No More Apples

"COME ON IN EVERYPONY! SOUP'S ON!" Applejack shouted from the window. Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom rushed into the house hungry as hay after their morning chores, and joined Granny Smith at the table.

"Mmm, smells great sis, what's cookin'?" asked Apple Bloom with a grin. Applejack circled around the table and generously gave everypony and herself an extra-hefty ladleful of chowder from her crock pot, placing it on the trivet in the middle before taking a seat herself.

"It's a recipe Rarity taught me that I added some apples and jicama to for extra flavor. I call it Applejack's Apple and Jicama Vee-schwaz!" She beamed, spoon already in hand and loaded with creamy potato goodness.

"Um, what's a vee…vee-shwhut now?" Apple Bloom stared at her sister, confusion wracking her brow. She wanted to eat it right away, it did smell amazing, but she had to know what she was getting into first.

"Well don't you worry none 'bout that now, it's just fancy-talk for chowder. You know Rarity, always so high-minded with whatever she does, from dresses right down to dinner," Applejack intoned, digging into her meal with gusto.

Apple Bloom timidly lifted a spoonful to her lips and was surprised by what she tasted. "This is the best chowder ever, sis!" She ate greedily, her hunger winning out over her momentary wariness at trying something unfamiliar. In no time at all she and Big Macintosh were serving themselves second helpings.

"Yep, this sure will put some meat on your bones by gum," Granny Smith said with a wink to the young filly. "Back when I was your age all we had to make soup with was rocks! And not the good-tasting rocks neither, these rocks were the ones that didn't soften no matter how long you boiled them, but we were grateful for what we had and a hot meal beat going without any day of the week!" She continued telling her bizarre inaccurate story as the other three ponies slowly toned her out as respectfully as possible.

"Hmm, so you're sayin' that if I eat enough of this…I could grow up to be as big and strong as Applejack?" Apple Bloom gasped as she made the connection, her smile stretching from ear to ear as she started eating twice as fast as before.

Big as Applejack big big big big big BIG AS APPLEJACK BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG

Applejack stared blankly at the wall, then blinked rapidly as she realized Apple Bloom was asking her something. "Say whut now?"

"I said, something the matter?" Apple Bloom stared at her doe-eyed, jaw agape.

"Uh, not sure, but I reckon it was nothin' at all," Applejack started, "I think maybe my eyes were hungrier than my gut," she nodded, pushing her half-eaten soup away and sitting back in her chair.

"More for me then!" Apple Bloom reached over and dragged the bowl over to her placemat. "Wouldn't want to let any go to waste now, would we?"

"Eeeyup," Big Macintosh agreed, reaching over to serve himself still more of the delicious chowder, already on his fifth helping.

Applejack still felt hungry but she couldn't bring herself to eat another bite.

A week later, Applejack and all her friends were having a picnic near the lake. The six of them sat in a circle on a huge plaid blanket with a picnic basket set in the middle, loaded up with bread, fruits, vegetables, and assorted pastries. About twenty feet away, Spike was tending a small campfire, boiling pot after pot of water as needed to brew more fresh tea.

"Say, Applejack, have you lost weight?" Her friend Twilight Sparkle smiled and levitated her teacup and took a sip.

"Why, no Twi, actually I've put on a few pounds," Applejack frowned, loathe at being reminded of her extra chubbiness.

"Well, I for one thing you're looking perfectly fine darling," Rarity added cheerily. "But, if you're in a sour mood maybe I could interest you in a visit to the spa with me later today? A bit of pampering always makes me feel ever so much better," she giggled haughtily and levitated another strawberry over to eat. Applejack just sighed dejectedly, but nodded her consent just the same, and tried to muster a weak smile.

"Oh, I guess it's okay if you joined us, usually Rarity and I do this together but, I suppose it's alright to bring another friend along…that is, if you really want to, Applejack?" Fluttershy timidly interjected, but again Applejack merely nodded. It was rare that anypony spoke less than Fluttershy, yet today Applejack had hardly said—or in fact, eaten—a thing.

The picnic continued unabated into the late afternoon, till finally Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight helped Spike pack up all the supplies before heading off back to Ponyville. Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack headed in a slightly different direction, two of the three ponies very eager to return to the spa.

"We should treat Applejack to the best the spa has to offer," Fluttershy smiled demurely, "What do you think she'd enjoy first?" Rarity became lost in thought, mumbling to herself in an internal argument on what would best get Applejack back into good spirits.

"Hmm, maybe…no. Or how about…? Eh, she wouldn't. Ooh, I think I know just what she needs!" She gasped, "I know what you will absolutely just LOVE," she spouted, launching into an extended endorsement of all the different mud baths and mud facials that the spa offered, each with their own unique mineral contents of course. Applejack listened intently, nodding occasionally.

They soon found themselves walking through the ornate doors of the spa, where Rarity and Fluttershy were greeted with such an outpouring of warmth it gave Applejack the impression that they must be related. Aloe and Lotus were positively giddy to welcome their two favorite clientele back to the spa.

"Oh, it's been ages since we've had you in, we were beginning to worry!" Aloe fawned and started leading Rarity to the hooficure room.

"Simply too long darling! What has it been now, five days? Ugh, my hooves are in such a dreadful condition, simply dreadful!" Rarity moaned melodramatically, following her to the back.

"Um, Lotus, if it's not too much trouble, is there somepony who can help my friend Applejack? She's feeling down and I thought, um, she might like a little spa treatment," Fluttershy said quietly, "Something maybe a little less elaborate than my usual? On my tab, of course," she said with a smile. "Oh, not that I meant that it should be cheaper, just that um, she's new to the whole spa treatment and I wouldn't want her to be intimidated, because that wouldn't be relaxing at all, and that would defeat the entire purpose of going to the spa in the first place."

"Sugarcube I'm fine with whatever they got for me, and I'm certainly not picky," Applejack stepped in, glad to see her friend's demeanor improve visibly once she was properly reassured.

Lotus started leading Fluttershy off to another wing of the spa, then turned and addressed Applejack, "Excuse me please, I'll go inform my cousin that she has a client. She's new here, but I assure you she is as highly-trained and enthusiastic as both my sister and myself."

Applejack and Fluttershy waved as they parted, and she took a seat, waiting for another spa pony to show up. The place was quite fancy, certainly not somewhere she would normally visit. She usually didn't have the time to indulge these kinds of whims, but before she could get too deep in her thoughts she saw another pony with the spa headband approach her.

"Hello there, my name is Anna, I'll be attending to you today," she smiled. Her eyes were green and her coat and mane were a bright canary yellow.

Applejack stared in awe, "I've never seen such a thin pony before! You're…you're beautiful!" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Why thank you, I work very hard on my figure, and I'm glad to hear somepony—" she was cut off mid-sentence when Applejack threw herself at the spa pony's hooves and started begging.

"Please teach me, teach me how to be thin like you," Applejack pleaded desperately, "I'm so fat, so ugly and obese and my sister looks up to me as a role model. She told me last week she wanted to be big like me! I have to get thin before she ends up as fat as I am!" She wailed and grasped at the spa pony's legs pathetically.

"Oh my, please compose yourself," she helped Applejack up, but then her face softened. "Yes, I will help you. Come with me and while I give you a nice mud bath, we can talk more in depth. In no time at all, you'll see the pounds melting away!" She declared confidently, and Applejack's eyes lit up with hope.