> Skinless, Maneless, Hoofless, Fearless
>  by BaroqueNexus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Skinless, Maneless, Hoofless, Fearless



Hospitals. They’re always the same. Green walls, harsh lights, stale air. Even in Equestria. But the two ponies that ran into Ponyville Hospital one Friday afternoon weren’t interested in observing the building’s décor. The bigger of the two, Big Macintosh, nearly barreled over a nurse on his stampede towards the information center. Applejack, the other pony, stopped him from destroying the front desk, then frantically approached one of the nurse ponies behind the desk. 
“I’m lookin’ for my sister,” she panted. “They told us she was doin’ bad.”
“What’s your name, ma’am?” the nurse said in a bored voice.
“Applejack. And this is my brother, Big Macintosh. We’re here t’see our sister, Applebloom.” 
“Let’s see—Applewood, Apple Tree, Crab Apple—ah, yes, Applebloom. Room 234 on the second level.”
“Thank ya kindly!” Applejack and Big Macintosh galloped off down the hall, and the nurse behind the desk couldn’t have cared less. 
Climbing stairs and passing through more bland hallways, the two Apple siblings finally managed to reach room 234, only to find it blocked by caution tape, guard ponies, plastic, and a half-dozen ponies dressed in inflatable rubber hazmat suits. A gaggle of reporter ponies stood at the far end of the hall, held back by police stallions. A guardspony approached the brother and sister.
“Sir, ma’am, I’m afraid this is a quarantine zone. You’ll have to leave.”
“We ain’t leavin’ til we’ve seen our sister! Right, Big Macintosh?”
“Eeyup.” 
“Sister? Wait, you two are related to Applebloom?” 
“Of course we are!” the mare said, stomping her hoof. “I’m Applejack and this is Big Macintosh! Now what’s going on with our sister?”
“Yeah,” Big Mac piped up. “What’s goin’ on here? Why all the commotion?”
Suddenly the guardspony looked grave. “You’re family. Oh, Celestia, this is not good…”
“You better start explainin’, pal,” Big Macintosh growled.
“You might as well come see for yourself,” the guard replied. “Follow me.” 
The guard led them to the room adjacent to 234. Inside, ponies were taking notes, looking through a window, or getting dressed and blown up in their inflatable suits. Applejack was just beginning to wonder why the hospital ponies needed inflatable clothing when she caught sight of the interior of Room 234. 
Inside, lying on the bed with two inflated rubber ponies over her, was Applebloom. She looked fine, but Applejack could see the look of immense pain on her sister’s face. Something was hurting her badly.
“But I don’t understand,” she managed. “She only came in fer a checkup. Why’s she in bed? Why’s she still in t’hospital?”
“You, er, may want to sit down, Applejack and Big Macintosh,” the guardspony said. “Dr. Trotsky will explain everything to the best of his ability. Doctor?”
A pale blue unicorn with a white mane and black glasses stepped forward, nervously adjusting his tie with his mouth. “Er, greetings, Miss Applejack and Mister Big Macintosh. I trust you are well?”
“With all due respect, Doc, just tell us what’s happenin’ t’Applebloom,” Big Mac said impatiently.
“Oh, very well. I sent a note to your residence about an hour ago, but at the time could not in words describe what the situation was that your sister is undergoing. As of now, we’re still baffled as to what is causing these effects…”
“What effects?”
Dr. Trotsky turned to Applejack. “I’m afraid your sister’s checkup revealed something fare more sinister, something that patients have nightmares about, and something that doctors dream of someday encountering! Such a rare and inexplicable…”
“Doc. My sister?” AJ interrupted. 
“Ah, yes. Well, I’m not entirely sure how else to put it, Miss Applejack, so I will be blunt. Your sister may be dying.”
Suddenly it was very cold, and the two siblings could hear their hearts beating in their chests. Applejack’s throat tightened, and she gulped.
“D-Dying?”
“Primary examination indicates rapid necrosis as a result of infection via the elusive and all-too-common buckworm.”
“Necrosis? Doc, I ain’t a doc, I’m a farm pony. What are you saying?”
But Big Macintosh knew what the doctor meant by necrosis, and was paralyzed with fear. Trostky went on.
