Applemania

      What more could you want in life?

      I was being sarcastic. It is nothing you would ever want, and some of us are very unfortunate for it to happen to us. I know a few of my good friends that have suffered from Apple Picking and have never made it. I would expect that they are probably in a pie right now.

      None of my friends are left. And, Apple Picking Season is almost over.

      I'm surprised that I'm still here.

      Maybe no one wants me?

      Sigh.

      Although it is never very good, most apples don't expect anything else to happen to them. You are planted and grown from a tree, you grow ripe, and then someone picks you and eats you. End of story. I am one of those apples who thinks that way.

      It sounds depressing, doesn't it?

      Well, sometimes it could actually be quite fun. Sometimes there are some new ripe apples on the tree that talk to you. 'What do you talk about?' you say?

      Well, Apples have nothing else to say. They talk about their lives, do they have any brown spots, any wormies living in them? Sometimes we talk about how the sun is shining on them, are we in the shade, or happily being shined on by the morning sun. Etcetera, etcetera. Blah blah blah. You get the point.

      Okay, I lied. It isn't very fun. I desperately want something more in life on Neopia. I don't even know where I am on Neopia, for Pete's sake! Most of the things many Neopians and Neopets do I would love to do. I would love to be a Neopet out there, playing games and being loved by someone. But--- That will never happen.

      You want to know why?

      Because I AM AN APPLE, THAT'S WHY.

      Sigh.

      Okay, since you're here, probably wondering what the heck I am talking about, I might as well tell you the rest of my life. What's happened during the... Umm... Err-- months? You will know what it is like to be an apple. What it is like during our *usually* short lives. It starts out like this...

      You first start out as a seed. A tree grows and then hundreds of small apples start to grow. That would have to be my favourite part. I had no idea what was going on, and I was very social. This was when I got my first brown spot. Yeah, I know it doesn't sound very appealing, but did you know that all apples start out with at least one spot? I don't even know if that is actually true. I'm just saying that to capture your interest *shrugs*. But anyway, I was very small, possibly the size of your thumb and index finger when you make a circle that can sometimes mean 'A-Okay'. Test it!

      Nothing really interesting happened at this time, well, nothing that I can remember. Apples can be very forgetting sometimes, you know. We are not like Elephantes-- they remember everything!

      Next you are growing into a mature apple. Very slowly, though. Apples don't grow as fast as you can snap your fingers! I was finally opening up to the world. Meeting new apples, saying goodbye to old ones. Watching the sun come up, and watching the sun go down. Waiting, watching. For nothing in particular.

      The next step in an Apple's life is the part when you grow into a full grown apple. The part when you are usually picked by someone. That's what I am now. I still watch the sun come up and go down, and I still talk to the apples, but I am getting older. I am ready to pick, and I realize that, my life could be ending soon. I am getting overripe each day I am not getting picked. I am surprised by this, though. I am not too far up on top on the tree, and I am not brown and ugly.

      And then there is the Ugly, Overripe, Brown Spots, Wormy, most terrible thing you could ever become. You are too old and overripe to be wanted by anyone. You will most likely either 1) shrivel up and die, 2) Be picked and used for something other than eating (This doesn't happen much), or 3) Fall on the ground and die from the lack of nutrients. After this happens, you will most likely shrivel up and die. I hope that will never happen to me!

      All right, enough about the apple's life, you are here to learn about me. Not that you should be that interested *shifty eyes* or else... Or else that's just weird.

      About me-- I look like your average apple. Not different. No, I do not have eyes, ears or a mouth. I can see by sensing the light on the other side of the skin. I can hear by vibrations and I can't speak. How am I telling you this, then?

      That is something you must not know. You should never find out. It doesn't matter anyway, so I'll just continue.

      I was not born with any relatives, except for the tree I was born on. And, I am not sure if the tree talks or not. I've never tried communicating with it.

      My name-- Hmm. I've never had a name so you can just call me Apple. I am not male nor female. I am an APPLE, remember?

      I am not answering any more questions, even though you probably are wondering about a few. You can just ponder about it for the rest of your life. *teehee*

      Wait a minute, I see a visitor coming closer to me. I will get back to you. Hmm. This visitor is looking directly at me. It's getting weirder, the mysterious dark (possibly hooded, I can't see!) figure is examining me. The person picks me off the tree and is shining me on their shirt. My heart is skipping beats. I am very scared. The stranger tucks me in their robe.

