Breathers for Applejack (a MLP story) ch. 6

Applejack woke up, her eyelids twitching, and smelled flowers and animals. Lots and lots of animals. She opened her eyes with a start, her head rolling upright, and saw dozens of eyes all around her, watching her intently.
“Waaaaah!” she wailed, and the critters all collectively squeaked and squawked and scattered and bustled away; mice and lizards, squirrels and birds, rats, foxes, bunnies, gophers, hedgehogs, ferrets all fleeing in a commotion of feet and tails and wings.  Little things bounced off of her bed and birds took flight from birdhouses, raining little downy feathers down on her as they flew out the open window.  She bolted upright and-
BANG!

immediately bashed her head on the headboard.  She shut her eyes tight, opening one in time to steady the hoof-made clay pot on the nightstand as it wobbled from the impact.  This wasn't right.  She groaned and clamped both hooves on her head.  Wasn't she just at the library? What happened? Where was she?  Numerous birdhouses swung from the rafters in the animals' wake.  Wild Ivy twisted around the rafters.  Dust drifted in the sunlight.  Scattered hay littered the dark green floorboards.  A thick, hoof-stitched quilt lay across her with a checkerboard butterfly pattern on it.  Applejack blinked, and realized she was in the warm, cluttered interior of Fluttershy's bedroom.  She shook her head, trying to remember how she got there.  She had to get to her friends again.  She tried to push herself up, her forelegs trembling, but it felt like something was holding her in place.  She couldn't sit herself up. She slumped further down into bed. Why was she so weak?
“Sounds like somepony's awake!” she heard a soft, sweet voice say. Applejack looked down the bed to see Fluttershy peaking through the doorway with a smile on her face. She held a tray on one wing with crude, wooden bowls resting on it.
“F-Fluttershy? What the hay happened? How'd I end up here?” she asked, blearily. She winced and pressed a hoof to her forehead. “And why's my head hurt so much?”
“Oh? You mean you don't remember?” asked the yellow pegasus, walking around the bed and placing the tray next to Applejack.
“I...we were just leaving the library...to tell everypony about the curse.” Applejack said. “Shoot, I-I mean, the hex.” she added, then closed her eyes, trying to remember. Then, her eyes popped right back open. “The hex!” she exclaimed, then quickly sat up. “Fluttershy, there's a-
BANG!
aaannngghh...” she grunted, slumping back down onto the pillow, clutching the back of her head.
“Oh my goodness! Applejack, be careful!” Fluttershy said, trotting to the bedside table and setting the tray down.  Applejack looked suspiciously down at it, and saw the a bowl of herb soup, and small loaf of grain bread, full of seeds.  Steam rose up from them and curled in the sunlight.  They were freshly made, judging from the heavenly smell. “Now you just get your rest and let me take care of you, okay?” she said, gently moving Applejack's hooves out of the way so she could get a good look at her scuffed forehead.
“No...Fluttershy, there's a...I got a hex on me...” she said, wearily. “Ya can't...trust what your...I'm not...” she muttered, suddenly fatigued.
“Noooo, sh sh ssshhhh...poor baby. You've just been having a bad dream, that's all!” Fluttershy said, smoothing out Applejack's shaggy mane and pulling her blanket higher up on her.
“All a...no, no, that ain't right...it was real, it couldn't'a been a dream...”
“You spent too long in the sun and you fainted! We were all so worried about you...”
“No, it was real, I was...we were...running from the library...had to get the girls all together...”  she muttered, trying to remember.  Fluttershy held up a spoon with both hooves and ladled up some soup, blowing the steam off the top.

"If you want to tell me about your dream, you go right ahead." she said, smiling warmly.
-----
Rainbow Dash carefully opened the door and looked around the lobby. It was trashed.  Magazines were pushed off the table to make room for stacks of missing posters, robes and clothing of varying sorts were draped across all the chairs, and pumps and other inflating devices were scattered all over the place. She scanned the room, and there on the left side, by the front counter, was Rarity. The gorgeous white unicorn was checking herself in a full-length mirror that had been brought into the lobby, holding a pump in one hoof and a bellows in the other. Rainbow Dash turned away, giving a nod outside and beckoning with her hoof. She opened the door wider, and right behind her was Twilight, gripping a rope in her teeth, pulling a wagon full of apples with seemingly no effort into the lobby.  She pulled it up to a point and then stopped.  The cart kept moving forward until she turned and signalled it to stop, and it immediately stopped dead in its tracks. Rainbow Dash leaned back outside the door and gave one last check around before shutting the door behind them. Rarity turned at the noise, her curly mane bouncing glamorously as she did so.  Her eyes sparkled as they lit up widely in recognition.
“Girls!” she cried, trotting over to them. “Oh, how perfect! And I was just about to go join a search party!” she gushed, hugging them both. Twilight and Rainbow Dash exchanged a look.
“Listen, about Applejack...” said Twilight.
“Ugh, it's dreadful, isn't it?” said Rarity, throwing her head back, before cantering back to the mirror, “She's been the talk of the town all day, Applejack. And to think, I had her right here, all afternoon! Well! I shan't be making that mistake again! Just as soon as I find the right accessory, I shall lend myself to the effort. Maybe you can help me, girls, what do you think? This tire pump with this scarf?” she asked, posing with a bike pump as she levitated a matching scarf onto her head, “Or these bellows with this hat?” she asked, posing with a beat-up fireplace bellows and a wide-brimmed hat. “I like the slim simplicity of the pump and scarf...but there's something so shabby chic about the bellows and hat. Rustic is in this season.” she said, looking at herself in the mirror.  Twilight stepped forward.
“That's what we came here to talk to you about."  she said.  "We figured out what the problem was.  Applejack's had a hex cast on her by a hag, and the whole town is being affected by it.”
“Is that why she's having trouble breathing? Well, it certainly sounds serious, so we'll have to be quick about it.  And don't tell me you girls were thinking about striking off on your own. You know that I have to pick something out for the both of you as well, don't you?” she said, with a giddy smile.
“That's not the reason.  Actually, the effects of the hex are the exact opposite. She doesn't need help breathing at all, everypony who sees her just thinks she does.  It's a long story, but Applejack would gladly explain this to you herself.  I just need you to promise that you won't try to help her if you see her. Do you promise?”  she asked.  Rarity turned, a coy grin on one side of her mouth.
“Don't try to help her?  What on earth are you talking about?” she asked, clearly thinking this was some kind of joke.
“I'm serious, Rarity.  I can bring Applejack to you, but you have to promise you won't raise a hoof to try to help her if you see her!” she said.  Rarity looked between the two of them, but they both looked at her in complete seriousness.

“Not help her?  But why?  She needs our help!”
“Promise!” shouted Rainbow Dash, flying over to her and jabbing a hoof in her face. Rarity looked back and forth between her friends.