“Miss Applejack, I’m not sure if you…”
“Ah, to heck with what I want to hear and what I don’t want! Tell me what’s happenin’ to my sister!”	
The doctor adjusted his tie again. “Very well. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Your sister has a severe infection as a result of being bitten or otherwise affected by the common buckworm, most often found in rotten apples. The infection, known as trot-rot, is among the rarest of diseases in Equestria. You see, to most ponies, a bite from the buckworm does little more than warrant an itching sensation, perhaps a rash. But I’m afraid that it’s much worse in your sister’s case. You see, the infection has spread over her entire body, and her cells are fighting against it—but they are being too successful. Her body is destroying itself.”
“Wait,” AJ gasped. “Are you tellin’ me she’s got some kinda flesh-eatin’ disease?” 
To her horror, the doctor nodded. Big Macintosh let out something like a cross between a gasp and a sigh. AJ twisted her head, craning her neck to see into the next room, but the rubber ponies were blocking her line of sight.
“I’m afraid we’ve had to take the utmost initiative in safety. We quarantined your sister, as you can see. We had to be cautious.”
“But…but…” Big Macintosh stuttered. “Does that mean we cain’t go in ‘n see her?”
The doctor frowned sympathetically. “I’m afraid not. Not unless you received permission from the health administrator, Dr. Goodmane. Besides, I don’t think we have any hazardous materials clothing your size.”
“T’heck with that!” the stallion growled. “Yer tellin’ me I cain’t go in an’ see my sister, who happens t’be DYIN’?!” 
Taken aback by the outburst, Dr. Trotsky backed away. AJ put a hoof on her brother’s shoulder, calming him, then turned to the doctor. “How long does she have, Doc?”
At this, Trotsky looked especially grave. “Less than a week, I’m afraid. Her right hind leg has already been amputated.”
“WHAT?!”
“We tried in vain to stop the infection from its point of origin! But unfortunately, every procedure we undertake only prolongs the inevitable. It seems that there is no cure for your sister. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Applejack fumed. “Yer sorry? What am I gonna tell Granny Smith?! Huh? Am I gonna be the one t’tell her that her lil’ filly’s gonna die? She’d drop dead if she even heard that!”
“Miss Applejack, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing more I can tell you. We’re doing everything we can, but…”
“No, you ain’t. Lemme in to t’see my sister.”	
“You’ll have to talk to Dr. Goodmane.”
“Fine. Where is he?”
The doctor nipped at his tie uncomfortably. “He’s flying here from Canterlot. He’ll be here tomorrow.”
“WHAT?!” Big Macintosh and Applejack shouted in unison. This time, they were so loud that a nurse came in and forced them from the room. Trotsky poked his head out the door after they had been thrown out.
“I’m sorry, you two. I’ll contact Goodmane, see what we can do. But right now, nopony goes in or out of that room unless they’re suited up and cleared to go.”
He shut the door, leaving the brother and sister alone in the hallway.

“It was us, Big Mac.”
“Hmm?”
“Buckworms. I heard a’them before. They’re the worms that always eat our apples durin’ applebuck season. But I never knew they could be so…so…”
Applejack was a tough mare. She did not want to cry in front of the other ponies in the hospital lobby. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she cried. But now…
“Oh, no. We took Applebloom out for applebuck season.”
“Yeah. You don’t think?”
“No,” Big Macintosh said firmly, his voice cracking a little. “No, it wasn’t that. Couldn’t have been. It was somethin’ else.”
“What else?”
The red stallion had no answer, and just as Applejack thought she was going to break down in tears, five voices cried out simultaneously.
“APPLEJACK!”
She looked up and there were her friends, her PFFs, galloping through the lobby toward her. Rainbow Dash, being the fastest, reached her first, followed by Twilight, Fluttershy, and the rest of her marefriends. 
“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “We heard something was happening, we all came as soon as we could!”
“Granted, we would have gotten here a lot faster if Rarity hadn’t held us up,” Twilight said crossly as Spike dismounted her. Rarity looked affronted. 
“One does not simply take an outfit at random, darling, not even in a potential crisis! You have to look the part, you see?”
