Applejack groaned as morning light caressed her closed eyelids. It had been another night of deep sleep, yet once again she didn’t feel well-rested. She turned to her clock, only to find she had slept much longer than she preferred.
“Tarnation…” she murmured, head aching like a parasprite with a tiny sledgehammer had taken position behind her eyes. “Seven-thirty in the mornin’? I’m sleepin’ in later by the day.”
“Sis? Sis, are y’all awake?”
Applejack grunted and strained her head in the direction of the voice. “Applebloom?”
“You are awake! Thank Celestia!” Her sister scampered into the room, followed by a frowning Granny Smith. “Yer usually the first one awake in the mornin’.”
“G-Granny? Did Big Mac get started without me again? I… I’m sorry. I feel like I’m lettin’ y’all down, what with layin’ around here like a dead dog all day.”
“Don’t you worry none, Applejack.” Granny put her hoof to Applejack’s forehead. “Hmm. Still warm.” Her frown deepened. “Even warmer than yesterday.”
“I’m fine.” Applejack struggled to shift her body out of bed but felt every muscle ache at the attempt. “Agh-”
Granny and Applebloom rushed to keep her from getting up.
Applejack shook her head. “But… but Big Mac can’t do it all alone!”
“Sis…” Applebloom murmured. “Please…”
The plaintive note in her voice made Applejack stop struggling. Apple Bloom and Granny let out sighs of relief.
“Ever since y’all passed out in the field last week, we’ve been worried sick,” Apple Bloom confessed. “Ain’t no way heat stroke should last this long! Right, Granny?”
Applejack sighed. She looked towards her stetson on the end bedpost. She hated not being able to work and provide for her family. It was a stubbornness she had shown before. However, after the late-summer heat wave that had swept over Ponyville the week prior, Applejack knew it was entirely possible she had overworked herself. What could it be now? Flu? Hayfever? Hoofrot?
“I… thanks, y’all. You’re right.” She eyed her family. “I just need to stay rested in bed ‘til I feel better. I’m sure I’ll be back to buckin’ in no time!”
“Now that’s the AJ I like to hear.” Granny smiled. “C’mon, Apple Bloom. If’n anythin’, you can help Big Macintosh in the fields haulin’ empty baskets.”
“Okay, Granny. I’ll come back later to check on ya, big sis! Maybe we can play a board game or sumthin’? Or you could teach me how to play cards like you always promised?”
Applejack nodded as they left. She sighed again, still wishing she could be of some help. She closed her eyes in an attempt to get more rest.
Several hours had passed. The sun was in a different position outside. Even with a few hours more sleep, she still felt weak and achy. Her mind was set at ease, however, by the faint sound of somepony humming a tune. A pretty pleasant tune, too. It drifted into the bedroom and wove into her mind as she slowly came to. Blinking awake, her gaze drifted to a new presence in her room.
Fluttershy’s blue eyes gleamed in a perfectly placed beam of afternoon sunshine. She sipped a cup of honey tea, body parked in a chair while her eyes remained riveted on the bed. She smiled when Applejack met her gaze and ceased her song.
“Oh! Good morning, sleepyhead.”
A small smile turned up the corners of Applejack’s lips. “Hey you,” she yawned. “‘Scuse me. Y’all haven’t been here long, have you?”
“Oh no, I’ve only been here about twenty minutes. I came straight upstairs as soon as I got here with everypony.” She put a hoof to Applejack’s forehead. “Oh my. Granny was serious. Your fever really is worse than yesterday.”
“Ah shucks, it’s nothin’ I can’t handle, sugarcube.” Applejack turned her head away, cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Whad’ya mean by “everypony”?” Pushing aside the gentle hoof, she scooted her rump back to sit up in bed.
“Oh! Well, um, you were so sad yesterday, thinking that your family was falling behind on the harvest, so, um… I-I went to all our friends’ houses to see if they’d be willing to help today.” Fluttershy pointed out the window.
Applejack leaned off her bed to see better.
Rainbow Dash corkscrewed out of the sky with a flying kick at the trunk of a tree, causing a barrage of apples to rain from the limbs. Pinkie Pie leapt from tree to tree, shaking apples from each one before leaping into the next. Twilight hovered in the air, pouring her telekinesis into each cluster of apples as she passed.
