Applebloom held the glowing gold apple in her hooves in my Equestria dreamscape. The fruit was warm in her front hooves. Not like an apple that had been sitting in the sun. It seemed as if the fruit was emanating heat itself. Like a warm mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter day.
There was an exquisite aroma coming from the apple. It was a rich scent of the most beautiful blooms mixed with the most delicious food the earth pony had ever smelled. AB could tell her mouth was watering in anticipation of eating this precious gift. Without another word she started devouring the fruit with almost animalistic gusto. Not even the core of the fruit was spared from consumption.
Juice dribbled from her muzzle as she gulped down the last mouthful of the apple. It was the most amazing thing she’d ever consumed, but she wanted more. She needed more of. She craved more.
Through all of this Ladon watched Applebloom silently with a guarded expression on his face. Upon consuming the last bit the filly looked up at the serpent with wide eyes. The serpent tilted its head to one side. Did you enjoy my gift? It said cautiously in the filly’s mind.
The filly floated up until she was at eye level with the golden serpent. Applebloom nodded her head. Yes! She thought. Thank you, thank you. May, may I have some more? Please! There was an intensity to the filly’s request.
Ladon slowly pulled his head away from the filly. Oh ho! It is unwise to consume too much of my harvest. Best to wait and see what comes from what you’ve already partaken of.
Applebloom suddenly floated right up until she was within touching distance of the great serpent’s head. Wide eyed and trembling slightly she slowly reached out. Pppplllleeeaaasssee she thought with a growing sense of hunger and obsession.
Suddenly the filly convulsed as it felt as if every nerve in her body was stimulated in chaotic waves of stimulation. Pleasure, pain, hot, cold, and other sensations crashed over her. Her vision whited out and she was unaware of herself screaming over and over again. She doubled over into a fetal-like position. From her tightly clenched eyes beams of brilliant white light emerged as the little beams.
Through all of this Ladon remained still and silent; glancing over he noticed the filly’s doppelganger was once again present. Over the filly’s screams the serpent spoke. This is all on you. I warned you of this outcome.
The double nodded her head. “Yeah, but she’s tougher than ya give her credit. She’s tougher than she knows.” It looked up at serpent. “Ya probably figgered she’d be dead already didn’t ya?”
Applebloom’s body suddenly erupted in yellow-green flames. The filly opened her eyes which were now 2 beacons of blinding white light. She looked at her doppelganger with confusion and pain written across her face. Her double nodded her head and reached for her.
“Ya dun good tanight! Better than I had hoped fer, but it’s time ta end this. Ya will most likely ferget most of this, but we’ll chat about it later. Now off ya go.”
Suddenly the filly vanished. The doppelganger looked over Ladon and nodded her head and then vanished herself. The serpent just kept staring at where Applebloom had been. After a moment he thought.
Yes. I expected her to die, but she didn’t. By the stars what have I done.
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Back in Ponyville another in a series of late night thunderstorms was making its way up the valley filling the sky with blinding flashes and rolling waves of thunder and heavy downpours. Tucked in her bed Applebloom’s body started twitching and spasming as a yellow-green glow started to envelop her. Slowly her body began floating off the bed until she was a couple of inches in the air. Suddenly a bolt lightning sundered the nighttime darkness and struck the main gate leading to the farmhouse/barn destroying it in a deafening roar. When this occurred Applebloom’s glow flared for an instant with equal intensity. A sharp crackling snapping sound emerged from her. It cracked the bedroom window and shattered the water glass on the nightstand. Then her unconscious body flopped back down on the bed.
Stone Mane stepped out of the bathroom. Summer thunderstorms were a regular part of the colt’s life, and often he loved to lay in bed and watch them as they rolled in off the ocean and bathed Baltimare in brilliant curtains of lightning and roaring thunder. But there was something about tonight’s storm that had the colt on edge. Maybe it was because there had been a couple of particularly close bolts, or perhaps it was just being in a different house. Whatever the reason the colt really hoped these storms would be over soon.
The colt had also come to the conclusion that maybe he shouldn’t have drunk so much of lemonade at dinner, because for the second time tonight he found himself making the journey to the water closet. As he was returning from his most recent expedition he spied a strange glow leaking out from under the door to Applebloom’s room. The colt was about to knock on the door when there was a truly stupendous flash of lightning and what sounded like a whole battery of cannons being fired at once. Still even with ringing ears the colt perceived the sound of glass breaking in Applebloom’s room.
The colt knocked urgently on AB’s door but got no response. He was wondering whether he should just open her door when a very recently woken Big Mac came out of his room. Spying the colt standing in the darken hallway he came over with shuffling half awake steps.
“Can’t sleep either?” Asked the stallion.
The colt nodded his head. “Yeah, but Big Mac. I was coming back from bathroom when I saw this weird light coming from Applebloom’s room. Then there was that really huge thunder, but I swear I heard what sounded like breaking glass from her room. I’ve knocked already and she hasn’t said anything.”
Without saying a word the stallion opened the door. The room was dark, but there was so many lightning flashes coming through the window that Big Mac see the many cracks in the sash window glass. Also he caught a glimpse of the remainder of the shattered water glass sitting on the filly’s nightstand. He could also make out the shape of his little sister lying in her bed. Big Mac called out.
“Little Bloom. Ya alright?” He got no answer.
“Stone. Please go git the lantern from the front door. Then light and bring here “ Muttered the stallion. The colt hurried off and quickly to retrieve said lantern. His hooves clattered loudly down the stairs As he did Big Mac entered the room. Shuffling his hooves to avoid stepping on any pieces of broken glass he approached the bed. Coming up alongside it the stallion could see that AB was breathing although it appeared labored and she seemed to be sweating profusely.
Big Mac was no doctor, and it was hot and muggy this evening, but even to his eyes it appeared as if his little sister had come down with something. At same time there were lingering memories from less than a year ago when eldritch things had been connected to his sister. Gingerly the stallion shook the filly’s bed with a front hoof.
“Hey sis. Ya okay? Wake up Little Bloom.” The filly groaned but that was all.
The sound of more clattering hooves announced Stone Mane’s return. A few seconds later there was the hiss of a match being lit, and this was followed by a growing light as the colt brought the kerosene lantern to life. Picking it up its handle with his teeth the colt brought it in. Tip-toeing around the glass on the floor the colt set the lantern down on the floor alongside the bed.
“Is she okay?” Asked the colt. The stallion shook his head.
“She seems ta come down with a fever of some type. Funny, she seemed ta be fine at dinner.”
“Big Macintosh. What the hay is all this racket fer? It’s not even 2 in the mornin’?” Standing in the doorway minus her hat, and her mane in a rather disheveled state stood a half-awake and rather grumpy Applejack.
The red stallion pointed at his little sister. “It’s Applebloom sis. She seems ta have come down with sumthin.’ That last real big bolt of lightning in thunder was so loud it cracked her window and broke her water glass, but it didn’t wake her up? I tried ta wake her but all she does is groan a bit.”
The mare came alongside her brother and looked at her sister. “Yeah she’s ain’t doin’ so hot. Stone can ya go and git thermometer from bathroom. Big Mac go wake up Granny and then make an ice pack fer her. I’ll keep a watch on her.”
“Right!” then colt and stallion left the room leaving AJ with her little sister.

To be continued.