Beware! The Appleblob
It was a clear, cool night, as Applebloom strolled through her family's orchard on Sweet Apple Acres. The trees were in full-bloom, numerous apples weighing down their many branches.
Reaching a small hill, she sat beneath a tree, and looked out over the darkened expanse of treetops, that seemed to disappear over the horizon.
Looks like we'll have another great harvest this year, she thought, leaning back, and looking up at the stars. A few flickered and twinkled, almost invitingly.
Princess Twilight Sparkle had invited Applebloom and her friends to study astronomy at her castle over the years, and had spoken often of the possibility of life beyond Equestria.
Wonder what that'd be like? pondered Applebloom, as she looked at a large, flickering star, which seemed to be getting...bigger?
Her eyes seemed to grow as well, as the white speck in the sky began to gain colors of yellow and orange, quickly becoming a fireball, streaking down from the heavens!
The young pony got to her hooves, as the fireball flashed over the nearby treetops, and disappeared. A few seconds later, there was the sound of splintering wood, a thunderous rumble, and a flash of light!
The little filly was off, her hooves galloping through the orchard, eager to see what had happened.
She soon encountered a number of broken tree branches, and several dozen apple trees that had been bent over and snapped like twigs, their apple-filled branches lying in numerous heaps on the ground.
She almost didn't see the drop-off until it was too late. Trotting to a stop, Applebloom found herself on the edge of a 30 ft wide crater, that had put a major dent in the Apple family's property. At the center of the crater, was something that was still smoldering.
Carefully making her way to the center, AB saw a rock-like object, the size of a soccer ball. Smoke was still rising from it, keeping her from touching it.
"Huh. Wonder whut it is?" she asked aloud. Picking up a nearby stick, she gave it a poke, and was surprised when the thing seemed to...twitch!
"Whuh?" she gasped, tripping over her hooves and falling onto her flank!
As she watched, the object began to roll towards her!
"A-applejack! B-b-big Mac," she tried to yell, but her voice seemed to be caught in her throat.
The rock rolled right up to her hooves, and stopped. Then, as she watched, a small chunk of it seemed to break off, and a green substance began to ooze out of the hole!
"Eww," said the little filly, scrunching up her face, as more poured from the rock. However, instead of spreading like a puddle of spilled milk, it congealed into a semi-solid shape, the size of a baseball!
Before long, there was a little green glob, wiggling at the base of Applebloom's hooves.
"Hmm," thought the little filly, hunkering over, her face mere inches from the thing. "And just whut are you s'posed tuh be?"
Giving it a poke with her hoof, it seemed to tremble, before emitting a chirping sound!
"Whuh-yuh, yer alive?"
As if responding, the little green thing gave several little bounces.
"Hehe, yer kinda cute!" giggled the little filly, extending out her hoof to it. She was surprised when the thing oozed up to her hoof, then up along her leg, before seeming to almost slither up onto her back.
"You're almost like a snail," she said, looking at the green glob on her back. "Cept yer not quite as slimy, more like...kinda oozy."
The little thing wiggled slightly, and gave off a small 'shhhmmm' sound.
Guess it went to sleep, thohght Applebloom. Funny way of breathin. Never heard nothin' go 'shmm' before.
"That's it!" she exclaimed, bouncing in the air, causing the little glob to shiver. "Oops, sorry lil' fella. Ah got excited, cuz I think ah just came up with the perfect name for you. How about, 'Smooze?'"
The little green glob gave a little hop and a chirp on her back.
"Ah'll take that as a yes. Now, let's get back home. Ah'm startin' to get a bit, tired..."
__________
"Well, welcome back silly-filly," greeted Granny Smith, as Applebloom trotted through the front door. "Did the ground quake fer you too?"
"Shore did, Granny," replied AB. "In fact, ah saw where it hit."
"Ya did?" asked Applejack.
"Yup. Down a ways near the east side of the orchard. Created a big hole an took down some trees."
"Aw geez," groaned AJ. "Oh well, at least yer fine, sugarcube."
"Right as rain," smiled Applebloom. "Oh, and guess what? Ah made a new friend!"
"Really? Who?"
And as the Apple's watched, AB reached behind her, and brought out the little green glob.
"Landsakes, what is it?" asked Granny, squinting her eyes at it.
"Heck if ah know," said AB, watching the little thing wiggle on her outstretched hoof. "It came outta the space rock that landed."
"Funny-lookin' thing, that's fer sure."
"Eeyup," nodded Big Mac.
"Well, funny-lookin' or not, ah wanna keep it," said AB, giving the glob a stroke with her other hoof, causing it to chirp.
"Ah don't know, sugarcube," said Applejack. "We don't know just what that thing is. For all we know, it could be dangerous."
