she had carved away a nice bit and hung a rope from the end of her tail to a section of the tree. She huffed and puffed and pulled with all the strength she could have and after a few stuttering seconds she was off.

Not long afterwards she arrived back at the camp with Granny Smith, multiple logs on her back and dragging a nice cross-section of the dead tree. Huffing and puffing just the tinest bit, she dropped it all down. in front of the brick oven.

"Ah got all tha wood we'll need, Granny Smith! Whatcha doin' naw?" Apple Bloom asked without skipping a bit, bouncing energetically on over to her Granny as she peeled the coconuts. She watched for a second and then bounded back on over to the wood, setting up the brick oven. She opened up the door and looked inside- they had already cleaned it of course, but she wanted to get the layout for the wood just right. Two small logs were placed inside and on top of them a few strands of kindling and non-edible hay. Now came the fun part. There were many ways to start a fire in Equestria and ever since she had met Spike, she had always used a bit of dragon's fire. But that would be too intense here. Instead, she pulled out a specialty magnifier glass. Nothing special...until it was hit with Celestia's sun. Made by a cooking company that had started out in Trottingham, these cooking magnifying glasses reacted magically to Celestia's sunlight. It magnified the sun into a tiny point and then magically increased the temperature far above what it would have been naturally. After just two seconds, Apple Bloom had caught her stick on fire. She then prodded the stick into the kindling and after the kindling was on fire, tossed the stick in as well and shut the door.

"Fire's started!"

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Granny Smith was happy to hear that young AppleBloom got the fire started in the brick oven. She was a hard working filly just like her big sister! Good thing Granny remembered to pack her camera so she could take photos to show the rest of the Apples when they all got back home. AppleBloom's timing was perfect, since the elderly Earth mare had just completed all the prep work needed for two complete banana creme and coconut pies! Here is where Granny hoped to impart some baking wisdom to AppleBloom.

"That's jist dandy, AppleBloom! Now, come on over here an' I'll show ya how ta git a banana creme an' coconut pie ready!"

The Apple family matriarch had set out identical ingredients and cooking utensils on two sides of the big flat rock she was using as a baking table.

"Now, I'm gonna show ya step by step how ta fix this here pie! Watch me carefully an' then do what I do, ok?"

The first step, of course, was to kneed and flatten the dough. Granny took her glob of mixed flour on a baking sheet and began carefully kneeding it with her hooves. Then, using a rolling pin, the elderly mare began to roll it until it was flat.

"Thar! That's how this step's done, now you try it on your big ol' glob of flour! Keep in mind, normally we'd use real cow milk in the preparation, but in this instance, coconut milk will do the job jist as good!"

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They were making pretty fast progress considering instead of the Apple family kitchen they were using a rock, an old brick oven, and whatever dould be fit in two small saddlebags that had been stretced to their limit just bringing basic camping gear. But that was half the fun! What Apple Bloom was learning today was rea old school folksy county cooking without any help from anypony. Apple Bloom watched as her tail switched with nervous excitement, her Granny using the roller to flatten the pie dough until it was as thin as a pegasi's brain. It was really cool seeing it all come together outside of the kitchen setting she was used to. It told Apple Bloom that if there was one mare who could teach Abby all of the small and easy tricks to get the Apple family pies out and ready for the world to be consumed it was the little old Granny of hers that kneaded dough with the best of them.

Now it was her turn to try!

"Got it, Granny!" Apple Bloom bellowed in reply, quickly getting the coconut milk and dough. The first step, she had learned thanks to Granny's teaching method, was to kneed and flatten the dough. Apple Bloom took her glob of mixed flour on the flat rock and began carefully kneeding it with her hooves. She didn't have a hard with that at all, doing the same thing as her Granny had but with more youthful exuberance expended ino every movement. Then, using a rolling pin, the little Apple filly began to roll it until it was flat and ready. Apple Bloom beamed! She had done it. Her hooves had a bit of an ache to them but that was the sign you had done something right. Aches and pains and sweat were the true signs of a pony who had worked her tail off. No doubt she hadn't worked hard at all yet as collecting the ingredients, making a pie, setting up camp, and hauling materials around wasn't even real work. It was just normal day to day stuff!

"So, what next?!"

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