“Rarity was meeting with a client this afternoon,” Fluttershy murmured, apology clinging to her tone even if she didn’t say the words. “She was so sad she couldn’t make it - b-but she sends all her best!”
Applejack let out a deep sigh as she shifted on the bed. “Y’all spoil me.” As apology clung to Fluttershy’s words, so did tenderness cling to hers. “Y’know … you didn’t have to do that.”
Fluttershy slid from her chair, placed the teacup on the floor and stepped close enough to peck a small kiss on Applejack’s forehead. Applejack flushed at the gesture. “You’re right. I didn’t.” Fluttershy reached for the other cup of honey tea that had been resting on the nightstand and passed it to Applejack. “Drink this. It’ll help.”
“Thanks. I’m serious though, Shy. All I did was pass out from workin’ too hard last week, and what did you do? You went an’ made a pillow for me! Hoofmade an’ everythin’!”
Fluttershy chuckled. “It was nothing. I just, um, wanted you to feel comfortable while you rested from overworking yourself.”
“Well, you done a great job. It sure is mighty comfortable.” Applejack pulled her gift around so she could snuggle her back against it.
Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, wonderful! I made it from the feathers of one my animal friends. Mister Falcon really didn’t mind. It is, um, molting season, after all.”
Another yawn overtook Applejack’s reply. “Golly. I think I’m gonna try an’ rest a bit before supper’s on tonight. You gonna join us again, sugarcube?”
Fluttershy nodded. “I’d be happy to. I’ll be downstairs with Granny and Apple Bloom if you need anything.” She gave Applejack one more delicate kiss on the forehead and walked out, picking up her tea as she went.
Applejack watched her go before allowing her eyes to close and drifting off into a peaceful slumber.
Dinner went by without issue, though Applejack wished she could conjure an appetite for Granny Smith’s cooking, which was unparallelled in the Apple family. She took in the aromas of the meal and sighed longingly. She was happy her fever had diminished enough that she could actually get out of bed but she still didn’t feel well enough to make herself eat much.
When she made three failed attempts at putting a forkful of apple fritter into her mouth, Fluttershy put a hoof on her shoulder and gave her a sad smile, pushing the fork gently back down to the plate. Applejack smiled back. Her marefriend’s cheery face was always able to put her at ease.
“Say, B-Big Mac?” Applejack frowned at her own stutter, looking at her brother.
“Eeeyup?” He returned the look while swallowing a mouthful of food. His appetite was still in full swing.
“Thanks for pickin’ up the slack this past week. I really wish I could be out there with ya but-”
“Ain’t nothin’ for you to worry about, sis,” he cut her off, giving her the same stoic but gentle expression of understanding she recognised from her fillyhood.
It both warmed her heart and made her ashamed. Her brother was so strong in so many ways, and here she was, wasting the day away lounging around in bed like some lazy socialite with nothing better to do.
“You made it down to dinner tonight without hassle,” BIg Mac went on with all the playfulness of an older brother. “I reckon you’ll be makin’ up for lost time tomorrow.”
“Yeah, Applejack!” Apple Bloom chimed in. “At this rate, you’ll be back to work in no time!”
Applejack inhaled shakily and sighed even more shakily. “Th-thanks y’all.” She looked around. “Beg p-pardon but… is it … does it feel a mite c-cold in here to anypony?”
All four ponies looked at her, then at each other. Four faces creased into frowns.
“I feel fine.” Granny broke the uncomfortable silence.
“I...” Applejack started. A sudden rush of fatigue coursed through her like an overworked water chute bursting its casings, spilling dirty liquid through her insides and making her vision swim in murk. “I think I… I need to go lie down again.”
“Oh dear!” Fluttershy stood up from the seat next to her and wrapped a wing around her. There was so much in that tiny gesture that for a moment Applejack’s mind cleared and she smiled groggily. “I’ll help you upstairs, sweetie. No, sit down, Big Mac. I’ve got this. I insist.”
“Oh. Well … I guess I thank y’kindly, Fluttershy.” Big Mac obediently sat back down.
Fluttershy kept her wing firmly around Applejack as she escorted her back to her room. The stairs were a conundrum that took more minutes than usual to navigate. It felt like somepony had turned the solid wooden steps into wobbling squares of jello. Applejack stumbled a few times but Fluttershy tightened her wing, holding her steady. Who knew there was so much strength in those fluttery delicate things? Who knew there was such strength in Fluttershy’s?