"But it's just a lil' thing," cooed AB, nuzzling it.
"Yeah, but sometimes, lil' things kin lead to big trouble. Member Fluttershy and those parasprites she found?"
"Well, yeah, but come on Applejack, Smooze here ain't hurtin' anything, and it seems to like me!"
"Uh, whutzuh Shmooze?" asked Granny Smith.
"Smooze, Granny," replied AB, placing the little glob back behind her red hair. "Come on, Applejack, ah promise to take care of it n' feed it...well, just as soon as ah figure out what it likes to eat."
"Well...ah guess it may be okay," said AJ, looking questioningly at the little Smooze. "But tomorrow, first thing after breakfast, ah recommend we show it to Twilight, just to be safe."
"Alright," said Applebloom, her mouthing widening into a big yawn. "Speakin' of tomorrow, ah better git to bed. Come on, Smooze. We gotta big day tomorrow."
__________
Getting ready for bed, Applebloom placed Smooze on her dresser.
"Now you stay right there," she said, and headed off to the bathroom.
A few minutes later, she returned to find the little creature on her dresser, but it seemed to have gotten a bit...bigger?
"Say now, whut in the hay happened to you?" asked AB. As she got closer, she soon saw her answer.
When she had set the little glob down, there had been three apples sitting near it on her dresser, but now, they were gone. Looking at Smooze, she could just make out the faint outline of the apples in it's translucent body. Slowly, they seemed to be disintegrating before her eyes, and soon, there was nothing left but the green of Smooze's plump body.
"Boy, that was, interestin,' said Applebloom, nuzzling the blob with her hoof. "Well, Applejack always says, 'Apples are good for ya.'"
Getting into bed, the little filly turned off the light, and snuggled into her covers.
"*yawn* G'night, Smooze," she whispered, and in a matter of minutes, she was fast asleep.
Shortly afterward, the little blob slowly slithered down the side of the dresser. With eerie quietness, it continued across the floor, before crawling up one of the bed's legs, and across the blankets.
The little thing stopped mere inches from Applebloom's mouth, which was hanging wide open, and snoring loudly. The green blob wiggled itself for a few moments, before elongating itself. It 'flowed' quietly up the bedsheets, along the curve of the little filly's chin, and then, slithered down her throat.
Pretty soon, the only trace of the Smooze, was the miniscule, slimy trail it had made, on it's way up to Applebloom's mouth.
Applebloom was too tired to notice, or even feel the Smooze making it's way deep into her little body as she slept.
__________
The next morning, Applebloom woke up with a yawn and a stretch. However, she quickly noticed two strange things.
The first was her yawn. Instead of a long exhale with sound, it sounded as if she was...gargling?
Plus, as she stretched, she heard a squishing sound, and suddenly, felt wood.
Opening her eyes, she looked to her left, and saw a long, globby-green tendril, that was touching the far wall.
Her eyes followed the long tendril, to it's base...where her left leg connected to her body!
The young filly's scream was loud enough to wake the rest of the Apple family, who quickly came rushing to her door.
"Applebloom!?" shouted Applejack, throwing open her sister's door. "What is it? What's going-"
A scream emitted from each of the other Apple's mouths, at the sight before them.
__________
Applejack galloped into town at breakneck speed, and was back with Twilight Sparkle in under 15 minutes.
"There she is, Twilight," said Applejack, as she threw open the door. "Whut's wrong with mah Applebloom?"
"Oh my," gasped Twilight.
Applebloom had come downstairs, and was sitting on a kitchen chair, with a sad, confused look on her face.
However, her appearance had changed drastically from the day before!
From head-to-hoof, her entire body had taken on a translucent green sheen, making her look like she had been molded out of gelatin! Not a trace of her once yellow and red coloration was to be seen on her body, and even her pink bow looked to be made out of the green substance. The only non-green coloration that remained of her "previous form," were her yellow-orange eyes in a sea of white, that peered sadly up at Twilight.
"How, how did this happen, sweetie?" asked Twilight, trotting over to Applebloom, as greenish tears began to form at the underside of her eyes.
"Ah, ah don't know, Twilight," she sniffled. "Ah was fine last night. Ah put Smooze on mah dresser and-"
"Smooze? What's Smooze?"
"He was this little glob of stuff that came out of a space rock ah found last night."
"Wait...you mean the meteor that crashed last night?"
"Uh-huh," nodded Applebloom, her motions making 'squishy liquid' sounds. "It created a big hole in the east part of the orchard."
"I think we should start looking there first," declared Twilight.
__________
Sometime later, Twilight and Applejack were following the jiggly little filly out to the crater.
Upon reaching it, Twilight followed Applebloom down into it's center, where the remains of the meteor were. Twilight examined all over, but the area seemed to be clear. The only trace of any green residue, was some that had sloughed off of Applebloom, as she trotted around.