“Girls,” AJ said, biting her lip and holding back tears. “My sister’s dying.” 
In hindsight, this was as much of a revelation to Applejack as it was to the rest of her friends. She felt even worse after saying it, because she had validated it. This wasn’t a nightmare. It was real.
Applebloom was dying. 
“Oh,” Fluttershy said softly. “Oh my goodness. Dying?” 
“Applebloom?” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “How?”
“Infection,” Big Macintosh said, his face grim and his green eyes brimming with tears. “She got ‘n infection. It’s killin’ her. It’s been eatin’ her flesh.”
“Oh my,” Rarity gasped. “Forgive me, darling. I had no idea. I would have gladly shortened by dressage time had I known the situation was so dire!” 
“Uh, girls?” Pinkie Pie piped up. “What does ‘dying’ mean?” 
Everypony looked at her with wide eyes. Rainbow Dash hovered over to her.
“You don’t know what dying means?”
“Nope!” Pinkie said, blissfully ignorant. “Well, if Applebloom’s flesh is being eaten, that can’t be very good! I know what’ll cheer her up! A…”
“Don’t say it!” everypony exclaimed. Pinkie became quiet, though her eyes still sparkled and she still wore that happy, innocent grin. Applejack was confused. A pony who’d never heard of dying before? 
“Pinkie, er,” she started to say, but then she felt the bench shake underneath her. Big Macintosh was shaking. His eyes were narrowed and his teeth were clenched. He seemed to be holding back a tidal wave of anger, and that tidal wave had its sights set on the bouncy pink pony. 
“I dunno whether I should believe you or just kick your rump all the way t’ Appleloosa,” he growled.
“Big Mac, what’s the…” And then Applejack realized. The other ponies were backing away, except Pinkie, of course. But Applejack knew why her brother was angry.
He thought Pinkie Pie was being coy. He thought she was making fun of them, making fun of Applebloom. 
“Uh, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash said. “Maybe you should, um, go find, uh…” 
“Pinkie, wait outside. Please.” 
Twilight’s sharp command managed to get Pinkie away from Big Macintosh as Fluttershy accompanied her outside. Spike, who had been quiet up until now, piped up.
“Pinkie doesn’t know what dying means?”
“Why would she?” Twilight answered. “She lives a life of parties and fun. What pony ever died from having too much fun?”
Spike opened his mouth to answer, but decided against it. By then, Big Macintosh had calmed down. Applejack cleared her throat. 
“I appreciate y’all comin’ down, but there’s nothing any y’all can do. They won’t let us in t’ see her.”
“What?!” Twilight exclaimed. “But, why? You’re family!”
“They quarantined her,” Big Macintosh replied. “They’re only lettin’ the rubber ponies in t’ see her.”
“Rubber ponies?” Rainbow Dash said quizzically. “There are rubber ponies?” 
“No, Rainbow, he’s talking about the hazmat ponies.” 
“Oh, like the ones that showed up when Applebloom…”
Dash’s voice trailed off, but AJ knew where she was going. The pegasus hadn’t been present when Applebloom had contracted cutie pox, sending the town into a frenzy. If it hadn’t been for Zecora, she might have succumbed to the pox.
Applejack’s eyes widened.
“Zecora!”
Everypony jumped, even Big Macintosh. 
“If anypony can help my sister, it’d be her! She did it before, remember?”
“Hey, yeah!” Rainbow Dash said sincerely. “Zecora’s got all kinds of potions and stuff that could help Applebloom!” 
“I don’t know,” Twilight said unsurely. “From what it sounds like, this isn’t something a simple potion or mixture can take care of. How bad is it, AJ?”
She couldn’t bring herself to say it, so Big Macintosh answered. “They already cut off one o’ her hind legs.”
Rarity looked disgusted. “Barbarians! Why would they do such a thing?”
“They have to stop the disease from spreading, Rarity. I’m sure they had no other choice.”
“But did it work?” Spike asked. 
Applejack sniffled and shook her head slowly. “She’s got less ‘n a week left.”
“Oh, Applejack.” 
Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash gave their friend a comforting group hug. Spike, feeling left out, hugged Big 		Macintosh, and nearly paid the price when the stallion almost crushed him in his powerful bear hug. 
Applejack finally started to cry as she embraced her friends. 

Four days passed, and she became gotten even worse.
Applejack had not left the hallway that held Room 234 for days, forgoing sleep, food, and drink. Big Macintosh had brought Granny Smith in, and the poor old mare nearly had a heart attack when she saw her niece in the hospital room, rotting alive. 
Big Mac, Granny, and a few other Apple family members had gotten permission to stay in the reception area for as long as they needed. Applejack, however, remained in the hallway day after day, night after night, never letting herself get in the way of the ponies trying to save her sister’s life, but never letting her gaze slip from her yellow coat, her crimson mane.
But on the fourth day, Applejack barely recognized her sister. She had lost a lot of weight, and her skin, where it wasn’t decayed, hung off in folds or pressed against her bones. Occasionally she would drift into unconsciousness, but never sleep. She was in too much pain for sleep. The medicine and painkillers they were feeding her weren’t doing anything. Applejack’s heart broke every time she looked through the glass and saw her sister’s bloodshot eyes, and whenever she heard her agonizing moans, she wanted to break through the glass and comfort her, care for her, tell her everything was going to be all right…
“AJ?”
Rainbow Dash sidled up next to her friend, carrying on her back a food tray. Applejack eyed her wearily. 
“I, uh, brought you some food,” the pegasus said. “It’s not great. I know from experience. But you’ve got to eat, Applejack.”
“What’s the point, Rainbow?” Applejack asked. “Why bother? My sister’s wastin’ away in there. What’s the point? Goodmane didn’t do anything.”
It was true. Dr. Felix Goodmane had arrived in a slick chariot the day after Applejack and Big Macintosh had gotten the news, and he had passed the brother and sister without so much as saying hello. He spent two days in Room 234, then left. When he left he looked exhausted, frustrated, but with no trace of sympathy for the dying filly. Apparently even the great Felix Goodmane couldn’t save Applebloom. 
“Forget about him, you need to keep your strength up. C’mon, AJ.”
“Why are you here, Rainbow? This is my sister. This is my burden to bear. You’ve never lost anypony and I’m about t’lose my little sister.”
Rainbow Dash looked hurt as she set the tray down on a table next to the bench, just as Applejack said, “Besides, you hate me.”
The pegasus looked as if somepony had slapped her. “What? I don’t hate you! Where’d that idea even come from?” 
“The Runnin’ of the Leaves, the Iron Pony competition. Both those times you were so mad at me, I figured you must hate my guts deep down.”
“Applejack, I don’t hate anypony. What are you saying?”
AJ began to sob. “I’m s-sorry, Rainbow. It’s just I can’t think straight with all this here happenin’ around me. Applebloom’s dyin’, and there’s nothin’ I can do about it.” 
“You’re wrong, AJ. You can do something about it. You already are.”
Rainbow sat next to her friend and placed a comforting hoof on her friend’s back. “I told Pinkie Pie about death, and Rarity thinks I gave her nightmares.”
Then Rainbow Dash felt something shake underneath her hoof, and she finally realized why AJ was so upset in a burst of unexpected empathy.
“Applejack, are you afraid of death?” 
Silence followed Dash’s question for several minutes until AJ raised her head and looked into her friend’s eyes. 
“I’m not as tough as y’all think I am, Rainbow. Remember when we first met Zecora? I was shakin’ and shiverin’ but Applebloom was as iron-willed as Iron Will. But death…I can’t deal with death. Every time I look at Granny Smith I wonder if she’ll live t’see tomorrow morning. Every time I look at Big Macintosh I’m afraid he’ll do more than just hurt his back when he’s applebuckin’. Every time I look at you, even, in the sky, I’m afraid you’ll hit the ground an’ never wake up. Not a day goes by where I don’t worry about somepony dyin’. It scares me, Rainbow. And this…Applebloom’s young. She ain’t even got her cutie mark, and she’s gonna die. The doctors ain’t tellin’ me anything.”
