User:Mega Sean 45/Sandbox/Little Farm of Horrors

Little Farm of Horrors is the tenth episode of the alternate seventh season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the one hundred fifty-third overall. The title is a reference to the 1960 film The Little Shop of Horrors, or the 1986 remake Little Shop of Horrors.

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle attempt to fight off an infestation that’s been plaguing Sweet Apple Acres before Shining Armor and Princess Cadance visit.

Production
This is the first Twilight/Applejack episode.

This is the first time the royal family has interacted with the Apple family; something I'm surprised hasn't happened yet. Also the first time the royal family has interacted with the CMCs as well (at least on-screen).

No BG ponies appear in this episode.

Summary
One morning, Applejack was apple bucking out in the orchard, and when she wipes the sweat off her forehead, Twilight Sparkle shows up with a message. Applejack keeps trying to tell Twilight to wait because she’s really concentrating on getting the apple bucks since that day is when the apples are at their best, but Twilight keeps insisting on how important the message is. Applejack eventually listens, and then Twilight explains to her that Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Flurry Heart are planning to come to Ponyville for their traditional travel dinner. Applejack shows no concern at first, but when Twilight tells her that they’re planning the dinner at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack worryingly asks Twilight why she hasn’t told her sooner, and she runs off to the barn to tell the rest of the Apple family the news. When Twilight sighs over Applejack’s late excitement, a chomping sound is heard and the tree that Applejack was just bucking suddenly disappears, with only a few leaves and a couple of apple cores lying around where it used to be.

At the Apple farm, Twilight and Applejack meet up with the rest of the family, where Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big McIntosh were concerned to why Applejack called them in the middle of chores. Applejack eventually explains to them that royal family is planning to go to Sweet Apple Acres for their traditional travelling dinner for their wedding anniversary. It makes the Apple family very excited to hear that their farm was chosen for a special royal event, especially their wedding anniversary. Although, Apple Bloom gets concerned about what their traditional travelling dinner means. When Applejack has no idea either, she asks Twilight to enlighten them. Twilight explains that ever since Shining Armor and Cadance first started dating, Cadance mentions how much she loves to travel around Equestria checking the scenery, and every year for their anniversary, Shining Armor would take Cadance to a random location around Equestria and eat dinner there, and Shining Armor decided to surprise Cadance by taking her to Sweet Apple Acres, because there’s nopony more traditional than the Apple family, and Applejack agrees. Applejack then wonders why Flurry Heart is coming on the royal couples’ special day, and Twilight tells her that Sunburst is too sick to look after her, so they decided to bring her with them. Apple Bloom becomes really excited to hear that the rest couple is coming; especially when Applejack instructs her to ask the Cutie Mark Crusaders if they’re interested in entertaining the couple during the dinner. Applejack then instructs Granny Smith to make some of her best dishes for the event; Granny suggests to make her famous Apple-Carrot Casserole, and Applejack agrees to let her do it. She then instructs Big Mac to serve the royal couple the food when it’s real, and he agrees to do it; and Applejack asks Twilight if Spike is interested in helping Big Mac in serving the food too. Twilight agrees on doing it, and then asks if there’s anything she can do. Applejack tells her that she and herself are going to make sure everything stays perfect for the royal couple, and really wants them to know what the Apple family is capable of. Twilight eventually agrees on that. When Big Mac goes outside to get everything ready for the event, he then notices a chomping sound nearby, and sees a large gap in between some of the apple trees nearby, along with some leaf and branch debris lying around. Big Mac then shrugs and returns to what he was doing.

Later that afternoon, the Apple family just finished decorating the area just outside of the barn, and the CMCs were practicing the song they were going to perform for the royal family during the dinner. Scootaloo was singing way off key, which made Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom cringe. Applejack was satisfied over the decorating, and tells everypony that they did a great job in decorating. Applejack tells everypony that Twilight and her family will be there momentarily. As Granny walks over to adjust the hay blade decorations nearby, she sees right before her very eyes, one of the trees disappearing. Granny rubs her eyes, thinking it was her vision, and she comments that she needs glasses. Just outside the barn, Twilight and Spike were escorting Shining and Cadance to Sweet Apple Acres, as Shining was covering Cadance’s walls while they walked, and Spike was holding onto Flurry Heart. Cadance excitedly waits to see what Shining’s date was plan, but he tells her that it’s a surprise, like he kept saying. Twilight tells both of them that she is really happy to see them, and she hopes that they enjoy their dinner date. Shining tells her that he knew coming to Ponyville was a rare-opportunity after looking over the Crystal Empire and taking care of the baby, which causes Twilight to comment about how big she’s getting, and Spike teases saying that bigger the baby, the bigger the work. Twilight glares at him, but Shining and Cadance just laugh at his joke.

