"Who coughed!?" Rainbow snapped, finally stopping her whimpers, but tears still flowed from her eyes, which were now blood shot.
"Please, whoever did it just fess up!" Twilight stuttered, sounding as if tears were about to escape, she just wanted everything to end.
"Well it wasn't me. I would fess up. I can fully agree with Flutters in the fact that I don't want to be the cause of misery!" Pinkie said as she continued to clutch the bag of flour.
"Well it wasn't me! You would've seen the mouth movement, considering I am the one reflecting light." Twilight said."And I don't see it being Rarity, as the cough would've seemed more muffled." She added, motioning to the white unicorn, who had returned to crying softly into Applejack's chest.
"Oh my CELESTIA! Who the HELL WAS IT!?" Rainbow screamed suddenly.
"Rainbow Dash ya'll don't have to yell!" Applejack scoffed.
"Don't I? I had to kill my filly friend because she said she had done it, but now I'm having second thoughts that it was her!"
"Well, wouldn't you have felt her cough against your fur? Since you two were locked in embrace when the first cough happened." Pinkie suggested, immediately wishing she hadn't for this caused her rainbow friend to go off yet again.
"Shit! I can't believe I didn't realized that before! That cough didn't even come from OUR direction, it came from...YOURS!" Rainbow shouted as her hoof flew forward into Applejack and Rarity's direction."Now, who was over there when that wretched cough happened!?" She questioned angrily.
"Well..."Twilight started,"I know Applejack and Rarity were over there, but other than that...Oh! Pinkie was over there too but we already ruled her out, so.." Twilight took a deep breath and sighed sadly."Who was it? Applejack, was it you, or Rarity? I know you both know, now CONFESS!" Twilight commanded, tears had begun to stream down her cheeks.
"Fine. It was me. I coughed both times." Applejack said calmly, as she stood to her feet, she felt ready to cry, for she knew in about five more minutes, she would never see her lovely Rarity or any of her friends again."I'm sorry, but I just couldn't bring myself to tell ya'll."
"Well, who's going to..."Rarity stuttered, not taking her eyes off of her mare.
"Well, who-who wants to?" Twilight asked also stuttering, as she choked over her tears.
"I-I-I will." Pinkie mumbled."I know Rarity won't do it, and I am supposedly her cousin, so I will." Pinkie stood up, and walked to the farm mare, the only sound was whimpers and hooves clamping against the concrete floor.
"Wait!" Rarity said as she jumped up and gave her mare a hug, knowing she couldn't kiss her, for fear of getting the deadly cough."Goodbye, my sweetheart, I promise, when this is all over, you and Fluttershy will get the funeral you deserved."Rarity choked out, as she stepped away from the wall AJ was now standing in front of, right next to Flutters.
"Are you..Ready Apple-Applejack?" Pinkie managed to say, looking back at her relative.
"As I'll ever be." Applejack responded, surprisingly quite calm, but still had tears slowly flowing from her lime green eyes.
"Twilight, light." Pinkie said, and the her magic faded instantly. After about five seconds of silence, there was a loud CRACKING sound and a thud, and the Element of Honesty, was gone.
Minutes after, Rarity and Pinkie were crying into each other's arms, in loss of another friend."Don't worry guys, we'll get through this! Somehow..."Twilight said reassuringly.
"Pinkie, when did you get so strong?" Rainbow asked the crying mare.
"I-I don't know." Was the only reply, before more crying was heard.
"Rainbow."Twilight asked calmly.
"Yeah?"
"We have to do something. We can't live in fear forever. We need to make sure this room remains as clean as possible until this epidemic is destroyed." Twilight said, sitting down by the pegasus.
"Alright, and when this is all over, we'll make sure this never happens again." Rainbow added, forcing a short glance at her deceased filly friend.
"Well, I guess all be can do now it stay as far from AJ and Flutters as possible, as too keep from getting the cough." Twilight said, and everypony obeyed staying on the oppisite corner, from the two, rotting bodies.
Epilogue
After about another six months, the epidemic was finally announced defeated and disappeared. As Rarity promised, there was a grand funeral for the two elements that were lost. Rarity and Rainbow were at their graves everyday together for at least three or four hours a day, to try and feel as if they were with their beloved once more. They were sometimes even accompanied by their other friends.
Twilight and Rarity from that day on studied magic on strange diseases and cures for them. Rainbow continued her work with the weather team and Pinkie continued her bakery work. All four mares joined the "Equestrian Red Cross" as to help ensure a healthy country.
Although the remaining main six seemed to have moved on, and were working hard in their careers, they would spend every weekend at Twilight's to talk about and mourn over their friends. Sometimes, ponies would ask if they were alright, but they would always get the same answer,"I'm fine, it's okay."
Even still, with all they went through, if there was anything learned, it was that anything can be conqured eventually, even when you hear, that one small, "*cough cough*".
