This corner of Sweet Apple Acres was little used or known by the Apple Family for reasons that no one could really remember. Nor was it one they talked about at all it seemed for some reason. Which seemed strange for a family whose livelihood depended on this farm.
In the center of the area stood a dead apple tree. Normally this would have been a cause for alarm since it was not clear what had killed it, but none even knew it existed. Even for those who could find it, there was no apparent reason for it to be dead. The grass around it was as green and vibrant as any part of the farm and no other tree around it was dead or sick.
The tree itself was not much to look at. A trunk that went up some way before ending in a jagged crown-like way, as if something had been torn off the top and this was what was left behind. No limbs grew from its sides and there was no indication that there had ever been any, to begin with. Its roots were almost fully out of the ground and as dead as the rest of the tree.
But what would stand out for any that came across it was the gaping hole in its front that led inside the trunk, covered with a spiderweb of bark-like extensions.
And yet, for all its apparent lifelessness, the tree was not in fact dead at all but merely sleeping. It was not natural to this part of Equestria. In fact, it was not even native to any known part of Equus at all. But none would ever know the truth of that, or how or why it had come here in the first place.
For the moment, the tree slept, waiting for the right time to awaken and begin its life anew. All it required was the right spark to ignite it.
And for the first time in a long time, it sensed such a spark not far away from it. What's more, the circumstances were perfect for its seeds to begin their work.
So, for the first time in a long time, the dead tree sent out a fragrance that would be irresistible to those who smelled it. But now it was for one only.
Its future now set in motion, the tree waited in anticipation for what was soon to come for it, and the one she had called out to.
***
Not far away, a young Applejack awoke with a start as the most beautiful thing she had ever smelled wafted through her bedroom window. It seemed directed at her most of all.
Getting up so as to not disturb anyone else around the house, she made her way to the front door and pushed it open. The moon was up and bright tonight, the Mare in the Moon a stark contrast to the rest.
She knew she was in trouble if she was caught now. But the smell was just too irresistible for her to ignore. If she was smelling right, it was somewhere off to the right of the house. A long way off as well if she had to guess.
Her face a determined mask, Applejack made her way in that direction, making sure to close the front door quietly as she did.
***
Sometime later she came to a corner of the farm she didn't remember ever coming to before. Apple trees were all around her, but it was what was in the center that held her attention. Dead apple trees were a rare sight on Sweet Apple Acres, but she knew what they looked like. This one though seemed different in some way as she walked up to its base.
Call it being as young as she was, but Applejack was fascinated by the tree. The jagged crown at the top looked like the spikes of some crown for a royal. Applejack was no royal, not by a long shot, but she knew what Princess Celestia was like.
For some reason, she could not help but imagine herself sitting up there, queen of all she surveyed, and with how big the tree was, that would be a long way too.
In front of her was a hole that led inside the trunk. Her natural filly curiosity overcame her worry about what might be inside and poked her head in through the spiderweb of bark. There was not much in here. Just what you would expect from an old dead tree. There were some weepers hanging from higher up, but other than that, nothing.
Until she noticed the apple that was sitting right in the middle of the space. How she didn't notice it before she didn't know, but that was no way to treat an apple as she squirmed her way inside.
"Darn squirrels," she mumbled as she picked it up. It was fresh too, likely right off one of the trees. Well, it would not do any good to let it go to waste now, would it?
As she took a bite, Applejack had to admit that this was the best apple she had ever eaten, and she lived on an apple farm for Celestia's sake too as she continued to munch on the fruit. In a few moments, the apple was gone, and she dropped the core to the ground. It was not harming anything like it was even though her ma had told her about littering.
Speaking of her parents, she would make sure to tell them about this tree when she got the chance. They could not let it ruin the whole orchard now, could they?
But that could wait for the morning as she yawned deeply. It was only now that realized how late it was. Looking around, there was just enough room for her to lay down. A quick nap would not hurt, and she would still have time to get back to the house before the rest of the family got up and noticed her missing. Perfect.
As she lay down, her head on her tail, Applejack couldn't help but notice how smooth and comfortable the floor was. Odd. But she really didn't care as she soon passed into a dreamless slumber.
***
The tree waited until she was sure the filly was asleep before beginning the next step of what was to come for them. Slowly the hanging weepers softly wrapped themselves around the sleeping filly, wrapping around her like a warm blanket. As that happened, the hole in the trunk began to seal shut, closing with a soft hiss as it did.
With that, the tree sent out its powers to certain locations around Equestria and beyond. This was the final step before the next part began.
***
In Ponyville, the birth records of the Apple Family were altered and the memories of those who knew changed in a certain way. The same went for those at the farm. The same was repeated across all of Equestria where needed. Not even Princess Celestia could feel the magic being worked on her subjects.
By the time the sun rose the next morning, Jacqueline 'Applejack' Apple had ceased to exist to Equestria and beyond. To all, there had never been a third child of the Ponyville branch of the family.
Only years later would she return to the world she had forgotten and that had forgotten her, but by then she no longer knew or cared.
Author's Note
First off, this is a Godzilla crossover. More specifically, with Biollante from the 1989 movie Godzilla vs. Biollante. This franchise is one of my all-time favorites. And I don't see this kaiju getting much love it feels like. Cover art was done by Atomic-Chinchilla as a commission for Midnight-Cobra over on Deviantart and is being used with permission.