Back at the barn area, Granny continued staring at the trees, and after she smirks at them for a while, another tree disappears, which causes Granny to immediately freak out. Applejack asks Granny why she’s freaking out, Granny claims to not remember. Applejack tells her that now is not the time for games, because they have to prepare for Shining and Cadance’s visit, but just like that, there they were. Shining continued holding Cadance’s eyes as Cadance continues to try to hold in her excitement, and when Shining uncovers her eyes, she smiles in glee as she hugs her husband, thanking him because she always wanted to have a farm dinner date to replace the disaster in Dodge Junction. The CMCs become curious and they ask the royal couple what happened in Dodge Junction, and Applejack tells them to get back on stage to prepare, but Cadance insists to tell them the story. Shining instructs Spike to take Flurry Heart to the high-chair on the table and look after her as he greets Applejack and her family, and thanks them for the opportunity to have the dinner date at their farm. Applejack tells him that any family of Twilight is a family of theirs. Shining explains to her that she and Cadance have wanted to return to Ponyville for a long time, and to bring Flurry Heart there for the very first time as well. As Shining was in the middle of talking, however, Applejack notices a strange looking shadow coming from behind the apple trees, and then suddenly, the tree gets sucked out of its socket and disappears like something ate it. After Applejack gasps, Shining wonders if she’s okay, but Applejack tells him that everything is fine, and then instructs Big Mac to take the royal couple to their seats, and he agrees to do that. Before Twilight was able to follow them to their seats, Applejack stops her to tell her about what she just witnessed. Twilight becomes concerned about Applejack’s discovery, and asks how long it’s been happening, and she tells her that she just saw it now, but when Granny overhears the conversation, she tells them that she saw it happen again a little earlier, and she just remembered Big Mac telling her the same thing earlier that day, but didn’t believe him at first.

Applejack starts to get nervous about the tree disappearances ruining the royal couples’ dinner date, and even though Twilight is nervous about it too, she thinks she and Applejack would be able to solve the problem before it gets any worse, but in the mean time, she should get her family to keep Shining and Cadance busy and to not know about the situation. Applejack gets nervous because she doesn’t want to lie to them, and Twilight tells her that it isn’t lying if she just tells the truth but in a different way, which is how she hides the fact that she ate all of Spike’s Nightmare Night candy by mistake. So when Applejack hesitantly agrees to do it, she calls upon Big Mac and Granny to keep Shining and Cadance while they find the source of why the trees are disappearing, and Shining and Cadance are not to know what’s going on. Cadance curiously asks they’re talking about, which starts to make her nervous, Applejack tells them that she and Twilight are going to go for a walk out in the orchard, and Cadance asks why. Applejack struggles to find a good enough story for them, and Twilight tells them that it’s a lovely walk, and they want to make sure the orchard was nice enough for them to walk in later. Cadance gets really excited walk the orchard with Shining and watch the sunset, because it would be really romantic. Shining eventually agrees as he was playing with Flurry Heart.