"It, looks like an ordinary meteor," said Twilight, using her magic to place it in a saddlebag Applejack had loaned her. "I'll examine it further back at the castle. Now Applebloom, you said-"
*GROWL*
Everyone's eyes popped open, as a loud gurgle emanated from the green filly's belly.
"Ooo," she murmured. "Ah feel, really hungry."
"Well, wait til' we get back to the house sugarcube-"
"Mmmmnno! Ah want somethin' ta eat now!"
Her chilling directness was jaw-dropping, but so was what happened next.
Applebloom squishily trotted out of the crater, and over to a tree that had been shorn in half. The top portion of leaves and apples, as big as 3 full-grown ponies, lay on the ground.
As AJ and Twilight watched, Applebloom opened wide her little mouth...which quickly stretched wide enough to slurp up the mass of treetop in one gulp!
For a split-second, her head took on the bulbous shape of the tree portion before she swallowed it. Her filly body quickly bloated out and jiggled as the meal overfilled her translucent-green body. Then, in a matter of seconds, the tree appeared to dissolve within her, and her body shrunk back to normal size, albeit a teeny bit pudgier.
"Ahhhh," she sighed, contentedly.
"...that's not normal," squeaked out Applejack.
"Nope," replied Twilight, her eyes as wide as her friend's.
__________
The two ponies tried to rush Applebloom back to the farmhouse, but her growling stomach slowed them down, as they were witness to her swallowing down 3 apple barrels, and two bales of hay!
"We gotta find that Smooze thingy," said Applejack, trying to pull her little sister into the house. However, as she pulled on her sister's front hoof, she just ended up stretching it out like a rubber band!
"Applebloom, where did you say you put Smooze?" asked Twilight, as the little filly's leg shlorped back to 'normal size.'
"Up on mah dresser," replied Applebloom, as her stomach suddenly growled again. "Kin you two go upstairs and look fer it yerselves? ah'm feelin' hungry again."
"Alright," sighed Applejack. "Ah think there's some leftovers in the fridge. We'll be right back down."
The two ponies headed upstairs, and began to search Applebloom's room.
"Did anypony else touch that Smooze-stuff last night?" asked Twilight, as they entered the room.
"Nope, just Applebloom," replied AJ, her eyes scanning around for any sign of the little creature.
The two gave a wide berth to the little filly's bed. The main sheets had been pulled off, and were laying on the floor in a heap. A green 'stain' covered an area of the mattress and a pillow where Applebloom had lain while sleeping. Green liquid appeared to have also stained the portions of wall where she had made contact when stretching out her hoof that morning.
The two ponies searched the dresser drawers, but found nothing. It was then that Twilight noticed a faint green trail, leading down the dresser, across the floor, and onto the bed.
"Applejack, turn over the sheets," requested Twilight. "But be careful."
Applejack complied, and it was there, on the comforter, that they saw it: a faint liquid trail, leading from a corner, up to the other end of bedspread.
"I think, I know where the Smooze went," said Twilight, looking uneasy.
Just then, the two heard a loud crash from downstairs!
__________
The two ponies rushed into the kitchen, and were shocked to find Applebloom's green body, having taken on the dimensions of the refrigerator she had just swallowed!
"Applebloom! What in the hay are ya doin?" yelled Applejack.
"Afh whuf hungweh," came AB's muffled voice, as the fridge inside her body began to be absorbed. Before long, it had disappeared, and AB was filly-sized again, though a bit fuller, and a little taller.
"We gotta do somethin," cried Applejack to Twilight, as AB squishily trotted into the living room.
"I, I'm not sure what to do," said Twilight, biting her lip. "I've never seen a case of anything like-APPLEBLOOM STOP!!!"
Applejack turned just in time to see her sister's squishy jaw open wide, about to consume Granny Smith's rocking chair, and Granny (who was sound asleep on it)!
AJ leaped across the living room sofa, and quickly pulled her Grandmother from the chair, as Applebloom sucked it's wooden frame into her distended face!
"Hunh-whuh?" muttered Granny, her eyes half-opened. "Whaddah miss?"
"You were almost lunch," muttered AJ, as her sister finished digesting the chair.
"Let's get her back to the castle," said Twilight. "I'll be able to better study her there, along with this meteor and-APPLEBLOOM!!"
__________
There were a few more close calls, as AJ and Twilight tried to steer Applebloom down the path to Ponyville. At first they tried to ignore her protestations, but soon, she was shouting so loudly about being hungry, that by the time they reached Ponyville, Applebloom had consumed a cart, 2 large rocks, and a large oak tree!
Her enlarged appetite was starting to make some big changes to her little frame. Her body had widened considerably, and her slimy green legs had gotten thicker. Plus, it looked like she was developing a second chin, and was almost eye-level with Applejack!
