Can of Worms
Applejack was outside in the orchard tending to the trees on a fine Equestrian day. The sun was friendly, the breeze was calm and cool, and the clouds were where they needed to be. Everything was going well today.Applejack sat on her hainches under the shade of one of the apple trees for a quick break. She looked around taking in all of the beautiful colors of the orchard. She wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled slightly.
'Nothin' better than an honest day's work.", she thought to herself.
She looked to the east and spied her brother, Big Mac, pulling a cart filled with earth across the field. She looked to the farm house and saw Granny Smith beating the filth off of a rug. She sat back against the tree and allowed her eyes to close.
She reopened her eyes as her ears picked up the sound of something chewing. She looked around and saw no pony close enough to her to be making the sound she was hearing. She was quite perplexed by this until an apple core struck her on the head. She looked up and there in the tree was Applebloom.
"What are you doing up there?", Applejack playfully asked her sister.
"Nothin'.", was her response, as she flashed a smile at her big sister.
Apple Bloom hopped down out of the tree and landed with a small thud next to her sister. She gazed up at her with glee in her eyes.
"Are ya excited about tonight?", Applejack asked her sister.
"You bet Ah am! The girls will be her soon for the sleep over!", Apple Bloom squelled with joy.
"Well alright then! Do ya have everything ya need?" Applejack asked witha smile on her face.
"Of course Ah do! Ah wouldn't want my friends to do without on my sleepover. What kinda friend would Ah be if Ah let that happen?", Apple Bloom protested.
"Ok! Ok! Ah was just makin' sure is all."
Apple Bloom's ears perked up as she heard some familiar voices coming up the walkway. She excitedly ran at a full gallop to greet her friends.
"Yeah! You guys made it!", she exclaimed as Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell came into view.
"You bet we did!", Sweetie Bell answered.
The three fillies excited spoke back and forth for a little while before running off to do some cutie mark crusading. After a while the three came trotting back to Sweet Apple Acres just as the sun was beginning to set. The three little fillies made their way to the club house, for it was serving as their room for the night. They ate supper that was brought to them by Applejack, who was also carrying a small kettle.
"What's in the pot sis?" Apple Bloom asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Just a little somethin' in case ya'll get a sweet tooth.", Applejack replied with a smile.
Scootaloo opened the kettle and peered inside.
"What is this stuff Apple Bloom?", she asked her friend.
Apple Bloom looked inside and said, "Oh! It's caramel. We can make some caramel apples."
Apple Bloom went outside and soon returned with three big, bright, and juicy red apples. The fillies each took one and dipped it into the kettle of caramel. They placed their sweets on an extra plate Applejack had brought and devoured their feast of a supper. Then they hungrily set their sights on the caramel apples.
"Which tree did you get these apples from Apple Bloom?", Sweetie Bell asked.
"They were outside in a basket. I figured Applejack left them there for us.", she replied.
"I like your sister. She's not as awesome as Rainbow Dash, but she's up there.", Scootaloo said.
Just then there was a knock at the club house door. Apple Bloom went over and answered it. As she opened the door, she noticed that it wasn't her sister. In the pale light she was able to make out a soft yellow face encased with soft a soft pink mane.
"Fluttershy?", Apple Bloom asked.
"I'm um... sorry to bother you, but um... have you seen my basket around here?", Fluttershy asked.
"What does it look like?", Apple Bloom asked.
"Well it doesn't have any distinguishing features, but I did have three apples in it."
"Oh, sorry Fluttershy. I do know where your basket is, but we ate your apples."
Fluttershy gasped and stood there speachless for a few seconds, all she could do was breath iratically. Her face went pale and the smile that she was wearing disappeared.
"M...my fr...friends. Y...you ate m...my friends.", she said as she began to softly sob.
"Ah'm sorry what was that?", Apple Bloom asked.
"My friends, the apples.", Fluttershy said between sobs with a grief stricken heart.
"Apples are yer friends, too? Ah thought yer friends were animals.", Apple Bloom asked.
"I was taking them to my house, but Applejack called me inside and I forgot my basket out here!",
Fluttershy choked out between her sobs. Fluttershy's expression soon, however, turned to one of mild anger.
"Come with me, if you don't mind that is. We have to talk to Applejack." she said to the little fillies.
The four of them walked over to the house and Apple Bloom went inside and called for her sister. Applejack appeared a moment later in the doorway.
"Oh hey, Fluttershy! Did ya leave somethin' inside the house?"
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience Applejack, but little ones are in grave danger. I have to get them to Zecora immediately!"
"Why? What's happened?"
"They ate my apples that housed a rare but poisonous worm. Don't worry, it won't harm them to much. It should only give them a terrible tummy ache.", Fluttershy informed her.
"Worms?!", the three fillies shouted in unison as they began to forcefully gag themselves.
Applejack okayed the endeavor, but regretably she couldn't go. She had to wake up early the next morning, and with that Fluttershy and the three fillies took off for Everfree Forest. It was a long and silent journey. The little fillies tried talking to Fluttershy, but gave up after a while. She just wouldn't talk back to them. She wouldn't even smile, which wasn't like Fluttershy at all. The girls knew she was upset, but usually Fluttershy would forgive anypony for anything very quickly.
After a long while they finally reached Zecora's hut in the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy knocked on her door and waited. Zecora opened the door cautiously and when she saw Fluttershy she gave a look of relief.
"What would bring you by? My dear friend Fluttershy?", Zecora asked in her thick accent.
Fluttershy asked Zecora if she could come in and asked the girls to wait outside after getting the ok from Zecora. Fluttershy reappeared a few minutes later with three gourds in her mouth. She began walking back to her cottage and the fillies followed suit.
They walked all the way to Fluttershy's cottage, and Fluttershy opened the door and walked inside. The fillies followed her inside and she had them sit in the living room. She handed each of them a gourd and ordered them to drink it. The fillies did as they were told.
As soon as they had completed their drinks Applebloom said, "Fluttershy, Ah'm startin' to feel strange."
Fluttershy glared into her eyes and said with a evil smile, "You know, that's just what Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Rarity said after I had them drink this earlier today."
Scootaloo looked at Fluttershy and asked, "What?"
"You ate MY FRIENDS."
The three fillies looked at each other in disbelief as they watched each other slowly get smaller, change color, loose their fur, and grow segments. They were becoming worms.
"It was suppose to be a joke," Fluttershy said, "a harmless little prank since they pranked me earlier today. Rainbow Dash put me up to it, and I agreed because she made it sound so funny and harmless. I was there to show Applejack, but I left my basket outside. When I got there the apples I put them in were gone. You three took them, and you ate them! YOU ATE MY FRIENDS!"
By the time Fluttershy had finished her little monologue the fillies' transformation was complete. She walked over to them and picked them up one by one and placed them inside a bowl. She then took them outside and placed the bowl into the chicken pen.
"Elizabeak, snack time!", Fluttershy said in a sing song voice.
The three filly worms watched in horror as the chicken appeared and was looking down upon them from above. They tried to inch away, but the bowl's sides were to slick to crawl up. Applebloom watched in horror as Elizabeak pecked at Sweetie Bell. The chicken easily caught her and soon Sweetie Bell was gone. Scootaloo was next, and finally the chicken looked down at Applebloom and its head launched towards her.