"Please." Twilight added.  Rarity sighed.
“Well...I can't say that I quite understand, But, if it means that much to you, then, yes. I promise I will...abstain from helping her. Our friendship is too important to me.” she said, dramatically holding a hoof up to her head. Rainbow Dash and Twilight both looked at each other and nodded. Twilight's horn glowed, and the wagon of apples she'd pulled in began to shimmer. The illusion rippled, and with a flash it was gone.  Sitting in its place was Applejack, the rope tied loosely around her neck. Applejack blinked hard from the flash and looked up at Rarity, and the two stared at each other.  Rarity immediately lit up excitedly.
“Applejack!” she practically screamed. Applejack flinched back at her outburst. “Oh, I've been worried sick!” she cried, grabbing the bike pump and trotting over. A strong, sky-blue hoof stuck out, halting her in place.  She looked up at Rainbow Dash, who sternly glared back.
“You promised.” she said.
“Yes, but...but I didn't know...You seriously can't expect me to...” stammered Rarity, looking back and forth between her, Twilight, and Applejack, looking for some kind of validation.
“No helpin'! You promised, Rarity!” said Applejack, cautiously.
“Pleeeeeeeeease!"  Rarity cried, throwing herself at Twilight's hooves, "Won't you just let me help her?  Just the teensiest, tiniest bit?” begged Rarity, displaying her best twinkling doe-eyes.  Twilight looked down at her groveling friend with concern.
“Please, Rarity." she said.  "If you really want to help Applejack, you'll stay right there and listen to what she has to say.” said Twilight. Rarity looked at all of them, in turn, and then sighed.
“Fine.” she said, climbing back to her feet. Twilight gave Applejack a confident nod.
“Thank ya kindly.  Sorry about earlier, Rarity." she said.

"Hmph." Rarity said, tossing her hair and sticking her nose in the air, trying her best to look aloof, but the blush on her face said otherwise.

"Now, remember those jokes that were goin' around this mornin'?  The ones I was talkin' about at the spa?  Well, that's where this all started...” Applejack began.
-----

"Rarity!" Applejack said, sitting up, mindful of the headboard this time.

"Was she in your dream too, Applejack?" asked Fluttershy, blowing on another spoonful of herb soup.

"No, it...it couldn't'a been a dream!  It can't be a dream." said Applejack, and Fluttershy's hoof rested on her chest.

"You really don't remember, do you?" Fluttershy asked, gently easing Applejack back down to bed.

"Remember...remember what?"

"Rainbow Dash came back to town soon after you left.  She said she saw your sister running for help!"

"Apple Bloom?  Running for help?  What're you talkin' about?"

"She was really afraid, the poor thing!  She said you'd come back angry, and worked in the sun until you fainted!"

"F-Fainted?  Me?  I'm tellin' ya, that ain't what happened!" she said, and Fluttershy offered her some soup.  She looked down at it skeptically, then back up at the kind yellow pegasus, before opening her mouth and drinking the soup.

-----

The barn-style doors of Sugarcube Corner swayed loosely in the breeze.  Then, they were pulled open by light blue unikinesis, and Rarity trotted through the open doorway.

"Fluttershy!  Pinkie Pie!  Are you here?" she asked, levitating her scarf and sunglasses off.  Twilight followed through the doorway and stopped next to Rarity, listening.

"Doesn't sound like anypony's home." she noted.  "She did say that this was the last place she saw them, wasn't it?"

The show room was barren, with half-assembled party decorations strewn up the walls and across the floor.  All the sweets were gone, looted from the display cases.

"Oh, I hope we didn't miss them..." Rarity said.  The illusory cart of Apples wheeled its way in through the door, with Rainbow Dash standing guard outside.

"Pinkie Pie won't be here." it said, Applejack's voice issuing out from the pile of apples.  Twilight looked at her in confusion, and with a flash of her horn, the illusion rippled and Applejack reappeared where the apples once were.

"I thought you said this was the last place you saw her?" she said, her brow furrowed.

"Yeah, about that.  I may have...kinda...let her blow away down the street..." Applejack said, guiltily, pointing in the direction she went off to.

"Applejack!" Rarity exclaimed, scandalized.

"I'm sorry!  I was just trying to get away from everypony, I didn't think to keep 'em where I could find 'em again!"

"Okay, okay, okay." Twilight intervened, stepping between them.  She sighed.  "Okay, so we have no idea where Pinkie is.  Fine.  Do you at least know where Fluttershy went?"

"Fluttershy?" she mused, thinking.  "Well, the last time I saw her, she was...oh." she said as her eyes trailed up towards the big, inflated pegasus.  Her huge, inflated body looked like a small hot air balloon, almost twice as big around as any of the other girls were tall.  She bumped against the ceiling lightly, tucked in the corner with a wide 'X' of tape holding her muzzle shut between big, helium-filled cheeks.  Fluttershy's eyes went wide.  Both the unicorns' jaws dropped.

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, incredulously.

"Fluttershy!" Rarity gasped, shocked.  Fluttershy just averted her eyes and blushed.  Rainbow Dash rushed in to see what the commotion was about.  Her eyes widened at the sight, as well.

"hmknt!" she snickered.  "ppppppfffffft- HA HA HA HA-

-----

"...laughed, and laughed, and laughed, you'd think it was the funniest thing she ever sa-mmph!" Applejack explained, her sentence cut short by more soup being shoved in her mouth.  Fluttershy was hunched over, her face blushing bright red.

"O-o-okay, um.  C-could you skip to the next part, please?" she asked.

-----

PPPPHHHHBTLBBHPTBLHLBTPHLBTLBHPB

Fluttershy bounced and zipped all over the room, deflating like a balloon.  Rainbow Dash watched with some amusement, the tape stuck to her hoof.

"You know," Rarity said, watching the pegasus rocket around, weakly holding her scarf outward, protectively, "I almost hate to think it, but, that's what I've been trying to do to you, isn't it, Applejack?" Rarity asked.  Applejack gave her a smile.

"That's right, you 'n everypony in Ponyville."  Rarity just looked at her, her face full of concern and guilt.

"Oh, Applejack!" she said, throwing her forelegs around the earth pony's shoulders and hugging her tightly,  "Won't you ever forgive me?"

"It's okay, Rarity." Twilight said, stepping in, "Your mind was affected by the hex, there's no way you could've known."  The last of the helium sputtered out of Fluttershy, and she flew upward.

"Gotcha!" Rainbow Dash said, catching her gently.  Fluttershy looked forward, blinking in surprise, before her cheeks puffed up and she let out a soft urp.

"Gosh!  E-Excuse me!" she said, blushing.

"I'm just glad that you're back on my side." said Applejack, "Plus, y'already got blown up like a balloon good 'n proper before, so I'd say we're square." said Applejack.  Rarity's eyes went wide and blush burned across her face.

"HA!  Ha ha ha ha ha!" she laughed nervously, stepping in front of Applejack.  "She's kidding, of course!" she said to everypony present.  She leaned over to Applejack.  "We do not speak of that.  Ever again." she muttered, glaring at her.

"Uh..." Applejack stammered, staring back nervously.

"So, we got Fluttershy..." Rainbow Dash said, letting her back down to the ground, "...That makes two, three, four...five of us.  We're still missing Pinkie!"

"And if she went speeding away like poor Fluttershy here," Rarity said, causing Fluttershy's eyes to go wide before biting her lip and looking away, blushing, "Then who knows how far she could be!"

"We can't give up yet!" Twilight said, "We can still find her!"

"But how?" asked Fluttershy.

"Oh, with a little help from a couple old friends of mine." Twilight said, proudly.  All the other girls looked at each other, awkwardly.

"...Who?" Applejack offered, cautiously.

"Why, Logic and Deduction, of course!" she replied, smiling proudly.  She was met with silence.