Even her personality seemed to be changing. It took AJ several times calling her name, before Applebloom responded to her sister. There were also a few times, where she stopped and refused to move, unless given a firm push on her expanding green flanks.
It took some effort, but after half-an-hour, they got the stubborn filly into the castle's study. While Twilight started going through her books and removed the meteor from her saddlebag, she quickly called for Spike, and assigned him to start making food.
"Ok. What kind of food?" he asked.
"Any kind," she replied. "As long as it keeps Applebloom preoccupied!"
Applebloom was placed on an examination table, looking apprehensively around, and at her body.
"You okay, sugarcube?" asked Applejack.
"S-s-scared," whimpered AB, before another growl eminated from her swollen green belly. "Hungry agin-MmmMMMMMM!"
"No! Not the books!" cried out Twilight, as Applebloom plopped off the table and 'slithered' over to a bookshelf, before there was a sudden loud whistle.
Everyone turned to see Spike enter with a golden cart, laden with food. Pushing it into Applebloom's line-of-sight, she changed direction, following Spike as he circled around the room a few times. However, the game began to tire Applebloom, and her voice began to rise again.
"Applebloom want food NOW!!!" she bellowed, causing Spike to skid to a stop, and jump out of the way as she slithered close and, opening her mouth big enough to have consumed Spike, slurped up the food, cart and all!
"Hurry, hurry!" pleaded Applejack, as Twilight kept pulling book after book from her shelves, flipping through the pages.
"I'm looking, I'm looking!!" said Twilight, as she magicked over a microscope, and a small spoon. Setting down the microscope, she used her magic to scoop up some of Applebloom's residue from the exam table, and started magically applying some to a slide. "Look, help Spike and keep her distracted, especially away from my books!"
Applejack saluted, and rushed off behind her even more blobbish sister, who had followed Spike out the study doors, and down the hallway towards the kitchen. However, as AJ watched, Applebloom looked through an open doorway, and with her green tongue licking her lips, slithered inside.
"Spike!" called out Applejack, causing him to stop 3 doors down. "She went in here!"
"Oh no!" Exclaimed Spike, his little legs rushing toward the open doorway. "She went into my room!"
At the doorway, Spike gasped as he saw Applebloom consume his bed, and then lick at his Rarity plushie.
"Marsh-mal-low," she murmured.
"STOP!!" yelled Spike. "THAT'S NOT A-"
But it was too late. A split-second later, and the button-eyed doll was floating in the green goo of Applebloom's bloated belly.
"NNOOOOOOO!!!!!" yelled out Spike, before bursting into tears.
He was still sobbing as Applejack threw him on her back, and called out to her sister, who was eyeing some large blue drapes.
"Hey Applebloom! Why don'tcha follow us to the kitchen? Bet there's plenty of better stuff in there tah chow down on."
"Fooood," salivated Applebloom, whose body now looked more like an overstuffed beanbag chair, with four overly-stuffed hooves sticking out, and a pudgy filly's head bouncing on top.
AJ lead her sister into Twilight's kitchen, where the sloppy filly began to stuff her face with anything she could get her slimy green hooves on (including pots, pans, and several other non-food items!).
"Well, how is she-sweet Celestia!" cried out Twilight, coming to a stop at the kitchen doorway, peering up as AB seemed to swell towards the ceiling. "She's even getting taller!"
"Ah know, she just won't stop," said AJ, her green eyes in a panicked state. "Any luck?"
"No, and I think things are going to get much worse."
"Worse than mah lil' sister swellin' up like a gooey green balloon?"
"*gulp* Mm-hm."
__________
After locking Applebloom in the kitchen, Twilight led Applejack and Spike back to the library.
"I ran some analysis on that green goo that came off Applebloom's body," she said. "It doesn't match up with anything in my books, and...there's something just as dire."
"What's that?" asked AJ, biting her hoof, nervously.
"It appears that whatever that green stuff is, it's...permanently bonded to her!"
"Whut!? H-h-how could that happen?"
"I have a theory. Remember that trail of green goo in Applebloom's bedroom? Well, I surmise it was left by the Smooze. It slithered onto her bed, and then went down her throat-"
"Ewww," cried Spike.
"Spike, please, I am trying to explain my theory! Anyways, once Applebloom digested the Smooze, it dispersed into her system, and began to change her into some kind of, slime-pony hybrid!"
"So, kind of like an, Appleblob?" mentioned Spike, seconds before Twilight gave him a sharp jab with her rear right hoof.
"So mah sister's turnin' into whatever that, green thing is or...was?" asked Applejack, sweat starting to trickle down her forehead.
"Yes...and, maybe more than that," said Twilight. "I think whatever that Smooze is or was, is taking over Applebloom's mind too."