“Almost there, Applejack. Stay with me, okay?”
The two mares made it back to Applejack’s room, where Fluttershy helped her back into bed. Applejack caught a glimpse of herself in the dresser mirror. Her usually vibrant orange fur looked paler than usual, as though her face had been bleached in the sun. She flopped back onto the pillows with a grateful sigh.
Fluttershy put her hoof to her forehead. “Oh my! Applejack, you’re freezing! But … but you were too warm before! What’s wrong?”
Applejack’s vision began to blur, Fluttershy’s yellow and pink features smearing together like a foal’s hoof painting. She muttered something unintelligible. Whatever she had managed to get out, it made Fluttershy step back quickly.
“Oh my, this is serious! Don’t go anywhere, Applejack. I’m going to call a doctor.” Judging from the sound of fading hoofbeats, she had rushed out of the room.
Applejack flinched as the burble of sound morphed into a high-pitched whine, like that time she had stood too close to the apple-crusher as a filly and nearly been deafened. Pa had laughed so hard about her tinnitus and tiny cries of ‘what?’, even suggesting she borrow Granpa’s ear-trumpet.
Fluttershy’s last words resonated as the sound elevated from whine to incessant ring before she passed out.
“Truly, I’ve never seen anything like this.” The Warlock’s voice echoed like a shout in a large cave. “Heat stroke is one thing but fevers don’t normally take such a drastic turn in the span of six hours.”
“Well, what do ya s’pose we do?” The Hag’s demand rang out sharply.
Applejack came to, cracking open her eyelids to see their grotesque forms at the foot of her bed. Her pupils shrank into pinpricks of terror and her brain seized up what little motion it had regained.
“Her symptoms have only gotten worse the past few days. I wanna know what we need to do to help her get over whatever’s causin’ this!”
“The best we can do for now is have her keep her fluids up and get plenty of rest. Hmm, I wonder … the pegasus that was with her, she didn’t contract any…” The Warlock’s two-toned voice trailed off as he caught Applejack’s gaze. “Ah, you’re awake!”
Brain immediately unlocked, Applejack yelped and tried to leap out of bed.
“Applejack, whatd’ya think yer doin’?!” hissed the Hag. “Git back in bed, missy!”
Fumbling to her hooves, Applejack dashed for the doorway.
“Macintosh!” the Hag yelled after her.
She was through the door when a large red claw caught her and pressed her against the wall.
“I got her, Granny.”
Applejack followed the voice, up his leg up his mighty body and to a monstrous face with a blazing orange mane and rows of sharp teeth.
“AJ, calm down right now!” bellowed the Behemoth.
She struggled against the beast’s hold and gave him a solid smack to the face with her forehooves. The Behemoth recoiled with a yelp of pain, releasing his hold. She hit the floor running, dashed past him down the hall and down the stairs. Her steps were ungainly as a newborn’s but they were enough to get her where she needed to go,
Suddenly, she felt herself weighed down by her right foreleg. “Sis, please, stop!” the Imp shrilled. She shook her leg a few times and, with a hard stamp, caused the tiny creature to lose its grip and fall to the floor.
Applejack continued to hurry down the stairs and towards the front door. Woozily, she banged off the end table where they kept old photograph albums and ricocheted against the banister post, but nothing was going to stop her from getting awa-
“Applejack!”
Her sprint ceased just before the door. She slowly turned her head in the direction of the serene voice of the Siren.
Don’tlookdon’tlookdon’tlookdon’tlook-
Too late.
Upon seeing the Siren’s beautiful face, Applejack could feel her will crumbling. She wanted to run. She wanted to get away. She knew she had to.
The Siren began to hum a familiar tune. It was the one Applejack had heard earlier that day.
“I’m in wonderland with you
And it feels so nice”
In her mind, Applejack placed words with song and blinked. Had those words come from her? Or were they something she remembered? Had she made them up just now? Had they existed inside her already? The questions seemed inordinately important even as a tiny voice inside her whispered that she should be thinking of something else, something bigger, something infinitely more important than … than …
Her heavy breathing slowed significantly as the Siren slowly stepped towards her.
“You made all my dreams come true
Feels like paradise”
The Siren came within a hoof’s reach. She wrapped her forelegs around Applejack. Applejack tried to resist, She tried to break away and keep running. She tried to fight the impulse to close her eyes and sink into the mare’s warm embrace.