"Ugh, Luna's Infernal Throne, Twilight, seriously!?" Rainbow Dash groaned.
"What?  What is it?" Twilight asked, looking at all the other girls.  Applejack and Rarity exchanged a look with each other, stifling laughs. "Was that an inappropriate time for a joke?" she asked.  Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"No, it would've been great, if you said a joke instead of...whatever terrible thing that was, just now." she said, and Twilight shifted in place, flustered and blushing, "And besides, how do we know we'll even need her?  I mean, fighting some little old nag's gotta be a cakewalk compared to the other stuff we've faced, right?  Sounds like a five elements of harmony kinda job, tops.  Ow!" said Rainbow Dash, getting an admonishing elbow to the shoulder by Applejack in reply.

"We need her." Twilight insisted.  "All of us need to be there for Applejack.  Not just as elements of harmony, but as friends."  Everypony nodded back.  "Okay.  Which direction did you say Pinkie flew off in?"

-----

"Oh, dear!" said Fluttershy, spoon-feeding Applejack more soup.

"So, we headed out.  When we found her, she...no, wait...did we hide in the jewelry store before, or after?  Ah, my head..." Applejack groaned.

"Well it sounds like you've been having quite the nightmare." said Fluttershy.  Applejack sighed.

"For the last time, it wasn't no nightmare!  It's all real!  You should know, you were there, remember?"  she said.  Fluttershy sighed, looking down at the soup, and set it aside.  She gently tossed her mane out of her face, and set a hoof down on Applejack for comfort.

"Let me tell you what I remember." she said, softly.  "Getting told by Rainbow Dash that you'd collapsed while you were working.  By the time we got to your farm, your brother had moved you to the cellar, trying to cool you off.  You were muttering in your sleep, having such terrible nightmares about being blown up like a balloon and how everypony's out to get you.  I had to keep quiet."  she said, closing her eyes.

"Why?  What'd you do?"

"I knew that you'd been having a bad day.  I saw you this morning, and I could tell even then, but I didn't say anything.  I know that you had all that on your mind because of what everypony was saying in town.  And everypony in town was saying it because Pinkie told them all.  And Pinkie learned about it from me." she said, looking at her hooves, shamefully.  She sighed.  "If I hadn't been such a...such a..." she said, cringing, "...blabbermouth..." she forced out, quietly, "None of this would've happened.  That's why I took you home with me.  Because it's all my fault." she said, and the room was quiet.  Applejack looked at her pitifully.

"Fluttershy, it's okay, I don't blame you.  But I swear, it wasn't a dream..." Applejack said.

"How can you be so sure?" Fluttershy asked, looking at Applejack in concern.

"What do you mean?"

"I-I mean, when you stop to think about it, what's more likely..." Fluttershy said, retreating behind her shock of pink hair, not wanting to confront Applejack.

"What's more likely?" asked Applejack.

"Well, I mean..."

"Fluttershy, tell me."  Fluttershy looked back, and forth.

"Well...okay..." she said, and took a big, deep breath.

"Between the two scenarios, I think it's much more likely that you had a nightmare brought on by stress, fatigue, and heat rather than falling victim to a curse, which you know aren't real and so invented this 'hex' to justify it in your own mind, which suddenly made your unhappy mindset escalate to physical harm, which would give you the justification to keep hating everypony who was teasing you by acting in self-defense, rather than trying to accept that you aren't really a victim, it's not that big a deal, and you should move on." she blurted out, blushing and avoiding eye contact.  Applejack stared at her, wide-eyed.  Fluttershy looked down at the soup she was holding, stirring it.  "Y-You know...or something..." she added.  Applejack looked away, guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy." she said.  "But I got a feeling in my gut.  I've been through too much for it all to be a dream.  J-ulmp!" she said, as more soup was shoved into her mouth.

"Ssshhh, sshh, sshh.  Your soup's getting cold!" said Fluttershy, cheerfully.

-----

The colorful, glass door to Diamond Luster's Gemcutters burst open.  Rainbow Dash scanned the empty store with a look of panic on her face.

"In here!" she shouted, waving the rest of the girls in.  Fluttershy, Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack all galloped through the door.  Rarity stopped to flip the sign in the front door around to "closed" and draw the blinds just as the ruckus caught up with them.  Shouting and hoofbeats filled the street as a shadow passed over the store, the crowd of ponies outside silhouetted on the blinds as they rushed straight past them, down the storeet.  All the girls were nervously peeking over the glass counter, and they all breathed a sigh of relief when the crowd seemed to not notice them ducking into the store.  Applejack picked her hat off her head and ruffled her hoof through her shaggy mane.

"...Really?" Rainbow Dash demanded, hovering right over Applejack with her hooves on her hips.  "Of all the times you could've sneezed, you had to wait 'til we were completely surrounded?"

"Well it ai-...ah-choo-...ain't my fault we had to cut through the flower stand, it's the middle of spring!" said Applejack, rubbing her nose.

"Girls!" Twilight interjected in an angry whisper, "Keep your voices down!  Both of you!"  Applejack and Rainbow Dash gave each other a sour look, but kept their mouths shut.  "Now, we'll wait here until the crowd clears, and then continue on our way.  Pinkie's gotta be close, we've been following the wind-swept trail from her expelled helium across two districts!  If she was as big as you say she was, Applejack, by my best estimations, she wouldn't have the necessary quantity of propellant, nor strong enough backward thrust, to make it outside of town.  She's gotta be around here somewhere."

"Well, if I know Pinkie, she won't try to hide, or make it hard to find her." said Rainbow Dash.  They all nodded in agreement while Rarity checked the back room, to see if they were truly alone.  When she saw it was empty, she breathed a sigh of relief.  She down at a nearby display case of beautiful gemstones.  She smiled, pleasantly.

"Mmmm.  Well, the view is nice, at the very least..." she said, looking at her reflection in them as she leaned over.  She saw Applejack's reflection standing next to hers.  "You like these ones, Apple...?" she trailed off as she turned, and nopony was there.  Applejack was over behind the front counter with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.  "Hm!" she said, giving half a shrug as she turning back to the gemstones.  "Just...stress, I suppose."  she said, stretching her eyelids out with her hooves.  She shook it all off and looked back down at the displays, continuing down til she reached the end of the counter.  There, leaning against the glass on the other side, was a rather robust pair of fireplace bellows.  Rarity gasped and recoiled away at the sight, a hoof over her mouth.  It was like her wishes had been answered.  She blinked down at it.  She bit her lip as an excited smile curled up on her face, and she reached down towards it.  She blinked and stopped herself before she touched it.  "No!  No!  I musn't!" Rarity said, turning her back to it.  "I made a promise to my friend and I intend to keep it!" she said, resolutely.  Then, she opened one eye, looking back at it.  She turned and reached one foreleg out, just barely nudging the tip of the bellows with one hoof.  She giggled delightfully, both hooves cupped around her mouth.  "No, no.  I can't." she said, turning away.

"Pretty ponyyyy..." a sultry voice whispered in her pretty, white ear.

"W-...wha?  Who said that?" she said, looking behind her, beside her, and all around.  There was nopony there.  She batted her eyelashes in confusion.  She turned and looked suspiciously at the doorway to the empty back room.

"You want to help the strong little filly..." it whispered again.  She looked down at the gemstones, and saw the reflection of a black shape flit through the air behind her.  She quickly turned around, looking fearfully at the store, backing into the display case.  "Go ahead.  Take it." the voice said.  She turned and looked at the bellows.  They were so alluring.  Her heart beat in her chest.  "You want to take it." it said.  Rarity shook it off and threw her head up.

"No." she said, with her nose up in the air.

"Oh, why nooooot...?" the voice asked her, teasingly.

"Because I'm not myself.  The other girls say there's something magic going on, and-" she started.  She turned, slightly, "And I believe them." she added, confidently.