When Applejack and Twilight begin to scout the orchard for the mysterious entity, Applejack asks Twilight if what she said to Cadance was the truth, and Twilight tells her that they are making sure the orchard is clear enough for them to walk in, because it is the truth, but she just left out some details. Applejack nervously agrees with Twilight, and then immediately changes the subject to ask her if she knows what they’re dealing with. Twilight tells her that she can’t know without knowing the source, but guesses fruit bats or Parasprites, and Applejack tells her that fruit bats only eat the apples, not the entire tree, but admits that Parasprites could be possible. Twilight tells her that they can’t rush to conclusions until they find the creature responsible. That was when they heard chomping in the distance. Applejack and Twilight sneak over to where the noise is coming from, and they find an apple core rolling around the ground towards them. They look up and see a giant vine monster eating up some of the apple trees in the orchard. After Applejack complains about all the infestation problems she’s had in the orchard over the years, she asks Twilight if she knows what that thing is, and Twilight tells her that she has no idea. Applejack tells her to use some magic on it, so Twilight uses whatever magic she could on the creature, but nothing would work on it. The creature just laughs as it swipes Twilight and Applejack across the orchard. Twilight immediately suggests that they should head to the library to find info on the creature.

Over at the dinner party, Cadance and Shining were feeling bored as they waited for the food. After Spike tells them that Granny is working as fast she could to make sure the food is perfect for them, he asks them if they need anything, and Cadance, trying to hide her boredom, tells him that everything is fine; even though Shining spilled the beans by saying that they’re both bored, and Cadance immediately elbows him. As Cadance laughs embarrassingly at him and Big Mac refills their drinks, Spike nervously runs over to the CMCs asking them if they have a song for them yet, but the CMCs tell him that they haven’t agreed on one yet. He then tells them to sing anything because the royal couple is feeling bored. The CMCs begin to nervously sing to the royal couple, which start to gain the royal couples’ interest. As Twilight and Applejack sneak by without getting seen, Flurry Heart throws her milk bottle at Big Mac as he walks passed the stage, and Scootaloo decides to joke about it in the song.

When Applejack and Twilight return to the library, they find out the vine creature is a Venus Fruit Trap, native from Everfree Forest that feeds off of fruit plants, and somehow that creature has escaped Everfree and winded up on the farm eating all the trees. After Applejack asks Twilight how they could get rid of it, Twilight says the only way to get rid of it is luring the creature away from the farm by distracting it with a fruit plant that the creature won’t be able to refuse – an apricot plant. Applejack claims that her farm doesn’t grow apricots. Twilight tells Applejack that she can just make one from her magic, but she’ll need one of her apple trees if she’s willing to sacrifice one. Applejack knew it was for the sake of the farm, so she accepts.

When they return to the farm, they notice the CMCs struggling to sing, which causes Shining and Cadance to feel awkward, and Big Mac and Spike both start to feel embarrassed for them. When the CMCs finally finished, Cadance began to clap her hooves, and she forced Shining to as well, but Flurry Heart just raspberries them. When Cadance spots Applejack and Twilight, she asks how the walk was coming along, but Applejack tells her that it’s an improvement, but not ready yet. Shining asks if they could go on their walk now before dinner, and Applejack shouts no before Twilight nervously explains that it’s better to walk after dinner to burn off the calories. Shining tells her that he’d rather walk now, and Cadance tells her if he wants to, then she wants to as well, but hoping it’s okay with Applejack and her family. Applejack and Twilight both had to stall Shining and Cadance somehow, and then Applejack eventually yells out that she has the best big brother in all of Equestria, which gives her Big Mac’s attention. Twilight then defends her brother’s honor saying that Shining is the best big brother in all of Equestria, since he was first Captain of the Royal Guard, and then a prince of the Crystal Empire. Applejack defends her brother’s honor by saying he’s the most helpful pony on the farm, and made all of Equestria happy with all the apples he bucked off the trees, and to add, he’s also a singer, as Big Mac does an example. Shining starts to feel attacked, so he decides to fight back by saying the things that makes him the best big brother to Twilight. Big Mac then started to get talkative and as he became sassy towards Shining and telling him reasons that make him the better big brother to Applejack. As those two start to argue, Cadance, Spike, and the CMCs all feel in an awkward situation, and Applejack and Twilight use this chance to sneak away.

