Applejack looked over her shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time.

"You've gotta keep up Apple Bloom. It's not safe."

Apple Bloom nodded solemnly, picking up the pace. Applejack waited for her to catch up before continuing. She knew she needed to be gentle with her sister with what they'd just gone through, but grief had to be put aside now. They couldn't afford to be distracted by their feelings. Distraction could be fatal.

Ponyville was beginning to peek into sight. Applejack wasn't sure what they were going to find when they arrived. If given the opportunity she would pass over the town entirely, but she had to see what happened. All she'd ever seen from the farm was smoke. And that had been months ago.

Months..

Had it really only been that long? To Applejack it had felt like a lifetime. A lifetime of seeing the world go to Tartarus. A lifetime of watching ponies she once knew go insane. A lifetime of watching her family die around her.

Now that lifetime was gone. Her life was over.

Applejack didn't exist anymore.

She'd stopped being Applejack the moment Celestia had pronounced the sickness unmanageable. The most powerful alicorn in all Equestria and she couldn't help whatsoever! And not even Twilight had argued against her. Nopony had. And that's when Applejack, the Element of Honesty, had ceased to exist. And it all happened with three words. Her first outright lie.

"We'll be fine."

From there everything happened in the blink of an eye. Over half of Equestria was infected. Twilight had returned to Canterlot to find a cure. The others had gone home to prepare for the worst. And what had Applejack done?

"We'll be fine."

She let her family believe that everything was going to work out. And she hadn't done it out of love. She couldn't protect them now that there was no hope. So she told them what they wanted to hear. She let them think they'd be safe. But they weren't.

"We'll be fine."

The lie she told herself every morning. But she never believed it. She would never believe it as long as she continued living. And yet she still said it. Why? Why did she keep trying to trick herself into having hope? Hope didn't exist anymore.

"Applejack?"

Applejack shook her head, pushing her darker thoughts to the back of her mind. She turned to Apple Bloom.

"Huh?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Yeah! Now come on. We gotta get to town."

"But we are in town."

Applejack looked around in confusion. They were standing in the center of town. Had she been that deep in thought? How could she be so careless!

"Did you see anything on our way in?"

Apple Bloom shook her head.

"Nope. I think Ponyville's empty."

Empty? Had everypony really abandoned their home?

"Come on. Let's see if we can find anything to take with us."

--------------------------------------

Home by home. Store by store. Nothing. Ponies had been sure to take their belongings. Even the quill and sofa shop was devoid of its usual stock of merchandise! Why would a pony take a sofa when leaving town?

"What about that shop Sis?"

Applejack looked where Apple Bloom was pointing. There was a shop hidden around the corner. Had there always been a shop there?

"Okay. But stay behind me."

Apple Bloom fell in behind her sister as they approached the shop. Boards covered the windows and door. Applejack thought it odd that anypony would bother boarding up if they were just abandoning the place. Unless...

"I think there might be somepony inside."

"What do you mean?"

"Why else would they put these boards up? They did it for protection."

"You sure? What if it's sick ponies?"

"We won't know until we look inside."

"Perhaps I can ease your minds."

The sisters turned to see the door wide open. The boards that were nailed to it appeared to be for show only. And standing in the doorway was a brown stallion. He motioned for the two to come in.

"You'd better come along before night falls. That's when most of them come out."

Applejack stood still while Apple Bloom hurried inside the shop. She stared at the stallion.

"Can we trust you?"

"As much as I can trust you at this point."

She nodded. It was a fair answer.

"Name's Applejack."

"Dr. Time Turner. You can just call me Doctor."

"Okay...Doctor. Thanks for the shelter."

"No problem. It'll be nice to have somepony else to talk to. I could use the companionship."

Applejack walked past and entered the shop. Apple Bloom was wandering around looking at the walls. From the looks of it this Doctor used to run a clock shop. Clocks of various shapes and sizes covered every last inch of wall space.

"I guess you know how long it's been since this all started huh Doctor?"

"7 months, 16 days, 4 hours, 34 minutes, 6 seconds."

"Uh... Okay. I was kind of kidding."

Apple Bloom sat down next to Applejack.

"Is there any other pony in town?"

"I haven't left the shop since the Sickness first hit. I don't know if there are any regular ponies left."

"Regular ponies?"

"The ponies who haven't gotten sick."

Applejack narrowed her eyes.

"And what do you call sick ponies?"

"Trotters. That's what they're doing half the time."

"What do they do the other half?"

The Doctor glanced from Applejack to Apple Bloom. The filly sat up tall.

"I'm a big pony. I can take it."

"Very well. I use the name Trotters over what they really are. And that's monsters."

"Monsters?"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

"Have you never seen one of them?"

"My.. My brother Big Mac was sick. But he died."

"Is that so? You're sure about that?"

"Of course. We buried him. And Applejack was with him when he died."

The stallion's eyes turned from Apple Bloom back to Applejack.

"The Sickness killed him?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so sorry. Apple Bloom I have some food in the back room if you want to find us a snack before you two get settled for the night."

Apple Bloom smiled and walked behind the counter towards the back room. The second she was out of sight the Doctor glared at Applejack.

"What really happened?"

Applejack tried to avoid his gaze, but to no avail. Why should she have to tell this stallion anything?

"I can understand why you haven't told her. But it won't protect her for long."

"She doesn't need to know anything."

"And what happens when she hears the facts?"

"What facts? It's just a bad disease."

"Disease?! You call ponies being driven insane and killing others a disease?!"

"It's just sickness. It messes with their head a little. I'm sure they're just hallucinatin'."

"Is that what your brother was doing?"

"Big Mac was a strong pony. And he always cared about family."

"Not in the end though I'm sure."

"You don't know anything about it!"

"Then tell me!"

"Fine! He lost his mind. He began to say things that made my mane curl. And one day he attacked me."

"He tried to kill you."

"Yeah. And I could tell that wasn't all he was going to do."

"I thought as much."

"How could my brother even consider such a thing! We're ponies! We don't eat-"

She stopped, unable to finish the thought. Her memories were resurfacing of the attack;

Big Mac had her pinned and he was licking his lips. What was he doing?

"What's wrong with you Mac?"

"I'm hungry. I haven't eaten in days!"

"I've brought you food every day! It's your fault you didn't eat it."

"No! Apples aren't what I want."

"What do you mean?"

"You look so...delicious."

"Big Mac! Snap out of it!"

He leaned over towards her.

"So hungry..."

She pulled her hind legs in and bucked her brother right in the stomach. He flew back onto the bed. She grabbed his pillow and held it over his face. She could barely hold back his struggling body. But she couldn't let him up. She had to do it...

"I had to do it."

The Doctor put a hoof on her shoulder.

"I understand. But please consider telling your sister. You can't keep her in the dark forever."

"With the way the world's going, the dark is all that's left."

"I don't believe that for one second. There's always light somewhere. But the important thing is that we keep some of that light within ourselves. Otherwise we're no better than Trotters."

Applejack nodded even though she thought he was wrong. And it seemed he could tell that as well.

Apple Bloom reappeared with some cookies on a plate. The Doctor smiled and grabbed one, munching on it happily. Applejack took one with less enthusiasm. Was he right? Should she tell Apple Bloom what really happened? Watching the filly, she found it was the first time she'd seen her smile in weeks. Could she really take that away from her?

What would Apple Bloom think if she knew she had murdered their brother?

A single fear rolled down Applejack's cheek. She couldn't tell her. Besides, she wasn't an honest pony anymore. Applejack didn't exist. Applejack had died when Big Mac's body had finally stopped shuddering.