"You want to help your friend..."

"Of course I'd like to help Applejack." she said.  "But I can't."

"Says whooooo...?" purred the voice.  She looked down at the bellows, worryingly.  She wanted to take it.  Something caught her eye.  She looked at a large sapphire that seemed to be radiating light.  She blinked.  It seemed like the more she looked at it, the harder it was to look away.  Light and fractals danced and shined in it.  She smiled a little, bemused.  Then, she made out shapes.  She was holding the bellows in her hooves, in the sapphire.  "I don't see anypony trying to stop you.  Just take iiiiit..." said the voice.

"Ooooh...that's me!" Rarity said back.

"That's right...you can help your friend if you waaaant..." it said, and she saw Applejack approach her, in the sapphire.  She stuck the bellows in Applejack's mouth and pumped away.  Applejack looked back cheerfully, breathing in time with her pumps.

"Ooooh, yes, I'd like that, very much..." Rarity said, her smile widening.  Then, she took the bellows out of Applejack's mouth.  "Wait...no..." Rarity said as she backed away, leaving Applejack looking sullenly at the ground.  "You have what you need to help your friend...everything you need...and yet you keep it to yourself..."

"What?  No, I never..."

"Do you know what that makes youuuuu...?"

"No...don't say it, please..."

"...A greedy pony."

"No!" Rarity said, horrified, as she saw herself avariciously clutching the bellows to her chest.  "That's not true!"

"A ssssselfish, greedy little pony..." it hissed at her.

"No!  Stop it!" Rarity said, clamping her hooves over her ears.

"Don't keep it to yourself...give to your friend..." it said.

"I won't!" Rarity shouted, defiantly.  She stood her ground, looking up.  "You hear me, you stupid voice in my head?  I gave a promise to a friend, and I care more about our friendship than to indulge myself in what I want!"  she said, and the store was only silent in response.  She waited for a response, but when none came, she scoffed at it, victoriously.  She turned and started to walk away before turning back.  "And another thing!" she said, accusingly.

"Rarity?" Twilight asked, suddenly.  Rarity froze up.  She turned, and the other girls were all staring at her, confused.  "Who're you talking to?"  Rarity just stared at them, blush burning brightly on her face.

"Uh..." she stammered, before composing herself, tossing her bouncy, purple mane with a hoof.  "I take it that means I was speaking out loud, then.  Ehem!  Right...you girls didn't happen to hear a...voice, just then, did you?" she asked, trying to downplay her embarrassment.

"A voice?" Twilight asked, and Rainbow Dash perked up at the mention.  She looked nervously at Applejack and pretended to feign ignorance.  "You're hearing voices?" she asked.  Rarity looked at them nervously.

"I-I...I-I think so...is there something wrong with me?" she asked.  Twilight let out a breath of relief.

"Whew!  No, but thanks to you, I know there isn't something wrong with me!  I thought I was the only one!" Twilight said.  Rainbow Dash looked at her, shocked.

"You too?" she asked.  "I thought I was losing it!"  Applejack looked at them all uneasily.

"Y'all...y'all've been hearing voices?" she asked.

"This is remarkable!" Twilight said.  "What'd the voice say to you?"

"It wanted me to...help poor Applejack!" said Rarity.

"That's what mine said!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Hmm...I wonder if this is how the curse manifests in the conscience, or if the hag is speaking directly to us..." Twilight mused.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy leaned against the opposite counter, trying not to draw attention to herself.

-----

"Fluttershy, come on!  Remember?  We were just out looking for Pinkie Pie together!  Mph!" she grunted as another spoonful of food stuck in her mouth.  "Come on, what's this, now?"

"Porridge!  It's good for you!"  Fluttershy said, smiling sweetly.

"Fluttershy, I had two bowls of your soup and a whole loaf of your bread.  I appreciate you making me somethin' to eat, but I'm stuffed."

"Come oooooon!  Just a little bite!" she said, holding the spoon with the wheat-colored slop towards Applejack.

-----

The trail Twilight had led them down turned out to be unnecessary, once they heard the thrumming music.

"Come on, fillies and gentlecolts, this next one goes out to our bestest friend Applejack!  Let's hope she hears these funky beats and makes her way back on over here!  Aw, yeah!  Come on, say it with me!  Let us help you, Applejack!  Let us help you, Applejack!

"Aw, crud..." Rainbow Dash said, slapping her hoof across her face.

"Well, this is gonna be a problem..." Twilight said.  Pinkie had set up speakers around a fountain, and she was dancing amongst the statue ponies  in the center of it all.  She was surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of ponies.  The girls just sat and looked at the crowd, trying to figure out what to do.  Fluttershy stared shyly down at her hooves, kicking the dust.  She didn't like crowds.  Twilight spoke up first.

"Alright, we've got to reach the stage and separate Pinkie from everypony.  I don't want Applejack coming with us, so somepony is gonna have to stay behind and watch her." she said.  Fluttershy perked up.

"Ooh!  I'll do it!" Fluttershy said, raising a hoof.  Her quietness up to this point, followed by her sudden eagerness, made everyone stop and stare at her in surprise.  "Um...i-if that's okay with you girls..." she added, bashfully.

"Of course it is, Fluttershy!" Twilight said, cheerfully.  "You stay right here and make sure nopony comes for Applejack, okay?"

"Got it!" Fluttershy said, smiling and nodding.  She looked up at Rainbow Dash, who was scowling down at her.  Her face fell, cracking under her scrutiny.  "U-u-umm...i-is there s-something you'd like to tell me, Rainbow Dash?" she asked, nicely.

"Don't.  Trust.  Anypony." Rainbow Dash said, jabbing a hoof into Fluttershy's chest.  Fluttershy smiled back, nervously.

"O-Okay...don't trust anypony!  I-I got it!" she assured.  Rainbow Dash stared deep into her eyes, her own magenta eyes narrowing.  Fluttershy looked back, her pupils narrowing fearfully.

"Come on, Rainbow Dash, leave her alone." said Twilight.  Rainbow looked over, then back down at Fluttershy.

"Yeah, alright." she said, hovering away.  Fluttershy watched her go and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Don't go anywhere!" Twilight called out, before they rounded the corner of the building they were hiding behind and disappeared.

Applejack and Fluttershy stood there, together.  Applejack took her hat off, ruffling her hoof through her shaggy mane.

"What a day." she said.  Fluttershy looked at her, her eyes searching nervously around.  "I can't believe after all this, I finally got you gals to believe me.  Boy, howdy, it's been a day, alright." she said, giggling to herself.

"Uh...mmhmmmm..." Fluttershy said, looking at something down the street and beckoning it over with her hoof.

"I can't wait 'til we're all back at the farm and this is all behind us.  Then we can all look back and have a good-

WHACK!

-----

"Theeeeere we go!  All done!" Fluttershy said.

"Uuuuggghhh..." Applejack gurgled.  Her belly bulged uncomfortably outwards, finishing off her second bowl of porridge.  The skin on her tummy felt as tight as a drumhead.  "Please, Fluttershy, I'm as stuffed as a scarecrow...please, just let me rest..." Applejack moaned.

"Oh, no!  You still haven't finished all of your porridge, young lady!  I'll be right back!" Fluttershy said sweetly, and trotted out of the room.  Applejack just laid there, growing more and more uneasy.

-----

"Alright, are you ready for your big surprise?" Rainbow Dash asked, leading Pinkie over, who was biting her lip and grinning widely, nearly bursting with joy and anticipation.