"That would explain why she isn't bein' so wordy. Most of what she mutters has to do with demandin' food."
"Uh, speaking of which, maybe we should check on how she's doing in the kitchen?" suggested Spike, motioning towards the hallway.
The three hurried back to the kitchen, which had fallen mysteriously silent.
Opening the doors, they found the kitchen interior caked with green goo. Everything movable, from the stoves, to the counters, chairs, and a number of other items, had all disappeared, along with Applebloom!
"Ah don't get it!" exclaimed AJ. "Where could she have gone?"
"I think I have an idea," said Spike, pointing to an open window, with green goo dripping from it's sill.
__________
"Thanks Mr Cake!"
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were all smiles as they each munched away on their carrot cupcakes.
"Mmm, delicious as always," smiled Sweetie Belle.
"You said it," replied Scootaloo. "Say, what's that?"
Off in the distance, a number of ponies and stallions were running every which way, as a giant green blob undulated through Ponyville. It was at least a story tall, and had a smaller round blob on top, and what appeared to be four chubby tendrils, extending out from it's body. As it oozed along, it's tendrils were snatching things up, and depositing them in a large hole opening and closing at the top.
"It's some kind of monster!" squeaked Sweetie.
"We better get outta here!" said Scootaloo, throwing on her helmet, and tossing one to Sweetie Belle. "Hop on!"
In a matter of seconds, the two fillies were off on Scootaloo's scooter, as behind them, the green blob reached Sugarcube Corner. As Sweetie turned to look, she saw a number of ponies running out of the building (including a frightened Mr and Mrs Cake, along with their twins!), as the blob's upper hole opened immensely, and like a wave overtaking a boat, arched over, and 'consumed' the entire building!
"Scootaloo, stop!"
The little pegasus obeyed her friend, and as they watched from a safe distance, the green blob sucked the building off it's foundations! It sat floating in the center of the green blob' before it started to disintegrate (before the shocked eyes of the Cakes, and several other ponies!).
Once it was completely gone, there was a rubbery stretching sound, as the green blob swelled larger, growing an extra 7 ft in diameter, before the hole in it's smaller sphere, let out a loud sound:
*BBEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHH*
"Did, that thing just, burp?" asked Scootaloo.
"Sure sounded like it," replied Sweetie Belle. "Hey, look!"
She was pointing to Mr Cake, who was angrily yelling and trotting towards the green blob, as his wife tried to calm him. However, moments later, the girls were surprised to see Twilight, Applejack, and Spike appear, with Twilight grabbing the irate stallion by his hooves, and dragging him away from the massive blob. Now that it had digested the cake's shop, the giant blob began to advance down the street, heading towards some houses! The Cakes, Twilight, Applejack, and Spike headed after it.
"Let's catch up to them," said Sweetie. "Maybe we can help!"
Scootaloo flapped her wings, and the scooter shot off down the street. Soon, the two had pulled up next to the group.
"Applejack, need any help?" asked Scootaloo.
"Girls?" responded the orange pony. "Get away from here, b'fore Applebloom gobbles you up too!"
"Applebloom?" asked Sweetie. "Where?"
"There!" pointed Spike, as the blobby filly began to consume the first of several nearby houses.
"WHAT!!?" exclaimed the two little fillies in unison.
"It's a long story," said Applejack. "Actually, maybe you two can help us. Zoom on ahead, and try to evacuate any ponies in her path."
"Okay!" said Scootaloo. Firing up her wings, she shot off ahead of the huge Appleblob, with Sweetie clinging to her for dear life.
As the group watched, the nearly three-story blob-pony was already done with one house, and had moved onto another one, sucking it off it's foundation too.
"H-how long can she keep, eating?" asked Mr Cake.
"I don't know," replied Twilight. "That's all she seems capable of doing."
"Well, maybe you could talk to her, Applejack," suggested Mrs Cake. "You are her big sister, after all."
"Well, it's worth a shot," nodded AJ, galloping up to the base of her massive 'little sister.'
"Applebloom!" she shouted, up towards the undulating blob. "You stop this right now, y'hear? This is yer big sister Applejack tellin' ya to knock off all this eatin'!"
For a few moments, the giant blob continued sucking on half a house, before it slipped from the enormous orifice, crashing into a pile of wood and straw!
"Ap-ple," came a deep voice, with the faintest trace of a feminine tone. "Ap-ple...jack?"
"That's right, it's yer big sister...well, not as big anymore, but that's b'sides the point! Ah don't know what that Smooze did to ya, but you gotta fight it! Fer Luna's sake, you're bigger than our barn with how much you've eaten!"
"Eat-en...barn?" came the blob's voice, before it's body let out a loud growl, vibrating heavily. "Eat...barn!"