When Applejack and Twilight wander through the orchard to find the creature again, Applejack becomes very worried to see that so many of her trees were gone. She even becomes a little teary-eyed, but Twilight tells her not to worry, because she will lose no more trees, except of course the one that has to be made into the apricot tree. Applejack felt that none of her trees deserve such fate by being an apricot tree, but she knew what had to be done for the sake of her other trees. As they were talking, however, the giant vine creature appears right behind them, and laughs evilly at them. The creature begins to whip around his vines as Twilight and Applejack dodge out of the way. The fly trap laughs evilly as it begins to tell Applejack and Twilight about how much of the farm he’s going to eat. Applejack asks why he’s doing it, and then the flytrap begins to sing about who he is and why he’s there. The flytrap introduces itself as Critter as he harasses both Applejack and Twilight. Luckily for them both, Twilight was able to turn one of the orchard’s apple trees into an apricot tree, and rips it out of the ground so Critter not resisting following it. As Twilight holds the tree with her magic, both she and Applejack begin to run as Critter follows them through the orchard hoping to get him to Everfree Forest so he would be out of the way.

Back by the barn, Shining Armor and Big Mac continued arguing with each other on who’s the better big brother. Granny Smith had dinner ready for the couple, but the only one who was ready to eat was Flurry Heart. Cadance and Spike tried to calm Shining and Big Mac down collectively, and after Cadance suggests that there should be a better way to settle this, Shining and Big Mac challenge each other to a hoof-wrestle, but before they could even start, Applejack and Twilight accidently wandered to the dinner party causing Critter to follow them, and Critter began to make a mess and attack everypony. Everypony was scared, except for Flurry Heart, who was just laughing, even when she gets snatched by Critter, which makes Cadance very worried, and Shining Armor very angry. Twilight attempted to distract Critter by holding the apricot tree in front of him, but Critter immediately eats the tree before she was able to get him away. Everypony begins to fight Critter, but Critter was just too strong. As Twilight and Applejack were doing what they can to stop Critter, they both get captured by Critter, their brothers both decide to spring into action to save their sisters; when they both confuse Critter by tangling up his vines together by jumping in between them.

Everypony cheered once Critter was trapped in his own vines, and Cadance was feeling pretty suspicious on why there was a giant flytrap creature out in the orchard, and wondered why Applejack didn’t tell her anything about it. Applejack admits that he didn’t tell her the whole story, and even though she didn’t lie, she left out some details. Granny both tells her that she might as well lie if she’s going to leave out some very important details that could ruin everything. Twilight admits it was her that told her to do it, and both Applejack and Twilight apologize for it. Cadance and Shining Armor both accept their apology, and Shining apologizes to Cadance for making her go through another dinner party disaster. Cadance tells him that she had the most fun since their last farm dinner party, and that the disastrous ones were the more interesting ones, and suggests that they should have another date at Sweet Apple Acres again in the future, but Granny Smith tells her that the current dinner party has yet to even get started. Everypony cleans up the dinner party mess, and decide to start fresh. Shining Armor and Cadance both thank Applejack and her family for throwing an amazing dinner party for them, and Flurry Heart even cheers in excitement. Applejack then thanks Twilight for all she did to help her family out in solving the problem and Twilight apologizes to her for giving her the wrong idea about hiding the problem from Shining and Cadance, and she only did it so they would just relax and not have to worry about anything for once. The last problem that needed to be solved was the Cutie Mark Crusaders lacking a song to entertain the guests, but luckily, Critter offers to help the CMCs out, so Critter begins to sing a reprise to his first song, and the CMCs decide to sing along, which really entertains the royal couple, as well as everypony else. Twilight tells Applejack that she’ll let Critter have one last moment in the spotlight before sending him to Tartarus. Granny, Big Mac, and Spike all serve the royal family their food, and Shining Armor admits to Big Mac that he isn’t such a bad big brother, and Big Mac agrees to him too, but even after complimenting each other, they ended up challenging each other to a hoof-wrestle anyway.