"Heeheehmhmhmhm, what is it, what is it?" she asked, hopping excitedly.

"Remember, no yelling, no running, no talking, or...anything when you see it, okay?" Twilight added in.  Pinkie nodded, grinning.

"Pinkie Promise!" she said, crossing her heart.

"Okay, now..." she said as they all turned the corner, "You can open your...huh?" she asked.  Fluttershy and Applejack were gone.

GAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSP!

Pinkie gasped.  She zipped over and picked up the large tree branch that was laying on the ground.  "Oh my goooosh!  I don't know what it is, but it's what I always wanted!" she said, hugging it to her chest.  "Thank you so much, you guuuuuys!"

"Wait, no..." Twilight said, looking at the empty space.

"Where's Applejack?" Rainbow Dash said with panic in her voice, hovering and looking to and fro.

"Right?" Pinkie said, "I threw this big ol' impromptu party for her and she still hasn't shown up!"

"Do you think she could be with Fluttershy?" asked Rarity.

-----

"I...I gotta get out of here..." Applejack said, with a sinking feeling in her gut.  She tossed her quilt off and climbed out of bed.  There was a metallic jingling, and she took about one step before her left hind leg was yanked taut behind her with a metallic CHANK!  "Wha?"  Applejack gasped.  A large manacle was fastened around her ankle, and she was chained to one of the the bed posts.  "What's all this?" Applejack asked, pulling against the chain, but it held on strong.

"Up so soon?" a sweet voice said.  Applejack looked up in horror at the doorway.  Fluttershy stood there, watching her with a gleam in her eye.  "Why won't you just let me help you, Applejack?"
-----
"F-Flutters, let's talk about this!" Applejack said, worriedly, as she was carried down the stairs by dozens of tiny paws.

"Remember what I told you earlier?  That sometimes, the ones we love don't know what's best for them?" she asked, as the animals carried Applejack to the living room.  She reached through a cupboard next to her front door and pulled on a lever.  There was a ratcheting sound and a mechanical whirring.  Then, some of the floorboards opened up and something rose out of the floor.  Beneath the floorboards was a big machine, and a couple of tires rose up into the living room.  They folded outward until they were horizontal, side-by-side, and then started rapidly spinning in opposite directions, eagerly waiting for something to come into contact so they could pull it between them, feeding it into the machinery below.

"W-W-What in tarnation?  Since when've you had all this nonsense!?" Applejack hollered.

"Not too long.  It was a gift.  I use it to encourage my little babies to eat their food when they get too fussy." she said.  Applejack yiped as her blonde tail was caught between them and she was very quickly yanked into the heart of this machine, crushed flat between the two tires.  There was some cranking, some whining, and from another panel, out popped a tall chair, with Applejack sitting in it, no worse for wear.  All four of its legs pattered unevenly on the floor, and it rocked itself stable.

She looked down at herself, struggling.  Her forelegs were trapped by her sides, and she was being clamped up against the backrest by what looked like a tray.  She was in a highchair.  "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" she said.  "Fluttershy, please!"  Fluttershy only giggled sweetly as she pulled something outside through the window.  A bit of machinery like a crane arm, connected to a big, wooden vat that was so large it had to be kept outside.

"Now, come on, Applejack.  It's time for your supper!" Fluttershy said, pulling a rubber facemask off the end of the arm, a long, ribbed hose trailing behind it.  She stretched the elastic out and slapped it over Applejack's muzzle.

"Mmmmmph!" Applejack said, shaking her head around, the hose whipping around with her face.

"Oh, this is such a relief, you don't know how worried I've been!  All day, knowing you were running around, struggling to breathe, without me there to help you.  Poor baby!" she said, reaching out to stroke Applejack on the cheek.  Applejack leaned away from her, glaring at Fluttershy, her blonde mane still messy from laying in bed.  "But here we are!" Fluttershy said.  Spike stepped out from behind the machinery.

"Mmmmph!?" Applejack exclaimed, in surprise.

"Yep!  I'm the one who hit you with the stick, remember?  Well, you probably don't.  Well, whatever.  I couldn't stand to see you go by the wayside either, so if nopony else was gonna do anything about it, we would.  It took us a while, but luckily Pinkie gave us the perfect opportunity to get you away from all those other troublemakers."  Spike said.  Applejack glared at them.

"Mmmmhmmmphmmhmmmphmmmhmmph!" she grumbled at them.

"Now open up nice and wide!" Fluttershy said, and she twisted a big dial on the machinery.  A little gauge on it spun around, words whizzing by, before it settled on "Pony (adult)".  The vat started pumming and churning.  It hissed and spat, shaking around.  Big bulges travelled down the hose towards the mask strapped to her face.

GULP!  GULP!  GULP!  GULP!  GULP!

It was the same porridge she'd just been fed upstairs.  Applejack shut her eyes tight, gulping it down as quickly as it was fed into her mouth, taking deep breaths through her nose as she did.  Fluttershy smiled sweetly and looked on.  Spike grinned widely and jumped up on the side of the high chair.  He watched intently as her belly pulsed and swelled outwards, growing across her lap, growing from bloated to an overstuffed orange balloon, filling up more and more with the pasty foodstuff.  The chair creaked as the soft, orange flesh pressed against the bars on either side of her, ebbed against the tray, and slowly overflowed over the top.  Her great, big belly slowly grew past the point that her forelegs, were they not trapped by her sides, could still reach around, and the tray on the chair slowly loosened, notch by notch, to accommodate her expanding girth.  Then, finally, the porridge stopped.  Fluttershy had flipped the switch on the machine back up.  Applejack whipped her head around, trying to fling the mask off, but it remained stubbornly stuck on her muzzle.

"There we go!" Fluttershy said, encouragingly, and parted the back of Applejack's mane, looking for the strap.  Applejack stopped moving long enough for her to remove it, and the mask fell heavily on the tray in front of her.  Applejack sat back and gave a breath of relief, her engorged belly bulging against the tray in front of her.  It gurgled, and she moaned.  "You're starting to look much, much better, Applejack!" said Fluttershy.

"Yeah!  Take a deep breath, AJ!" Spike said, poking her belly, which had grown as big as a weather balloon, straining against the tray.  His little claw sank into her plush stomach and sprang back out.  It gurgled back at him in response.  Applejack puffed her cheeks out, then relaxed.  She hunched over.  She waggled her shoulders around.

"Come on, come on..." she muttered.

"Oh, don't start that already.  We're not even halfway done!  It's back to solid foods again!" said Fluttershy, and a squirrel climbed up applejack's leg before springing up onto the tray.  Its bushy tail was looped around an apple, which it transferred into its hands and held towards Applejack.  She looked down at it uneasily.  "Come on, Applejack, look!  Apples!  Your favorite!" she said, sweetly.  Then, a few mice climbed over the edge, lugging up another apple.  Angel Bunny hopped up onto the tray and put an apple down before crossing his arms and pouting, clearly unhappy.

"Come on...come on..." Applejack said, her eyes shut tight in concentration.  "Hlagh!" she said as her mouth was pried open.

"Open up!" Fluttershy said.  The squirrel shoved the entire apple into her open mouth, and suddenly there were tiny paws all over her face, as a small army of woodland critters forced her mouth closed.  "That's right!  Now chew!" Fluttershy said, sweetly.  The animals pushed in on her cheeks and worked her jaw up and down, doing half the work for her.  She closed her eyes tight, took a deep breath through her nose, and swallowed it all in one gulp.