"No, Applebloom stop!" cried AJ, as her sister's mouth stretched wide, and began to consume another house. "That's not a barn, listen tah me!"
But it seemed to do no good. As she watched, the house stretched Applebloom's green head to massive size, before she swallowed it down into her growing body.
"Look out, Applejack!" cried Spike, as the wall of green advanced towards her, and AJ watched as her sister consumed three more houses, her body swelling up even bigger than before!
"What did that thing do to her?" said AJ sadly, as Twilight and the others came up next to her. "She didn't listen tah me at all..."
"I'm afraid we may have only one option left," said Twilight. "We need to evacuate Ponyville. At the rate she's consuming things, I fear sooner or later she'll swallow some poor pony or stallion!"
"Ah never thought us Apples would live to hear such a thing," said AJ. "Ah also never thought an Apple would be the cause of such a thing."
__________
The small group mobilized quickly.
Using a 'vocal magnification' spell, Twilight's voice boomed across the town:
"Attention, Ponyville! This is Princess Twilight Sparkle! A giant blob is rampaging through our town, consuming everything in it's path! You are hereby ordered to evacuate to Sweet Apple Acres immediately!"
She flew a total of 5 circles around the town, repeating her message. Soon, doors were flung open, as all manner of residents scurried out of their homes, in the shadow of the now 5-story-tall Appleblob!
As the last of the ponies headed towards Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight and Applejack breathed a small sigh of relief, but still looked on as the towering blob continued it's rampage.
"Well, think that's about everypony," sighed Applejack. "Wait, did anyone happen to see Mayor Mare go by?"
"No," said Twilight. "Personally, I would have expected her to report to me once I gave the order to evacuate."
"Where could she be?" asked Applejack, as she saw her enormous sister proceeding to the tallest structure in Ponyville: the town hall.
"I think I know where," said Twilight, unfurling her wings. "Try to stall her, I'll check inside."
Twilight broke into a gallop, and quickly disappeared through the building's front doors. AJ meanwhile, had galloped into the path of the oozing Appleblob, with Spike hanging onto her mane for dear life.
"Caaaakkkkeeee," came a deep, rumbling voice from the green blob, jiggling from the vibrations of it's declaration. "Yyyyyuuuummmmm."
"APPLEBLOOM, STOP!!" cried out Applejack. "Yah don't wanna eat that! It's not a cake, it's town hall!"
"Tooowwnnnn, haaallllllll...caaakkkkkeeeee!!!" rumbled the blob, and as Applejack grimaced in fear, the four green tendrils wiggling on the blobby body shot out towards the building, and began to rip portions of it off, dropping their 'prizes' into the huge mouth on top.
"TWILIGHT, HURRY UP!!" yelled Spike, as Applejack galloped to the other side of the building. As they watched, Applebloom ripped off the building 's roof, and sucked it down into her massive green gut.
Suddenly, there was a streak of purple, as Twilight flew out of a third-floor window, with the Mayor on her back! Seconds later, the entire third floor was consumed.
"She was asleep in her study, with earplugs in," said Twilight, as they watched the faded-tan pony tremble at the sight of the destruction.
"Wh-wh-wh-WHAT's HAPPENING!!?" she shrieked aloud.
The sound was enough to make the enormous blob stop, and gaze down at the small group.
"CAAANNNNNDDDYYYY!!!!!" it rumbled, as one of the green tendrils shot towards the group! Fortunately, they scattered just in time, as the stretchy appendage merely slammed into the ground, spattering green goo upon impact.
"NOOOOOO, CCAAANNNNDDDYYY?" rumbled Applebloom, who a few moments later, seemed to forget about the 'candy' she had been craving, and continued to eat away at town hall.
Twilight and her friends had split up and gone down different nearby alleyways, but had luckily regrouped several houses away, hidden from view.
"Wh-what was that?" came Mayor Mare's voice (fortunately, not so loud this time).
"We'll explain later, Mayor," assured Twilight. "For now, it's best that we get to Sweet-"
"Twilight! Applejack!"
The group turned to see Scootaloo screech to a halt on her scooter.
"Scootaloo, what are you doing here?" asked Twilight. "And where's Sweetie Belle?"
"She's at Canterlot Boutique," said Scootaloo. "We, have kinda a little...problem."
"Aww, don't tell me," groaned Applejack.
__________
In a few moments, the group was on their way to Rarity's.
Scootaloo explained that they had tried to get Rarity to evacuate, but she was wont to let a number of her dresses be left behind.
"Sweetie Belle said she'd try to talk some sense into her," Scootaloo said, as her wings propelled her scooter alongside the others. "Course, I don't know how much good it'll do."
Arriving at Carousel Boutique, the group found Rarity supervising Sweetie Belle, who was carefully laying a number of dresses into a cart.
