//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: A secret meeting. 
// Story: The original outbreak. 
// by Apple-Bloom 
//------------------------------//

	I sat in my chair as Ms. Cheerilee taught her history lesson on the Paleopony Period, and the mysterious disease that appeared and mysteriously disappeared during it, all the while glaring at me. She was teaching about the time Cutie Pox had it's one major outbreak, killing many ponies from exhaustion.
"Apple Bloom," our teacher finally said,"Would you like to say anything on the subject."
"Thowwwwy about this Apple Bloom,"Twist lisped into my ear spraying slobber all through my mane,"This has got to thuck..."
"It's fine," I grumbled, embarrassed as I was.
"Apple Bloom?" asked Cheerilee again,"Will you come to the front of the class?"
At this, I got up from my front row seat, and stepped in front of the class,"Didn't I already tell 'yall, it started out awesome, then began to stink when I couldn't sleep because my body was being forced to tap dance!"
"Thank you Apple Bloom," said Ms. Cheerilee,"But other than just that, what was it like?"
"A battle with my own hyperactive body, just so I could rest, just so I could eat, just so I could fulfill the necessities of normal life, and I reckon the inability to do that was what caused ponies over a thousand years ago to drop dead, and luckily for me Zecora somehow knew a cure where Princess Twilight's book didn't, and in that case Ms. Cheerilee, how did you know about the Cutie Pox for this lesson where Twilight had to find it in one of her books?"
"The Paleopony Period is a normal part of the curriculum that I have to cover as a teacher," Ms. Cheerilee smiled,"And speaking of Zecora's one known cure, does anypony in the room know the name of the cure?"
I raised my hoof methodically.
"Well of course you know it," Laughed Cheerilee before looking at the rest of the class to see Sweetie Belle also raising her hoof,"And the rest of your group of friends."
Twist raised her own hoof.
"Yes Twist!" Cheerilee called out excitedly as Sweetie Belle and I put our own hoofs down.
"It was the Hearthh Dethire Flower right? It blooms here in Ponyville!"
"No Twist," laughed Cheerilee,"Hearts Desire, if I'm not mistaken actually caused the disease in Apple Bloom."
"Yes," I grumbled,"Heart's Desire did cause it..."
"Anyone else think they know the name of the cure?" Cheerilee continued.
"Oohhh Oooooh! I know!" called out Sweetie Belle.
"Yes?"
"It was the flower that bloomed from the Seeds of Truth!"
"That is correct!"
"A lifesaving blend of a beautiful flower, and the flavor of rotten apples in a blend of Canterlot's sewage, don't ask how I know that flavor..."
"It was an exploring cutie mark attempt where we ran out of water in our bottles and we were trapped in the sewer!" Laughed Scootaloo,"Those were the times!"
"I'm sorry," said Diamond Tiara,"But that was unnecessarily disgusting."
I hung my head, humiliated not only because of the reminder of the Cutie Pox incident from over a year before, but because of Scootaloo telling the whole class that I had desperately drunk out of a sewer.
Suddenly, the bell for the end of class rung and I was freed of any more questioning, and luckily would not have to humiliate myself anymore in front of the class.
"Before you go," Featherweight walked up to me,"Will you write me an article about the Cutie Pox for the Foal Free Press, it was just over a year ago, and I bet ponyville would love it, also ponies did love your writing, for a bit."
"I quit from writing for the Foal Free Press a long time ago"
"Maybe if you get the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, you can do a Gabby Gums reunion article!"
"I guess I will talk to the rest of the Crusaders, but likely, Gabby Gums is ancient history." 
I began walking over to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo when Silver Spoon grabbed me,"I need to speak to you and the Crusaders in private, meet me later at the deep end of the Everfree forest."
"That isn't a safe place to meet."
"We need to keep our meeting secret, so we must meet there."
"Why not in our clubhouse?"
"Anypony could be eavesdropping, at any moment."
"Alright, we'll meet you there I guess."
I walked over to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
"Whats up?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Do we have some awesome quest?" continued Scootaloo.
"First, Featherweight wants us to do a Gabby Gums reunion article on the Cutie Pox, second, Silver Spoon wants to meet us secretly in the Everfree Forest."									
"First," said Sweetie Belle,"Gabby Gums was a total disaster, second, Lets go meet Silver Spoon!"
Quickly, we walked into the Everfree forest which loomed at the edge of Ponyville, and as we walked into the forest, we realized that the air was more humid than it normally was and the trees beckoned us in like a dangerous trap where we were the mice and the many creatures of the forest were a giant cat.
"Anypony think we should turn back?" asked Sweetie Belle suddenly worried.
"I'm not scared," lied Scootaloo.
"Let's continue," I said,"Whatever is going on, we have to help Silver Spoon."
After that, we continued quickly as we wanted to get out of the forest sooner rather than later, for later, timberwolves would come and they would eat us one by one, taking us down like a raging tiger, then gobble us up one by one like a hungry ape given a rare piece of food, and let me assure you, none of us were in the mood to be dinner that night.
As we kept up our brisk pace, suddenly we heard crunching leaves behind us and stopped, turning only to see Silver Spoon.
"This spot should work for our meeting," Silver Spoon said, looking around frantically.
"Ok, so what do you need help with," I started.
"Recently, my father disappeared in these very woods, and while it was rare for him to come out here, he did a week ago, and has yet to return."
"We'd be happy to help," I said,"But we are supposed to help with everypony's purpose, we aren't detectives."
"I need you help," she began to cry.
"Lets find your dad!" the crusaders and I said in unison.
Silver Spoon looked up at us hopefully.