"Ugh..." she groaned, before- "Ullmph!" another apple was shoved in place.  She moaned, weakly trying to roll her head away from all the little animals' paws, but they still managed to shove her jaw shut.  "Mmmmph..." she groaned, and chewed along with their prodding.  She took several deep breaths through her nose before she swallowed it down in one gulp, as well.  More and more apples were being carried up to the tray, the squirrels and mice and bunnies forming a relay as they lined them up for Applejack's consumption.  Angel stomped over to her with an apple under his arm.  He hopped up onto her rounded, bloated stomach and came to a bouncing stop.  "Come on, come on, come on..." Applejack muttered to herself.  Angel approached her face and reared the apple back.  Then, he froze.  Deep, muffled gurgles echoed from within her belly.  Angel looked down at her stretched-out hide, feeling the rumbling beneath his feet.  He looked back up in horror to see Applejack's cheeks puff up.

BRRRRRUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAP!

Applejack let loose with a loud, monstrous burp.  It startled her at first, and blew Angel off of her belly and clear of the tray, and knocked all of the animals and apples already on her tray over with the wind force.  She directed it over towards Spike, whose cheeks and eyelids flapped at the sudden wind pressure, and lost his grip on the highchair, tumbling across the floor.

"Applejack!  Excuse you!"  Fluttershy said, surprised.  When everyone had recovered from the blast and the noise, they looked up at Applejack.  She raised her newly-freed forelegs up and over the tray, and started fiddling around behind the seat.  Her belly had shrunken down to its normal proportions, if a little overfed.  Only now there was a sizable gap between her belly and the edge of the tray, where before it was bulging against it.

"What?  H-H-How?" Spike stammered as she unhitched the tray and swung it open, hopping back down to the floorboards on all fours.

"Oh, come on." Applejack said.  "I've been in enough eatin' contests to know not to swallow too much air with your food.  Unless you want that to happen." she said, nodding back towards the chair.

"That's it!" shouted Fluttershy.  The whole room immediately hushed and turned her way.  She was scowling at Applejack.  "I've tried to be nice, Applejack.  I really have.  But if you won't let me help you, I'm gonna have to put my hoof down!" she said, punctuating each exclamation with a stamp of her hooves.  "Get her!" she shouted, pointing a hoof at her.

"Hayseed." Applejack said as dozens and dozens of tiny animal eyes all turned towards her.  She immediately leapt for the door as a cacophony of small animals swarmed after her.  She threw the front door open and jerked herself to a halt as a shadow filled the doorway.  Her eyes widened in shock and her pupils narrowed.  A huge, intimidating bear stood in her way, growling and baring its claws.  She immediately slammed the door shut and locked it.  She turned around, looking for someplace to gallop, when the swarm of little animals hit her, enveloping her entire body.  She stumbled as tiny paws, claws, and tails skittered and tickled all over her body, tugging her back towards the chair.  She fell to the floor, scattering the ones around her hooves, and she rolled, clearing as many off of her as she could.  She rolled into a sack of feed propped up next to the door and grabbed it.  She swung it like a big club, batting several birds out of the air, slamming it down on the ground, flattening a bunch of smaller ones, but they still incessantly climbed all over her, pulling her back towards the highchair.  She quickly grabbed the other end of the sack and shook it out.  Little, granular seeds and pellets poured out and piled up on the floor.  Immediately, about half the animals stopped what they were doing and looked down at the food excitedly.  They ran over towards it, several bounding off of Applejack, and swarmed over that instead.

"No!" Fluttershy said, "It's not dinner time yet!"  Applejack sprang out of the crowd of animals, still covered in little critters, batting and swatting them off as well as she could.  "Babies, no!" Fluttershy said.  "There'll be time for food later!  We have to help Applejack!" she cried, pointing a hoof at the orange earth pony.  The ones currently eating ignored her.  She sighed.  She twisted her head one way, cracking her neck.  "Don't worry, little darlings.  Mommy's coming!" she growled, and leapt for Applejack.  Applejack hopped her way to the window, flicking raccoons and mice off of herself.  She threw the window open and a gentle breeze drifted in, making the curtains sway.  She was so close to freedom, she could smell it.  Then, a pair of legs threw themselves around her body.

"Let us help you, Applejack!" Fluttershy grunted.

"Let us help you!" repeated Spike, who grabbed her tail and pulled.  She flailed her hooves towards the open window, trying to get outside.  She turned in place.

"Stop tryin' to help me!" she hollered back.  Then, a huge, muscular arm, clawed and covered in coarse fur, wrapped itself around her throat.  The bear growled behind her, holding her firmly in a headlock through the window.  She kicked and struggled as little animals piled all over her.

"There!" Fluttershy said.  "Now eat!" she said, shoving an apple in Applejack's mouth.  She grimaced and struggled, chewing it, then craned her head upwards and spat.  The entire contents of the apple sprayed all over the bear's face.  He shut his eyes and let go of her, letting out an annoyed growl and staggering backwards.  She flung herself to her hooves, throwing the smaller animals off of her, and shut the window tight, the latch locking it in place.  She jumped down off the sofa, bowling Spike over, and leapt over the whole crowd, Fluttershy still clinging onto her.  She rose way up, realized she was just gonna land in more animals, and grabbed the rafters overhead.  The wooden support beams ran to and fro above the living room, leading into and out of several small birdhouses and tiny living spaces.  "Just..." Fluttershy grunted, looking up at Applejack, "...Let us-!" she cut herself short as she started to slip off of Applejack's hanging body.  She flailed her rear hooves around for purchase, but they found only air.  She fearfully squeaked and let go of Applejack, flapping daintily back down to the ground.  The other animals all crowded around, looking up at her hanging.  "Y-You haven't gotten away, if you think that's what's happening!" Fluttershy said, going around and ascending the tiny, winding staircase up to the rafters.  Applejack threw her legs up over the rafter and climbed on top.  It bowed under her weight, but held strong.  Fluttershy neared the top of the stairs, animals following her in tow, and gently, uneasily put a hoof on top of the beam Applejack stood on.  She climbed on as well.
"Fluttershy, look." Applejack said.  "Remember what Twilight said.  It's all happening!  The hex is messin' with your mind!"

"I'm sorry, Applejack..." she said, taking one careful step after another.  "If you're asking me to just stand and watch my friend need help without lifting a hoof to help her, you must have me mistaken for some other heartless pony.  I have to do what's right, no matter what.  Especially if nopony else will." she said, getting within hoof's reach of Applejack.  "Now...if you'll just please...pretty please..." she said, carefully sticking her hoof out.

"...Don't look down?" Applejack suggested.