Tried … and failed.
She sobbed brokenly into Fluttershy’s mane.
“It’s okay, Applejack. I’m here for you. We’re all here for you sweetie.” Fluttershy stroked her as the doctor and her family descended the stairs.
Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom stepped to either side of Fluttershy as Applejack took several deep, gulping breaths, trying to calm herself down.
“What’s…” she began. “What’s happenin’ t-to me?”
“We’re doing all we can to figure that out,” replied the doctor as he trotted towards them with Granny Smith, white coat flapping around him. “I’m sorry. I wish I had more answers for you, Miss Apple.”
Applejack tried to focus on him. Had he been here before? The room was swimming again, her hitching breaths not helping her concentrate.
“C’mon, sis.” Big Mac’s gentle baritone broke into her thoughts. “Let’s get you back to bed.”
With Fluttershy’s help, the two escorted Applejack back to her room, followed by the doctor, who was already cracking open his black bag.
“All this and hallucinations?” The doctor shook his head as he made his way to the front door, black bag levitating before him in a swathe of green magic. “I’m even more puzzled than before.”
“She’s been drinkin’ lots of water since she’s been in bed. You’re sure nothing else could cause it?” Granny Smith’s concern made her words sharper than she had intended.
“I wish I knew.” If he was offended by her tone, the doctor didn’t show it. He stroked his beard with a hoof for a moment. He glanced at the rapidly darkening sky showing through a skylight. “I’ve run what tests I can in this environment but I’m going to recommend you bring her to the medical centre for further tests in the morning. I’ve drawn some blood for an initial round but if her condition worsens … hmm. All of you are staying in the building, are you not?”
“Of course. We live here.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Well Fluttershy practically lives here,” Granny finished.
“Hmmf. Keep Applejack in bed for the night. Somepony must watch her at all times. If she started to react again as she did earlier, give her one and a half of these dissolved in water.” He passed Granny a sealed white vacuum packed packet, through which three large round tablets could be discerned. “These are rather powerful, so they should be a last resort, but if she tries to run again she could hurt herself worse than just crashing into a few bits of furniture. Call me if you need to use these or if there are any other drastic changes in her condition. I’ll contact the medical center and leave a message for them to expect you as soon as they open their doors at 9am. You must have her there on time. Understood?”
“We will. Thank you, doctor.”
He nodded. “Have a good night, Apples.”
Granny closed the door behind him. She sagged against it with every one of her many years draping off her bones.
Fluttershy approached, looking away shyly as if embarrassed to be standing in the middle of their worry. “I’m sorry to ask, but… would it be okay if I stayed the night here?” she lifted her eyes to finally meet theirs. “I’m just really concerned about Applejack.”
Granny smiled tiredly. “Of course, darlin’. I’ll get a blanket for you. Big Mac, could you arrange a spot for her on the couch?”
“Eeeyup.” Big Mac made his way slowly and carefully towards the living room, as if he was slightly afraid the world would crack away under him if he misstepped. He paused to stare at the ceiling for a moment, as though he could see through it. His throat worked around words he never said and which Fluttershy didn’t ask about as he moved off to set up a bed for her.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Hopefully she’ll feel better after some rest tonight.”
The next morning, nopony at Sweet Apple Acres went to work.
As usual, Big Macintosh was the first to wake. The morning was overcast, pegasi weather teams having long finished arranging clouds for a rainstorm. He decided it would be wise to check on Applejack and see if she had made any improvements. He had given over his watch to Granny Smith and she had turned hers over to Apple Bloom right before sunrise, so the little filly could feel like she was helping, even if she only watched her big sister for an hour.
He approached her door and knocked several times. “AJ? Y’all awake in there?”
Silence.
“AJ? I’m comin’ in. Say now if’n you want me to stay out here.”
No reply.
He frowned. Why hadn’t at least Apple Bloom responded? “Okay then.” He turned the doorknob and stepped inside.
Apple Bloom was asleep in the chair. She had clearly tried hard to stay awake, judging by the half eaten candy bar in her hoof, but not even the metabolism-invigorating Crunchy McCrunch bar had been enough to fight off slumber. Applejack lay in the bed, similarly peaceful. The blankets were thrown back and her head was nestled into the pillow Fluttershy had made for her. Sometime in the night she had folded herself into an almost fetal position. Her eyes were half open.
“AJ?” Big Mac stepped closer. “How’re you feelin’?”