      It is very dark now. You might want to follow me wherever this person is taking me.

      This person has a very familiar and nice scent. It smells almost like a Faerie. Hmm...

      I cannot see, so you will have to guide me through, all right?

      I am completely oblivious, but I am not worried. I do not know what is happening, but I can sense that this person is in a rush and knows what they are doing.

      I am taken away and I can tell that I am far away from the farm in which I was grown in. The stranger takes me out of the robe, and I can see the shape of the person. I can see the shape of this person, the hair, and the... wings?!?!

      It was totally obvious. This person was actually a Faerie. Wait a minute!

      This Faerie must have been crazy... or at least mistaken. What good would I do to a well-being Faerie??

      I am just an apple. Nothing more.

      "Hello, young apple." This mysterious Faerie speaks to me. I am speechless. Hey wait-- I can't talk anyway. Hmm. The question is HOW can I answer her? She interrupts me before I can answer her.

      "I can sense you are troubled. Many of your brother and sister apples are as well, but I see that you are most distressed. I want to help you," the Faerie with a very sweet voice tells me while she holds me in the palm of her hand. I try to answer her, but I knew it would be pretty hard to communicate with an apple.

      She must have read my mind because she starts to say what I was thinking. (She must have ESP!!)

      "I can help you," she whispered in the spot where I *should* have ears. I was secretly smiling, and yes, because I am an APPLE, I CAN'T SMILE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A MOUTH. I knew that was what you would say *heehee*.

      "I will change you on one condition..." the Faerie started to say. With her *ESP*, she could tell that I would agree with it. "I will change you with my magic powers. But-- Beware. I do not have fully developed powers, so you may not change completely," the Faerie warns, but tells me with a bit of pride in the sound of her voice. I told her in my mind I wanted to be a Chia.

      I know it could be risky, but what do I have to lose? If I don't do it then I will rot soon anyway. If it doesn't work... Well we'd have to see about it. What do you think?

      Hey wait, never mind. I don't really care what you think. I'll do it. I tell the Faerie that I agree with the plan with the powers in my mind. (OoOo... ESP...!!)

      The Faerie raises her wand (I watch the shadow of her figure...). I twitch with fear and excitement. My heart beats a mile a minute. I start to sweat. She lowers it towards me and all I see is a bright flash of light and then...

     ~~~

      I must have fainted, because I wake up several minutes later to find my eyesight better. I can see things clearly now, everything is colourful. The Faerie's spell must have worked!

      I also notice many other things in my surroundings. I am inside a room, and I spot the Faerie in a chair at a desk, with her head in her hands, cursing under her breath.

      I do not understand. What is she cursing about? It must have worked. I hoped I was not an apple anymore. I look towards the Faerie and expect to communicate by ESP, but I open up something on my face and talk.

      "Did it not work?" I ask. But, I am surprised. I am talking. No matter what did happen, I know I did change. The Faerie looks up at me and sighs, baffled at what she had just done.

      But I am also baffled. I have no idea what happened. Maybe I was turned into something so majestic she is so shocked and impressed with me. Maybe I am a Gelert! No, no. I hope I am a Draik. Those are just the coolest neopets around! The Faerie turns towards the desk again and pulls out a mirror. She shows me my reflection.

      And man, am I shocked.

      I am not majestic.

      I am not a Chia.

      Or even another species for that matter.

      I am still an apple. With eyes, and a mouth, and arms and legs, and MUCH, MUCH bigger that I was before. I start to cry with these new eyes of mine.

      I expected so much more. I was excited to be something. The Faerie puts away the mirror. I think about it.

      I will have to go back to the Apple Fields, and wait until someone picks me. I will be so much bigger than all the other apples, they will all laugh at me. The Faerie turns and looks at me.

      "Tssk. Tssk. I did not expect it to turn out this way. But, look at it this way-- You're a new neopet. You are now an Apple Chia!"

      So this is how I changed. I am now my own neopet, but I can still live and breathe like any other. Hey-- At least I don't have to hang around that little ol' tree in the sun... At least I'm original and not like any other!

The End

But to be continued...?

The moral of the story is: Be happy for who you are, no matter what you are. But-- when you are not, find a faerie that can ACTUALLY change you!