"Now remember, Sweetie Belle," cautioned Rarity, as her little sister magicked a maroon and teal ensemble into the wagon. "No creases or wrinkles. These are one-of-a-kind treasures, and must be preserved-"
"What in the hay are you doing?" asked Applejack, breaking the dialogue.
"Hmph!" snorted Rarity. "If you must know, Applejack, I am supervising the removal and transport of some of my works. Just because we are evacuating Ponyville, doesn't mean I have to abandon my darling creations."
"Rarity, we don't have time for this nonsense," pleaded Twilight, soon realizing she had used the wrong word.
"Non-Sense!? My dear Twilight Sparkle, by now surely you know that my work is not! Non-Sense! My care and craft are what I live by, and as Celestia as my witness, I will not le-w-what are you all staring at?"
As her voice died down, Rarity heard an undulating, liquid sound behind her. Turning around, her eyes stretched up (over 10 stories tall!), to see the massive green Appleblob towering over them.
"SSSSNNNAAACCCKKKKKKSSS!!!!" rumbled Applebloom, as one of her tendrils shot towards the cart, where it looped around the wooden frame 6 times, before pulling it into the air at a frightening speed!
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" screamed Rarity, her horn suddenly glowing blue, as her magic struggled to pull the cart back! "KEEP YOUR THINGS OFF MY THINGS!!"
"APPLEBLOOOM, WAAANNNNTTTT!!!" came a rumbling from the massive blob.
"Wh-WHAT!!?"
"That thing isn't a thing, it's Applebloom!" cried out Sweetie Belle, tugging at her sister's tail. "We got to get out of here before she eats us too!"
The explanation was all it took for Rarity to (tearfully) let go of the dress-laden cart, which soon flew into the Appleblob's massive maw, and disappeared into her murky greenness. The sight of the fashionable dresses dissolving in the giant green gut caused Rarity to utter a massive shriek, before she fainted dead away.
Fortunately, Applebloom was now preoccupied with the dessert-resembling exterior of the boutique.
"CCCCAAAAKKKKKEEEEEE!!!!!"
"We got to move her," said Twilight, as Sweetie tried to shake her sister awake. "But I can't carry her with my magic all the way to Sweet Apple Acres."
"Keep an eye on her," said Applejack, as she let Spike down. "Ah'm gonna see if there are any carts left around."
The group quicky shuffled off into a nearby alleyway, confident that Applebloom wouldn't see them. Of course, she was still preoccupied with having her 'cake,' and eating it. So far, the top third of the boutique had disappeared down her huge 'cake-hole.'
"Is there any way we can stop her?" asked Sweetie Belle, staring at the huge monstrosity that had once been her friend.
"I don't know, Sweetie," said Twilight, sadly.
Suddenly, there was a galloping of hooves, and Applejack rounded the corner, with a large cart.
"Glad somepony left this behind," she said. "It's got a double-yoke, so Twilight, you'll need to help me pull. Everpony else, get in."
Twilight used her magic to lift the still-unconscious Rarity into the cart's bed, as Spike, the Mayor, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle climbed aboard.
Once Twilight had secured herself in the harness of the yoke, she and Applejack galloped away from the town. As they did so, the cart's occupants could see the huge green form of Applebloom, towering over the village, consuming the remains of Rarity's boutique.
__________
As the group pulled up to the farm, dozens of ponies and stallions were milling about the yard, and among the apple trees.
"Ey, Applejack," cried out Granny Smith. "Why'z everpony come up to the farm? T'aint cider season yet."
"It's Applebloom, Granny," replied Applejack, as the cart's occupants got off, with Big Mac helping to unload Rarity.
"Applebloom invited them?"
"No, she's the reason why they're here."
"Well, why didn't she ask us first-"
"Nevermind," said Applejack. "Big Mac, put Rarity in mah room, and be careful you don't wake her."
"Eeyup," said Big Mac, as he and Sweetie Belle entered the house.
After a short while, Twilight called the townsponies to attention, explaining that she wished them all to stay on the farm, until she was sure it was safe to return to Ponyville.
"And how long will that be?" a mint-green pony asked.
"I don't know " replied Twilight. "We don't know how long she'll continue to eat."
"She?" asked another pony.
"I'll explain more later," said Twilight. "Spike, hop on. Let's do a fly-over and assess the damage."
"Um, Twilight," said Spike nervously. "I think we got another problem to-"
"Look!" cried out a stallion. "That thing's found us!"
Panic took hold of the ponies as the green blob could be seen advancing slowly up the path, leading to the farm! It's tendrils were greedily grabbing up surrounding trees, and throwing them into it's maw. By now, Applebloom's body was so huge, that the trees she was gobbling down seemed as big as breadsticks to her massive size!