Credits

 * Ashleigh Ball as Applejack
 * Tara Strong as Twilight Sparkle
 * Andrew Francis as Shining Armor
 * Britt McKillip as Princess Cadance
 * Tabitha St. Germain as Granny Smith, Flurry Heart
 * Peter New as Big Mac, Critter
 * Cathy Weseluck as Spike
 * Michelle Creber as Apple Bloom
 * Claire Corlett as Sweetie Belle
 * Madeleine Peters as Scootaloo

Quotes

 * Twilight Sparkle: Please, Applejack! Just let me tell you! It’s really important!
 * Applejack: (sighs) Fine. What’s the big news?
 * Twilight Sparkle: Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Flurry Heart are coming to Ponyville to have their traditional travelling dinner for Shining and Cadance’s wedding anniversary.
 * Applejack: Well ah’m happy for them, Twilight! But ah have no idea why you’re tellin’ me this now on the count that ah’m super busy.
 * Twilight Sparkle: See, that’s the thing. They’re planning to have their dinner here at Sweet Apple Acres.
 * (glass shattering sound)
 * Applejack: The royal family is comin’ here at Sweet Apple Acres?! Well why didn’t you say it sooner?!
 * Twilight Sparkle: (sighs)


 * Twilight Sparkle: Yeah, and Flurry Heart’s been growing big every time I see her!
 * Spike: Yeah, bigger the baby means bigger the responsibilities, and the stress!
 * Twilight Sparkle: (grunts)
 * Shining Armor and Princess Cadance: (laughs)


 * Granny Smith: (screams) Ah’m not crazy! It actually happened! Ah saw it! Run for the hills! Ah’m not crazy!
 * Applejack: What is it, Granny? What has happened?
 * Granny Smith: Ehhh… confarnit! Ah’d forget mah head if it wasn’t attached to mah body.


 * Princess Cadance: (gasps in excitement) Oh Shining Armor! This is wonderful!
 * Shining Armor: I knew you would like it!
 * Princess Cadance: I’ve always wanted to eat at a farm again after that disaster at Dodge Junction!
 * Sweetie Belle: What? What has happened in Dodge Junction?
 * Scootaloo: Yeah, tell us!
 * Applejack: Get back on stage, girls.
 * Apple Bloom: Aww, but we wanted to hear Cadance’s disaster story!
 * Princess Cadance: It’s quite alright, Applejack! It was fun regardless! Let me first ask you girls, have you ever swam in an ocean of cherries in your life?


 * Granny Smith: Oh yeah! Ah remember! Ah too saw the trees disappearin’ a little while ago, which is why ah got so excited!
 * Applejack: You did?!
 * Granny Smith: Yup, and of course Big Mac told me that he saw the same thing earlier today, but ah thought he was talkin’ a bunch of dooby.


 * Twilight Sparkle: It’s not lying if you’re telling the truth in a different perspective. I mean, that’s what I do to Spike after I ate all his Nightmare Night candy by mistake.
 * Applejack: What did you tell him?
 * Twilight Sparkle: I told him that I found the one responsible for eating his candy, and I made sure she learned her lesson!
 * Applejack: So… you punished yourself?
 * Twilight Sparkle: I only read six times today instead of seven! That’s a big deal in my book.


 * Applejack: Ugh! Can ah go one week without some infestation problem in the orchard?!


 * Shining Armor: Well, let’s not skip to any conclusions here, Applejack. I mean, I am Twilight’s B.B.B.F.F., always have, always been, and after all the time we met, we only fought three times. No offense, but I don’t think your brother here can beat that.
 * Big McIntosh: Um, excuse me, ‘From Captain to Prince’, ah do believe you are a, ehm, decent big brother. However, unlike you who decided to live further away from your sister by moving to the Crystal Empire, ah never left the same household as any of my family in my life.
 * Shining Armor: I had to do what I do. Cadance was the only princess available who could run the Crystal Empire, and I couldn’t leave her side, and I never would.
 * Big McIntosh: Ehm, like ah said, maybe best husband, but not best big brother.


 * Critter: Well, well, well! What do we have here? Let me guess, you ponies think you can stop me, Critter, from eating up your orchard!


 * Spike: Does it really matter who’s the better brother?
 * Princess Cadance: Yeah, isn’t there some other way you can settle this?
 * Shining Armor: Hoof-wrestle?
 * Big McIntosh: Eeyup!
 * Princess Cadance: That is not what I meant.


 * Apple Bloom: Well, we’re glad you’re happy.
 * Sweetie Belle: But we still don’t have a song to entertain you!
 * Critter: I thought you would never ask! Haha!
 * Scootaloo: Um, we didn’t ask.
 * Critter: Hit it!