Note: This is in some kind of parallel dimension in my Midnight universe. All the character relationships are the same, but the events of this won't appear in SatN.
"Applejack..." As before, Apple Bloom's attempts to speak were interrupted by her frantically coughing. "AJ... Ah'm scared."
It wasn't a nice sight by any means. Apple Bloom was buried under every spare blanket in the Apple family's house, plus her own. Through the window opposing the door, the Sun's blessed warmth entered the room. Still, she managed to feel freezingly cold. This disease was drawing on her very self, everypony could see that.
Her coat was visibly paler than before, resulting in her looking like a very dirty version of Sweetie Belle. Even what little yellow remained in her tone was slowly fading away. Her mane was completely frazzled out, partially falling over her eyes. Those beautiful orbs, wherein a bottomless darkness was separated from the white of reality, of innocence, solely by a narrow ring of orange, hadn't shown their usual spark in days.
The pretty spark that betrayed the clever mind within. The spark which made everypony look back up with renewed hope. Now it was gone, but Applejack would stop at nothing to see it again. She gently pushed Apple Bloom's trembling hoof back down onto the brown cover.
"Hush, sugarcube. Ya mustn't waste yer energy. Rest."
"But what if Ah..." Her voice was losing strength with each passing minute. Applejack wanted nothing more than to run away and live somewhere far away, in constant denial of the reality she had to endure. But she couldn't. She had to remain strong in an environment where all hope seemed lost.
"No. Don't ya dare even think about that. Yer an Apple. Yer strong. Ah will bring ya the cure and yer gonna be alright. Ah swear, but Celestia's plot, Ah won't let ya... die. Jus'... jus't hang on in there an everythin' is gonna be jus' fine. Unless ya need me, Ah'll go out ta check back on Twilight t'day again. Try ta sleep."
Applejack was surprised at how steady she had managed to keep her own voice. When she turned to exit the room, the filly's weakened mind had already succumbed to sweet slumber. She probably dreamt of a world dead long since, where there need not be a single worry about anything. Everypony was supplied food and entertainment for free as they merrily danced and sung, stopping only to poop rainbows, day and night.
Applejack was determined that, as long as she breathed, she'd work on reviving that world for Apple Bloom. If she failed, neither of them should have to see what a monstrosity they lived in.
She left the farmhouse and set out for Ponyville. The odds of there being any significant progress they hadn't told her about were slim, but in that kind of situation, facing for the first time in her life a problem she was powerless against, she was willing to try anything.
As if to emphasise the darkness that was encroaching over her family's trees, grey clouds had begun to blot out the Sun entirely since her sister had shut her eyelids. She prayed to whoever may listen that she would see them open again. After a few seconds of standing still, Applejack realised that picturing endless scenarios of doom that were more likely to happen than she was comfortable admitting wasn't helping anypony and resumed walking.
After an eternity of slow trotting, Applejack reached Ponyville's library tree. Without knocking, she pushed the door open and went inside. Its insides were just as messy as Applejack's felt. Various alchemical equipment was spread out over four tables, between which a lavender unicorn was constantly running to and fro, examinating results and adding new ingredients to the glass containers. Twilight had pulled out any book that could help her with the matter and left it lying open on the table in the middle of the room.
Seemingly unphased by the urgency of the situation, the purple unicorn Midnight was lazily playing with her night blue mane and slowly walking in a circle around the room to fix any mistakes her marefriend had made while also constantly reminding her to calm down.
"Twilight! Please tell me ya got somethin'!"
At the sound of Applejack's voice, Twilight was torn out of her concentration, looked to see who it was, shook her head with her eyes closed and led the Earth Pony towards a few seats. Meanwhile, Midnight was trying to prevent one of the test glasses from shooting its contents all over the room, expressing high displeasure in Twilight's carelessness through nonverbal communication.
"I've told you before, I'm doing what I can. We've made some progress, but bear with me, working through the past two days and nights is getting to me. Try to relax. I know it's hard on you, but I'll try my best to get something in time. All of Equestria is counting on me, afterall."
"It's jus'... whenever Ah go to sleep, Ah kin see her face, begging for me to end her misery. And Ah just can't help her. An'... you know what they say, after five days..." It seemed that Applejack had used up all of her self-control back at her home. She had to fight back tears with all of her might while simply speaking had turned into a matter of finding the optimal time between sobs caused by horrible visions of the sixth day.
"Don't think about that. We'll find something."
Midnight had successfully completed her task and walked over to them. Her voice remained calm and mystical as she spoke. "We better. Given the reports from other towns, when five days have passed, any foal's either recovered or dead. Erm, bad news. The Flow has marked this one. If she does survive the nights leading up to it, she'll be claimed during the fifth, should we not manage to find the cure in time."
Being told that her sister didn't even have the twenty-five percent chance of shaking it off by herself broke the dam for Applejack. She began soaking Twilight's shoulder and neck while one unicorn glared daggers at the other, who responded with an innocent look. Midnight didn't see the point in hiding what facts she had gathered through her deep connection with the world itself.
"Although I may be mistaken. But that's unlikely. In any case, the best you can do is give us time to work and try not to think about her."