"Don't look...?" Fluttershy responded, confused.  Then, she looked down.  Her living room floor seemed to stretch impossibly far below her, going and going and going, and all that separated her from that long drop was the narrow piece of wood she was balancing on.  She froze up in shock, her wings clenching tightly against her body.  She gulped, squeaking fearfully, and quickly shuffled backwards, towards the stairs.  A single frog sat there amongst all the other animals, staring blankly off ahead.  The animals wondered what Fluttershy was doing before they all squeaked fearfully, realizing that she wasn't gonna stop.  Her leg came square down on the frog, squishing it down with a surprised ribbit as its eyes, cheeks, and tongue bulged out from beneath her hoof.  She gasped and squealed in terror as her hoof slipped on the slimy frog, flinging it across the room, and she teetered on one hoof, windmilling her forelegs around for balance.  The other animals all turned and ran.  She fell backwards and landed hard with a thud.  "Oof!  Ah!  Eek!  Whah!  Hmph!" she squeaked and grunted as she tumbled awkwardly and noisily down the stairs.  She landed on her belly, all four legs splayed out.  Her pink mane fell over her face.  With a tired puff, the lock of hair covering her eyes blew upwards and drifted back down, clearing her vision.  She gasped and opened her eyes wide in shock at what she saw.  All the animals that had followed behind her had been squashed completely flat by her fall, their two-dimensional bodies zig-zagging with the contours of the staircase.  "Oh my goodness!  Babies!" she gasped, worriedly.  Then, she felt a curious tug on her tail.  She looked behind her and saw that the tip of her long, silky, pink tail was dancing around teasingly between the two wheels that fed the highchair machine.  She tried to scrabble to her hooves and escape, but her tail caught between them and yanked her in.  She squeaked as she flew back, getting crushed between the two spinning wheels.  Spike leaned against the chair on the other side of the room and rolled his eyes.

"Great job, Fluttershy." he said, sarcastically.  "Oh, well.  Looks like I'm gonna get to be a hero sooner than I thought." he said.  The machine whined and rumbled as Fluttershy gasped and squeaked under the floorboards.  The machine spat her out, and she landed roughly in Applejack's high chair.  The thing rocked backwards on two legs at the impact, before it fell back forward, the tray swinging in place and latching shut in front of her.  She looked down in surprise and struggled.  Her forelegs were pinned down by her side, and she was completely stuck.

"Whatta y'all mean you're gonna be the hero?  I was already on the way to get the help I needed before ya ponynapped me 'n brought me here!  You're doin' more harm than good!"

"Did you ask me if I could come with you before going out and getting help?  No!" Spike spat back out at her.

"Spike, you wouldn't listen to reason!"

"Oh, typical, typical.  Spike, you're in the way!  Spike, you'll just slow us down!  Spike, you can't do anything!  Well, guess what?  I get to save the day this time!" he said, grabbing the bellows on Fluttershy's hearth.  "Come on down, Applejack!" he called out to her.  She glared back down at him.

"Are you...you callin' me out?" she said, curiously.

"You bet I am!" he said, his chest puffed out, confidently.  Then, a giddy smile crept up on his mouth.  He quickly turned away from Applejack, his claws around his mouth in excitement.  "Oh, Celestia, I'm calling Applejack out!  Oh, Celestia, this is so cool!" he squeaked, giggling to himself.  Then, he gave a glance around his shoulder and cleared his throat.  "I mean...yeah, I'm calling you out." he said, pointing at her, "This is between you and me, Applejack.  It always has been." he said.  Applejack blinked, taken aback by his statement.  His mind may have been addled by a hex, but he was right.  For once, she was being presented with an honorable option.

WHUNK!

Her hooves hit the floorboard.  She glared at him, determined.  "That's more like it." he said, cocking an eyebrow.  He was resting the end of the bellows across one shoulder, tapping it up and down.  He swung it down to his side, undoing the latch so the bellows sucked in air, expanding to their full breadth.  Applejack looked right, left, then hopped over towards a shelf by the hearth.  She hopped back, a second pair of bellows in her hooves.  She swatted the latch open with one hoof, springing hers out as well.  "Oh ho ho!" he said, settling into a stance, holding his bellows out towards her.  Applejack settled into a stance in kind, bring her bellows up by her head, pointing hers towards him.

They stood there, motionless, waiting for the other to make a move.  A tumbleweed drifted by, lightly bouncing across the floor between them.  Fluttershy just sat there watching, awkwardly, her eyes darting back and forth.  "U-u-um..." she spoke up.

"RAAAAAAAAGH!" Spike bellowed, charging towards Applejack.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" Applejack hollered, charging towards Spike.

They swung their bellows around and the two instruments clacked together.  Spike riposted and swung his bellows, but Applejack parried, darting backwards, as the metal nozzles rang out, sliding off of one another.  The two stabbed, thrusted, and swung their bellows around and against each other, Spike advancing on Applejack, and Applejack retreating.  She fell against the sofa and Spike leapt for her.  They came face to face as the bellows crossed each other and trembled with force.

"Just admit it!  You need my help to breathe!  I always suspected you did!  Let me help you, Applejack!" Spike growled.

"No!" Applejack shouted, bucking him off of her.  He tumbled across the floor and ran into Fluttershy's high chair.  She squeaked as he landed with a thud, rubbing his head and getting back to his feet.  Applejack strode across the room, swinging her bellows up.  Spike braced and held his bellows out, and thrusted towards her.  She quickly ducked back as the nozzle stabbed towards her face, giving a puff of air that blew back her mane.  Standing between Fluttershy and the arm of the feeding machine, Applejack quickly grabbed the face mask and pointed it at him, flipping the switch with her bellows.  Immediately, the mask sprayed the wheat-colored porridge at him, making him shield his face and back off.  Applejack flipped the switch back up and let it go, and the hose and mask retracted back up into the feeding arm.  She crossed to the other side of it and held her bellows out, defensively.  Spike shook the porridge off, grabbing a rail on the arm to steady himself.  As he did so, he lowered the arm, tipped with the feeding mask, towards Fluttershy.

"U-um!  Spike...th-that's enough..." she said, nervously, as she wiggled and tried to move out of the way.  "S-S-Spike, you're gonna- hmmp!" she squeaked as the mask attached itself to her muzzle.  She stared ahead, batting her long eyelashes in shock.  Spike thrusted towards Applejack, and the two began their clash again.  They swung, and blocked, and parried, bellows clacking together.  Spike swung up low and Applejack blocked it, but lost her footing.  She leaned heavily on the feeding arm for balance.  The thing swung slowly out to the side, trailing the ribbed hose connecting it to the mask on Fluttershy's face.  Applejack's hoof slipped down and caught on the lever to keep herself from falling, and pulled it.  The machine whirred up and bulges of food started travelling down the hose.  Fluttershy looked on in anguish, squeaking in dismay.  Applejack dodged another thrust, darting the other way.  Her shoulder brushed against the knob below the "Pony (adult)" display.  It turned with a series of ratcheting clicks, the names on the display whizzing by before they slowed down, and she saw "Cow...Bear...Hippopotamus..." slide by, before it settled on "Elephant (adult)" with a solid click of finality.  Fluttershy blinked.  The machine revved up outside and kicked into overdrive, whirring and pumping.  The regular-sized bulges gave way to huge ones, working their way up the hose towards her.  She blinked again.  Then, she gave a fearful squeal, looking away.

Spike and Applejack, meanwhile, were furiously crossing bellows.  "Don't you remember the talk that Twilight gave you?" Applejack asked, swinging and dodging.

"You're gonna have to be more specific!" Spike said, punctuating it with a thrust, "All she ever does is give me talks!"

"No, about the hex!  How it's affectin' everypony's mind!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"How do you not know what I'm talkin' about?  We've been makin' it real clear to everypony!"

"You must be mistaking that for some other talk where you didn't leave me trapped under a bucket!" he said.

"What're you talkin' about, of course ya-..." she trailed off, taking a leap backward so she was out of his range.  She looked around, deep in thought.  "...oh, sweet apple pie, we left you under there, didn't we." she said, her eyes wide with realization.