A veritable stampede was on hand, before Twilight's voice was amplified.
"Everypony, stop! This is not helping the situation!"
Her spell did the trick. As the stampede slowed to a stop, Twilight approached Applejack.
"I need to lead her away, but to be safe, we need to move everypony away from her line-of-sight. Any suggestions?"
"Um, ah got it! The south orchard. It's over the ridge a-ways."
"Excellent. Mayor Mare, can you lead them there?"
"Of course, Princess Twilight," said the Mayor, rushing towards the south orchard's path. "Everypony, this way! Be quick, but be careful, too!"
As the townsponies followed the mayor, Applejack approached her brother.
"Big Mac, ah need you to load up Granny and Rarity onto a wagon, and go with them."
"Eeyup," he nodded, heading into the house.
"Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo," said AJ, addressing the fillies, "you go with em too."
"But we wanna help," protested Scootaloo.
"Yeah," said Sweetie. "That's our friend-"
"Please girls, this is no time to argue."
"But-"
"GET!!"
Reluctantly, the two followed Big Mac to a nearby cart, and soon, the small group was off, leaving Twilight, Applejack, and Spike watching Applebloom ooze up the path.
"So, what do we do?" asked AJ.
"Let's see where she's going first," replied Twilight.
As they watched, the green mass burst through the white fence along one side of the road (the splintered wood sucked up into the huge green 'belly'). Slowly, Applebloom's massive face rotated to a horizontal position.
Her eyes had gone green, and the orange of her pupils were green as well. Applejack couldn't help but feel frightened that those eyes that had once seemed so alive, now seemed...dead.
"AAAAPPPPLLLLEEEEESSSSS!!!!" came the deep voice from within the Appleblob, as it began to make it's way into the nearby orchard. Her body was already 7 times the size of the family's barn. As she slowly moved through, she shoveled up anything that got in the way of her mouth. Several acres of trees were quickly shoved deep into her swelling body!
"Ah can't watch," said AJ, pulling her hat over her eyes, and turning away.
It wasn't long, before there was a great sound of splintering wood, and a loud crash...a sign that Applebloom had most likely demolished and consumed the family's barn.
"I, I'm sorry, Applejack," said Spike, giving her side a consoling pat.
"W-what's she doing now?" asked AJ, fearful to turn around.
"She's uh, headin' north, into, the north orchard. She's, still growing, too."
"Mm-hm," nodded AJ, being more quiet than usual.
"Spike, can you come here?" asked Twilight.
The little dragon came over to her side. As he did so, he saw her gravely looking at the blob, even more massive than before, gobbling up acre after acre of trees, making it's way north. Spike turned his eyes towards the horizon, where high on the side of a mountain, he saw where Twilight's gaze was fixed.
"Spike, I need you to take a letter."
__________
Princess Celestia was attending to royal business, when Spike's scroll materialized before her.
Opening it up, she read through it carefully, her eyes growing wider by the second.
"Fetch Princess Luna," she commanded to one of her guards, and a few moments later, a somewhat drowsy Luna was standing before her.
"I assume by the rather rude awakening, *yawn* there is urgent need of me, sister?" asked Luna.
"I am afraid so," replied Celestia, leading Luna out onto a nearby balcony.
Far off to the southwest lay Ponyville, but rising above the numerous trees and hills, was a massive green behemoth, that seemed to undulate towards the Kingdom of Canterlot!
"From here, I would estimate it to be twice as big as our castle," said Luna. "What in the stars is it?"
"It is Applebloom, one of Princess Twilight Sparkle's young proteges," responded Celestia. "Word is she has already decimated Ponyville, and has her sights set on us."
"Wait, Applebloom?" asked Luna, squinting at the huge blob. "The young filly whose sister carried The Element of Honesty?"
"I am afraid so. She has ingested some creature that is causing her to consume everything in her path."
"Oh my," said Luna, her brow furrowing into worry. "Then if you roused me from my slumber, you surely need my help to-"
"Yes...I fear you know me all-too-well, sister."
"Do you believe Twilight Sparkle has told her friend Applejack-"
"No. She cares deeply for her friends and their feelings, but I think she trusts us enough to do...what must be done."
A few moments of silence passed between the two sisters, as the Appleblob crested another hill, gobbling up more of the lush green foliage, and bloating out further.
"Very well," said Luna. "I shall rouse my night troops, and you your day warriors."
"Yes," said Celestia. "We shall prepare for Applebloom's arrival. It is possible she may tire before reaching us, but if she does make it to the gates of our city..."
It was at that moment, the sirens went off, and both knew, the time for further conversation, was over.
The two sisters hurried off to perform their duties, as the ever-expanding Appleblob undulated closer...and closer...and closer...
The End...?