She breathed as her gaze shifted to the window of Room 234. “Look at her. She don’t even look like a pony no more. Her mane’s gone. Her skin’s peelin’ off. They keep comin’ out of the room with sheets of blood and pus and stuff I didn’t even know was in the pony body. And I ain’t there for her, Rainbow.  I ain’t there for her. The damn glass and damn doctors are keeping me from sayin’ goodbye.”
Rainbow Dash stared wide-eyed. She’d never heard Applejack swear before. 
“She’s not afraid o’ anythin’, Applebloom,” she continued. “Never was. Always lookin’ for adventure and sometimes trouble. But now, she’s in agony and I can’t do nothin’ to help her. Don’t you see, Rainbow? You see why I’m afraid o’ death? Because it always strikes at your heart and never gives any sorta leeway. It swoops down an’ takes away not just somepony’s life, but somepony’s will t’ live.”
Dash gasped. “AJ, what are you saying? AJ?” 
Something changed in Applejack’s eyes, as if a candle had been lit in both pupils. They narrowed as she stood up, weak from hunger and thirst. She began to breathe heavily.
“Break it.”
“Huh?”
“Break the window, Rainbow. I can’t do it myself. I’m too weak. Yer strong. Break it.”
“Applejack, are you nuts? I can’t break the window! That’s illegal!” 
“Then yer condemnin’ Applebloom. Yer condemnin’ her to die alone and afraid.” 
Rainbow Dash was speechless, and she could not look away from her friend’s burning eyes. Her heart began to pound. She gulped.
“Break it, Dash. For her sake.” 
A tear fell from Dash’s eye and she lowered her head and began to breathe heavily, just like Applejack. Several seconds passed, and suddenly the pegasus grabbed the table with the food and threw it at the window with all her might, smashing the glass. Bits and shards flew everywhere, nicking Applejack’s face, but she didn’t care. She leapt over the window and into the room as concerned voices began to echo in the hallway.
The room smelled like death, if death even had a smell. It could not be more appropriate for a hospital. White walls, linoleum floor, harsh lighting. The walls were lined with equipment and machines that made all kinds of noises, but Applejack had eyes only for the filly behind the curtains. Gasping, knowing she had little time, she drew back the curtain.
Applebloom was no longer Applebloom but something else, something with black, necrotic flesh, something bald as an egg and weak as a newborn calf. She had a half-dozen tubes attached to her body, pumping all sorts of medicines and fluids into her decrepit form. The heart rate monitor beeped slowly. She opened her eyes suddenly but slowly. 
“A…App-lejack…”
“I’m here, Applebloom,” AJ sobbed, looking over her maimed body. “I’m here.”
Voices. Coming from the outside.
“What happened? Oh, by Celestia…” 
“We have a breach! Room 234!”
“What’s she doing in there?” 
“Somebody get a doctor here!” 
She didn’t hear any of them. For seconds that felt like minutes, she embraced her sister, unaware that her brother lay in hoofcuffs in the lobby, having assaulted an intern in his attempt to get to Applejack. 
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“You’re here….Applejack…”
“I’m here, Applebloom. AJ’s here.”
“I’m…afraid…”
“Don’t be, sugarcube,” she says, trying not to hyperventilate, swallowing and gasping. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here, little sister. I’m here.” 
Applebloom smiled, and for the briefest moment, Applejack could see her sister through the dirty bandages and rotten flesh, her true self, a happy filly with a life full of potential.
Cut down.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Don’t let go, sis.” 
“I won’t. I won’t. I promise.” 
They still embraced even as chaos ensued outside. Rainbow Dash did her best to stall the guards and the doctors. Applebloom coughed and looked into her sister’s tear-filled eyes.
“I’m gonna be…okay, Applejack. I’m…I’m not afraid anymore.” 
Applejack could no longer hold back her tears, and she let them fall onto her little sister’s bandages as she tightened her embrace. 
“Neither am I, Applebloom.” 
The guardsponies got through the broken window and began to pry Applejack away from her sister, yelling and shouting. But she didn’t hear them. It was as if she were underwater. Their voices were distant and muffled. They dragged her to the door, even though she didn’t resist. So many noises echoed around her, all muffled and distorted.
She only heard one thing clearly. 
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…