"You left me!" Spike shouted, pointing at her accusingly.  Behind him, Fluttershy kicked her legs uncomfortably as she gulped down lump after lump, her yellow tummy bulging tremendously against the tray in front of her.  "And I'd still be under there if it weren't for the nice lady that let me out!" he said.

"Wait a second...what nice lady?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?  NGH!" Spike said, swinging hard towards Applejack.

"Yeah!  What nice lady?  Who let you out?"

"I don't know her name!" Spike said, as they clashed hard once again.  The high chair let out a long, slow creak as Fluttershy widened outwards, her rump and flanks swelling as big as prize-winning pumpkins over the edges.  "But she said she'd let me out from under the bucket, and for just once, Spike could save the day!"

"Spike, where'd she go?  Is she still at the library?"

"Like I'd tell you!  All she asked me to do in return was send a letter to Celestia!"

"What did it say?"

"I don't know, I didn't read it!  Now shut up!  And let me!  Help you!" he said, with a running thrust.  Applejack stepped aside, and Spike staggered past her.  They clashed bellows again.  Fluttershy grew rounder and rounder as she gulped the stuff down, her big, soft flanks bulging past the bars as her butt outgrew the seat, each cheek as big as a beanbag chair.  She looked over the growing, swelling mass of her belly as it rose higher and higher, growing and fattening outwards, her fearful eyes blinking between huge, round cheeks.

There was a knock on the door.  "Applejack!" came a shout from the other side.  Both Applejack and Spike's eyes widened, as they froze.

"Twilight!" they both yelled, looking towards the door.

"Help!" cried Applejack.

"Don't come in!" shouted Spike.  She fiddled with the doorknob from outside, but it was still locked.  She knocked on the door again.

"I can't get the door open!" she shouted, urgently.  Applejack looked at the door, worriedly, wondering how she was gonna get it open, when suddenly, her bellows wrenched itself out of her hooves.  She quickly darted back and tried to push back, but Spike swung his bellows in a twirling motion, leading the tip of Applejack's bellows around and then out of her hooves, where it spun and clattered across the floor.  Applejack hunched down to leap for it, when the metal tip of Spike's bellows slid its way across her throat.

"Ah-ah-ah!  Hold it right there." Spike said confidently.  Applejack didn't want to move a muscle.  She looked at him, sweating.  "Up.  Slowly." Spike said, nudging the nozzle upwards.  Applejack slowly, carefully stood with her forelegs up.  "Oh, Applejack.  You fought so hard.  But in the end, you're gonna get the help you need.  You have any last words?" he said, holding the bellows out towards her.  She looked down the nozzle at him.

"What the heck is goin' on in there?  Is Fluttershy with you?" Rainbow Dash shouted, from outside.

"Mmmmmph!" Fluttershy quietly shouted, gulping more and more of the food down.  Her blubbery, ballooning yellow hide pressed and bulged around her, wider and taller than the chair, threatening to tear it apart.  The legs creaked and began to buckle inwards under the tremendous weight of her massive, fattened rump.  Applejack's ear twitched at the sound.  She gave a quick glance over her shoulder at the inflating mass of Fluttershy.  She got an idea.

"Spike's just bein' the hero!" Applejack said.  Spike gave an approving grin.  There was a silence that followed.

"...What!?" Twilight shouted from the other side of the door, "Spike?  What're you talking about?"  Spike's expression soured.  He took his eyes off Applejack and glared angrily at the door.

"You guys were just gonna leave me the- hwulk!" Spike croaked as the bellows yanked themselves out of his hands and Applejack hefted him off his feet.  She spun, throwing him with her powerful shoulder muscles, as he flipped over her and slammed into the floor.  He cringed at the impact, and opened his eyes to see the tip of the bellows pointing right in his face.

"Ah-ah-ah!  Up.  Slowly." Applejack said, repeating his words from earlier.  He nervously put his hands up.

"A-A-Applejack, let's...let's be reasonable here, okay?" he asked, slowly scooting to his feet.  Applejack glared at him.  "I-I mean...I've changed my mind!  We can go down to do...whatever it is you wanted to do!  You don't even have to take me!  It's cool!" he said, grinning and sweating nervously.  Applejack's eyes narrowed further.  "Y-Ya know, I don't think you need help breathing at a-uwp!" he said, as the nozzle poked itself into his mouth.  Applejack glared angrily at him, and pumped.  The bellows produced a gust of air that puffed his cheeks up and startled him.

"It's over!" she told him, and pumped again.  His little, scaly belly expanded outwards.  "I'm always willing to let bygones be bygones!" she said, pumping more.  His hands reached weakly for the bellows as he looked at her, his eyes wide and fearful.  "But we ain't square yet!" she said, pumping away.  His midsection pumped and swelled outwards, his arms and legs stiffening up with with each pump.  His resilient dragon scale hide groaned like rubber as he inflated, his belly scales rounding out like a great, big beach ball.  His feet slid apart as his legs fattened outward, growing wider, shorter, and more inflated.  His arms blew up similarly, his little claws waggling around in midair on either side of increasingly globular body, as wide around as he was tall.  His tail puffed up above his growing, widening butt  as his little, scaly body blew up bigger, and bigger, and rounder and rounder.  His feet gently drifted away from the floorboards, wiggling around for purchase.

"Mmmph!" he cried, looking down at the ground.

"MMMMMMPH!" Fluttershy squealed as she grew in the chair, the legs of her chair trembling and bending from her increasing weight.

"What's happening?" Shouted Twilight, pounding on the door.  Applejack looked Spike square in the eye as she pumped, and pumped, and pumped, watching as the little dragon ballooned up, swelling up bigger around than she was tall, then bigger, and bigger, until he blimped up twice as big around as she was.  His tiny little claws flapped and wiggled uselessly from the vast, rounded expanse of his scaly body, his eyes darting to and fro, before looking at her pleadingly.

"Take a breather, Spike." Applejack said.  She turned around, bringing Spike's enormously round, inflated body to bear, and pulled.  Fluttershy wiggled her bound, fattened forelegs around as her huge, swollen body fought to outgrow the tiny high chair.  It groaned, and it squeaked, as the metal legs bent, until finally they gave up.  With a crack, the sides snapped off and the seat fell.  Before she could fall too far, something big and bouncy wedged itself between her enormous butt and the floor, bouncing all the errant parts of the chair away off of its ballooney surface.  She looked down, her marshmallowy forelegs sticking stiffly outwards, still gulping down porridge from the feeding mask.  Spike was trapped under her butt, blowing air out of his mouth, and shrinking back down to his normal proportions rather quickly.  With one final blast of air, Spike disappeared as Fluttershy's huge, jiggling butt cheeks slapped against the floorboards.  Her humongous, rounded girth jostled up and down from the impact, her surprised face bouncing up and down, up and down.  Applejack walked around to the front of her and turned the switch off.  "I hope you learned your lesson, too." she said.  Fluttershy blinked back.

-----

"What's happening?  What's happening?" Pinkie said, hopping over the crowd from the back.  Twilight listened at the door.

"I don't know, I don't hear anything else." she said.

"That's it!  I'm breaking it down!  Move aside, everypony!" Rainbow Dash yelled, hovering far back to give herself a flying start.

"Wait!" Twilight said, listening closer.  Hoofsteps, coming towards the door.  There was a rasp and a click as the lock slid itself out of the door.  Applejack opened the door, to the surprised faces of the other four girls.

"Applejack!" they all said.  She leaned against the doorframe, giving her hat a few beats, before sticking it back on her head.

"Bout time you girls showed up!" Applejack said, smiling.