Her face was paler than ever before. Her eyes, once a brilliant emerald, were now washed out and … strangely empty. They stared fixedly at nothing. Her mouth was open but no drool leaked from it the way it usually did when she slept that way. In fact … she was drawing no breath. Her chest was terribly, terribly still.
Big Macintosh’s own breath caught in his throat. He took several quickfire breaths as he stumbled backwards.
“G-G…” he choked on his own voice.
He shook his head, forcing his windpipe to unlock. He was the big brother, damn it. He had to look out for his little sister.
He opened his mouth wide and yelled: “GRANNY!”
Fluttershy and the Apple family had gathered around Applejack’s bed.
“It… it was so sudden, we… I…” Granny choked out.
“I’m so sorry, Miss Smith.” The doctor was the same as before. He stroked his beard in an almost compulsive manner as he stared down at the body.
No, at Applejack.
“It’s as I said last night. The combination of symptoms were unsettling and warranted further testing. I didn’t think they would culminate so fast, however.” He glanced over at Fluttershy, who was sobbing profusely into a hoof-ful of her own mane. “When you’re ready, Ms. Smith I do have some questions I will need to ask you.”
“No,” Granny sniffed. “We’d best take care of this now.” They left the room, talking in murmurs.
“Apple B-Bloom.” Big Mac stuttered through his tears. “I need you to be a big filly now. I need you to come and help me gather her friends. Okay?”
Apple Bloom choked on her sobs. She was already emotionally drained from everything that had transpired that morning, not least of which was her own guilt. “I, I…” she stammered. “I can’t, Mac. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep. if I’d been awake I could’ve … could’ve-”
“It ain’t your fault, sweetheart,” Big Mac insisted. He had been insisting the same thing since she woke, saw her sister and started to wail like a banshee.
“I n-need you to be strong now,” Mac said again.
“I can’t face ‘em!” Apple Bloom wept. She curled into a ball, shaking and shuddering out her grief into her own folded forelegs.
Fluttershy crouched down beside her. After a protracted moment, she extended a wing and encased the little filly in a hug. “Shhh, shhh, it’s not your fault. Big Mac is right. You need to be strong now, Apple Bloom. Applejack would w-want you to be strong. For her. For her friends.” She screwed up her face as though hating herself for saying what she said next. “For me.”
“Don’t make me go!”
“Please, Apple Bloom? I .. I don’t want to tell them by myself.”
Apple Bloom turned her tearstained face towards Fluttershy. She snivelled for a moment, eyes darting around as though desperately looking for some hint of a lie. When she found none she nodded.
“O-okay. I’ll do it f-for you.”
Big Macintosh nodded at Fluttershy. “I take it you’re comin’ with us then?”
“Yes.” Fluttershy took several pained breaths at the question. “I… I’m sorry, Big Mac, but could I… could I please have… a moment before we go?”
He nodded. “Sure. You of all of us deserve … I mean .... Tch, c’mon, Applebloom. Let’s give her a minute, okay?”
The two stepped out of the room, leaving Fluttershy alone with Applejack. She heard Apple Bloom start to cry again as the door clicked shut, sealing her inside.
Sealing them both inside.
Fluttershy stepped closer to her marefriend. “Oh, A-Applejack…” She kissed her forehead and pulled back to look at her through her tears. “I’m… I’m so sorry… I couldn’t…”
Applejack’s head jolted. Her skull shifted to the side, empty gaze now turned to meet Fluttershy’s own. Fluttershy choked at the sudden movement and opened her wings, flapping backwards on instinct. She froze a few feet away, confused.
In those few moments, the only sound Fluttershy could truly hear was the thundering of her own heart. Applejack’s head shifted a little more - but only with the movement of something beneath her head.
Wha… what’s… happening? Fluttershy thought, terrified. She slowly advanced to the other side of Applejack’s bed and saw something rustling beneath the pillow she had made.
No … inside her pillow.
With the rip of fabric, numerous spindly legs crawled from the pillow case’s crevice. A pair of golden, compound eyes emerged, along with a frightening maw filled with thin, tendril-like filaments. A terrible clicking noise rattled from its mouth. Each needle-sharp filament was slick with red, though one sported a globule of clear liquid on its tip. It looked like a hypodermic ready for insertion.
Fluttershy’s horrified scream of understanding echoed through the farmhouse.