"Ah guess yer right, but how can Ah forget 'bout her? She's mah whole world, Ah can't even imagine..."
"There are tons of ponies in Ponyville. Try those and give us two a break. Her chances are falling with every minute that you stick around."
Twilight was about to lecture Midnight on the art of properly consoling others when she already ran off again in order to save another sample from overflowing, leaving her alone with Applejack still bent over her, although she was starting to regain control of her emotions.
As much as she hated to, Twilight had to admit that she really wanted to get back to saving Equestria herself, so she patted Applejack on the back and softly pushed her away from herself.
"We won't fail. She just started with it, what, two days ago? So that means, if Midnight is correct, which I honestly hope she is not, we still have three, counting today. I promise I'll bring you what's necessary the day after tomorrow. If I can, even sooner, but... well, obviously, not later, erm... you know, Rainbow Dash has been kind of worrying about you. You should pay her a visit, afterall, you're still married."
"Yeah, Ah'll... be on mah way. Heh, kinda really forgot about Dash. Then again, ya can't really blame me."
Twilight pulled her back into a friendly embrace, squeezing her tight as if trying to absorb some of her pain into herself, then let go and rose back up to her hooves.
Without saying any more words, Applejack took her leave.
Now all she had to do was finding the lazy pegasus. As she knew her, Rainbow Dash was probably napping on a cloud somewhere oblivious to the inbound apocalypse. Granted, it was only a personal apocalypse for Applejack's personal world for now, but there was no telling who could be the next victim. Given Applejack's luck, it might be Dash herself. The possibility of never seeing either smile ever again terrified her beyond anything she had ever felt. Fortunately, she saw a foot of rainbow falling over the edge of a nearby cloud, as well as a hoof of Rainbow.
"Rainbow Dash, if ya know what's good fer you, ya'll come down right this instant!"
Startled by Applejack's command, which was just below shouting in volume, Dash came back from her nap flailing wildly, trying to determine the source of the noise, which destroyed her could in the process and sent her rapidly descending towards the ground. Just in time to avoid fatal injury or worse, her wings flared open. The impact still looked painful, but she absorbed the blast and walked it off as if nothing had happened.
"Ugh, what's going on?" Rainbow rubbed her sleepy eyes and spotted Applejack's unsteady frame, her frayed mane, her baggy eyes. "Oh my, did you..."
"Not me. Apple Bloom did an' Ah jus' can't stop thinking 'bout her... She's only got three days left, Rainbow!" As time flew, her voice began to show her desperation.
"That is, give Twilight can't do anything about it in time, and I know she will."
"Ah guess yer right, ah gotta have faith in mah friends."
"In a broken world, faith is all we have left. Don't think I don't know what's on your mind because you didn't bother to tell me. But there's nothing you can do."
"An' Ah can't stand that. How wouldya like it if your family tree was 'bout ta get pruned?"
"It won't be. But what's the point in having the same worries run through your head over and over again? Come on, let's get you some happier thoughts."
"Ah..." It appeared that Rainbow Dash's motivatory speech was in vain. Thus, she decided to interrupt Applejack in the most gentle way possible and planted a soft kiss on her beloved's lips. She hadn't intended for it to last longer than two all too short seconds, but when she wanted to pull away, Dash felt two forelegs fixating her head in place and complied.
After a full ten seconds, during which Applejack forced them both to savor the moment and each other's presence on a dirt road right in the middle of Ponyville, in plain sight, causing ponies around them to, at first, look at them with genuine interest, then avert their gazes upon realising that they were just two more youngsters openly living out their love.
In a way, they were, though neither of them was still the filly they both felt like in that moment.
"Transcend your worries. Who are you?"
"Ah'm Applejack..."
"Excuse me?"
"Ah'm Applejack of the Apple family and I'm an Assassin."
"There ya go. How do you feel?"
"Better. Thanks, sugar. Ah'll jus'..." Applejack turned South and prepared to leave, but Dash held her tight.
"No. You won't go back now. She's asleep, she'll be fine without you. Now, we'll be enjoying the fact that you finally managed to empty your head."
Applejack shook the dust from her mane, throwing the last of her doubts and fears out of her mind in the process, and righted the Stetson on her head. At last, she could accept her powerlessness, and through that, take complete control of her life again.
"Yeah. Let's go. Ya got anythin'? No zombie apocalypse movies though, please."
"Of course not. Although we'd probably be alone, everypony's too scared of inf... yeah."
"Let's jus' go to the spa."
"Really? Aw, okay. Your wish is my command. Always. Not just right now, of course. Because in marriage, one's gotta be the other's slave. My own fault for claiming the suit at our wedding, hm?"
Applejack's facial expression changed into one of heavy disbelief. "Sugarcube, yer..."
Rainbow Dash sighed. "Look, I'm as worked up about this as you are and I'm trying to make it better for you by giving you an easy time. Play along, please, would you?"
"Yer probably right. Now carry me there, 'slave'!" Applejack was smiling. That was all Rainbow had hoped for.
"Alright, brace yourself, 'master'."