Sleeping Flu

by Stormc12

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Tragedy
Length: 1078

Applejack is unable to cope any longer with her sister when she is in the advanced stages of disease.

Sleeping Flu: A disease that causes the death of ponies who enter the REM stage of sleep. The symptoms include: more frequent nosebleeds, tiredness, urge to be with other ponies, weaker magic, and eventually, death and revival. Transmission is suspected to be caused by either air or direct contact. After death, they are inactive for several minutes before reviving. After revival, they begin to repeatedly say a phrase. Ponies in the advanced stages are still able to think, but are unable to control their body. There is currently no cure to the disease. Some ponies seem to be more resistant than others, but a reason has yet to be found.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-09-18 17:40:03 UTC

Sleeping Sickness

  She knew her sister was still alive. Apple Bloom was still right next to her, alive. Her skin was rotting, and she could only moan. Applejack, however, didn't care. She was just happy her sister had not died from the sleeping flu.

  "So, you think Big Mac and Granny Smith are doing fine at the hospital?" Applejack asked, patting her sister on the back. Apple Bloom just let out a moan that eerily sounded like she was saying that she was sorry. Applejack, however, didn't want to hear it. "Ya don't need to tell me that. It isn't yer fault.

  "I'm sorry," Apple Bloom gasped, as if she was trying to talk in a room devoid of any oxygen and full of poisonous gasses.

  "Say, why don't Ah get ya something ta' eat? How's that sound?" Applejack asked, ignoring what her younger sister told her.

  "I'm sorry."

  "So that's a yes, then?"

  "I'm sorry."

  Applejack made a small, weak smile and slowly climbed up from the couch. She trotted over to the dark kitchen and flicked on one of the lamps. Flickering to life, the kitchen was illuminated in a dim, yellow glow.

  Applejack opened up the fridge, wondering what there was to eat. However, she was saddened to find that there was nothing left but a jar of pickles, some yogurt, and a few apples. With a unhappy sigh, she pulled out an apple, yogurt, and the jar of pickles before shutting the fridge. She quickly walked over to the counter trying not to drop all of the things she was carrying with her two front hooves.

  She gently put everything on the dusty counter, and pulled out some plates. Applejack twisted open the lid of the jar that contained the pickles inside, and put two of them on each of the plates. After that, she place an apple on each plate, not even bothering to wash them off or cut off the dark brown bruises. Finally, she put some yogurt on both of the plates and put a spoon next to each. At last, she was done.

  She put the two plates of food on her back and returned to the living room where Apple Bloom was; she hadn't moved from her spot at all.

  "Got some food fer' the both of us!" Applejack said with an overly happy tone. Apple Bloom just turned her neck towards her older sister, her pure, ghostly white eyes staring right through Applejack. Even then, Applejack saw her as a normal pony.

  Applejack sat next to her younger sister after putting her food in front of her sister. Applejack began to chow down on what she called "dinner", but Apple Bloom sat there, moaning.

  "I'm sorry."

  "Eat up, Apple Bloom, ya need yer strength." Applejack told Apple Bloom, who was still not eating.

  Applejack just stopped eating once she finished and looked at her sister for what seemed like several minutes. Her young sister did nothing but stare at Applejack. Her eyes stared at her, and her lower jaw bit down onto her top lip.

  "Eat your food. Now."

  Apple Bloom said nothing.

  Suddenly, Applejack screamed at the top of her lungs and threw both of the plates across the room, making them shatter against the wall. The angry cowpony got up and flipped over the coffee table, and after that, proceeded to smash the windows to small, glittering shards.

  "It isn't the same!" She yelled, falling onto her back as she cried out to the ceiling. "This isn't the Apple Bloom Ah know! This can't even be real! Ah have ta' be dreaming!"

  Applejack tightly shut her eyes, hoping that when she opened them, she would wake up to find that all of the events of the previous two months were nothing but a dream. She would go outside and meet up with her friends, then teach her sister how to buck, and then play some fetch with Winona.

  But her eyes opened, and she began to sob as she realized that she was in the same room.

  "I'm sorry."

  "Like you're actually sorry." Applejack muttered, "You're not Apple Bloom."

  "I'm sorry."

  That snapped the last cable that held Applejack's sanity up. A sick grin formed on her muzzle, and Applejack proceeded to run over into the dining room. Grabbing a chair, she violently threw it into the living room before going to the closet. Inside, she lit a lamp so she could see the interior of the cramped closet. She grabbed a rope that was inside and quickly tied it up using her hooves and her teeth to make a noose.

  From the living room, Apple Bloom once again said, "I'm sorry."

  "No ya ain't."

  Applejack slowly walked to the center of the living room in front of the couch that her young sister sat on. Applejack set up the wooden chair and climbed up onto it, and proceeded to pull onto the lamp on the ceiling to confirm it would support her weight.

  "I'm sorry."

  Applejack didn't even respond; she silently set up the noose after confirming the lamp would support her body. With a sick, mad grin, she put her head through the noose.

  "Ah know you ain't mah sister. Yer nothing. Yer just a shell of her." Applejack angrily muttered, staring at Apple Bloom. She stared back at Applejack, still as a statue. In response, Applejack let a small laugh as she began toying around with the rope.

  "I'm sorry." Apple Bloom said.

  Applejack shut her eyes, then quickly kicked the chair out from under her. She felt her body drop as the noose tightened around her neck. The rope had failed to instantly kill her, and Applejack's survival instincts kicked in. She began frantically grabbing at the rope, trying to get it off as she began to suffocate from the lack of air. She wanted to cry for help, but she couldn't. All she could do was writhe as her body began to shut down.

  After just a few minutes, all of Applejack's movements ceased. The only sound that could be heard was a loud groan that came from the straining lamp holding the body of what was once the element of honesty. However, Apple Bloom still sitting on couch, staring at her dead sister.

  She didn't cry, nor did she try to get up and get her big sister down. Apple Bloom just sat there, not doing anything.

  "I'm sorry."