Sweet Apple Acres had become a hospital. Everywhere one looked, ponies lied sick as dogs, wheezing and coughing and leaking disgusting fluids everywhere. All applebucking had been put on hold, sales had halted, nobody could even come or go for risk of spreading the disease.
 
And Honeycrisp was in the center of it all, frantically sanitizing every surface and tending to her ailing family members. This was was worse than any flu season she’d dealt with at the school.
 
”Honey? Can you c’mere?”
 
”Yes, Pa?” Honey trotted over to her father with a can of disinfectant wipes in hoof. “What d’you need? More tissues? Ointment for yer neck? Soup?”
 
”Eenope. No need for that right now. Ah got plenty.” Big Macintosh wiped his runny snout with a tissue. “Actually, Ah wanted to talk to you.”
 
“What is it?”
 
“Y’see Hon, we’ve been under the weather for awhile and none of our medicines seem to be working. An’ Princess Twilight’s fancy medical book says it’s somethin’ called Strangles…but we don’t have the right medicine fer it.”
 
“Yes, yes, I read it. But it could take a month or more to send fer it.”
 
”Eeyup…” Big Mac sighed weakly. “But Ah don’t think we’ll make it that long.”
 
”Pa, what are you saying?” Honey’s eyes widened in concern.
 
“Honey, Ah want you to find Zecora. Aunt AJ knows her and can give ya directions. Ah think it’s our best hope at this point.”
 
”But Pa!” Honey exclaimed. “She lives in the Everfree Forest! And Ah can’t leave y’all! Who’s gonna take care of ya?”
 
”Whatcha squealin’ like a tea kettle over this time?”
 
Honey whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice to find the one pony she didn’t want to deal with: Somerset Sour Cider.
 
”It ain’t yer business, Somerset!”
 
“Ain’t mah business?” Somerset flaunted into the room, flicking Honey smugly with their tail and turning towards their father. “Papa, didn’t ‘cha say the Apple family’s business is everypony’s business?”
 
”Eeyup,” Big Mac patted their back affectionately. “Honey’s gonna go get us a cure. And yer gonna go with her.”
 
“What!?” Honey sputtered and stammered, horrified by the thought of having to put up with her devilish little sibling even more. “A-Ah can do this on mah own! You can’t make me put u—expose them to the dangers of the forest!”
 
Big Mac chuckled. “Oh Honey, always lookin’ out fer others. Ah have faith you’ll be fine. Ya both will. Yer already keepin’ Som safe by takin’ them away from all the germs-” he suddenly broke into a coughing fit.
 
”If only they’d catch it too so I wouldn’t have to put up with this horse hockey…” Honey cleared her throat. “Well Som, pack yer saddlebags. We’re leavin’ in an hour.”
 
”Yay! Ah get to spend time with mah sissy!” Somerset bounded after her with over-the-top enthusiasm. Then, once everypony else was out of earshot, “Ah heard that, Flamingo.”
 
Honey shot them a sharp glare. “Shut yer pie hole or Ah’m feeding ya to the manticores!”