Off within the Everfree Forest, in particular by some greenery swamp, Steven, Peridot, Zecora and Fluttershy were off at work getting their hands and hooves dirty. It was a main favor to ask for Fluttershy's sake, and not too bad for them either. Zecora kept Steven steady by her tail holding onto one branch, and Steven reaching out to the shallows of the bog to get what looked like some floating green plants. In one more stretch, Steven just managed to grab the clump and tossed it over to Peridot and Fluttershy, whom were holding open a sack for the stuff to be thrown into.

"Thank you so much. I never would've found the crisscross moss without you," Fluttershy said.

"Of course. I know where it grows, so it's not much to ask. Though retrieving it has been a difficult task," Zecora admitted, letting go of Steven for just a moment and trying to reach some herself with her own hooves.

"Oh, but the oxen visiting Sweet Feather Sanctuary next week will surely appreciate it," Fluttershy answered. Peridot looked into the bag and cringed slightly.

"You sure they'll actually eat that stuff? Looks like that substance Amethyst releases after eating that garbage," Peridot asked, her hand holding the clump of moss. The moss itself was wet, cold, and heavy like goo. And to her, it was just as appetizing as such.

"It really adds a shine to their coat," Fluttershy stated, as Peridot dropped the clump back in there, shaking her hand of any excess goop. Zecora meanwhile just got her hoof around another good batch of moss.

"There we go. Now, that wasn't so tough. Fluttershy, tell me, will this be enough?" Zecora asked with a smile. She and Steven had been getting quite a bit of the moss from the half an hour they've been doing this, but Fluttershy wasn't sure.

"Gee, I don't know. It's a pretty big pack. So maybe enough to fill up this sack?" Fluttershy giggled after hearing what she just said. "Oh, my! You're rubbing off on me, Zecora!"

And so Zecora went on back to getting some more of the moss from the swamp. Such a place like this sure had a whole lot to ick out of, much to Peridot's disgust. To think that any creature would eat this stuff was enough to make her non-existent stomach churn. She saw a good sized clump further out as Steven brought over a good-sized pile of the stuff and got it into the sack. In the zebra's attempt though, one slip of the hoof on the branch, and a snap of the twig her tail was on, and into the water she went.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" gasped Fluttershy, galloping right over to the bank. Zecora quickly got to the surface, her mane dripping wet.

"No need to fret. I only got wet. At least now I can easily grab all the crisscross moss there is to be had," Zecora stated, gathering up a very nice-sized clump of moss from further away. But as she was swimming on back towards the bank -

Next stop was straight to the doctor's office, and indeed Zecora was looking worse for ware. Steven, Fluttershy, and Peridot got to the office in no time at all with the sick-stricken zebra, but this wasn't exactly what one would call a simple bug. Her whole body, from mane to tail, was covered in orange spots. Her hooves, mane, tail, every spots of her was completely covered in those spots. Even her tongue was spot-covered as the doctor looked her over.

"Alright Zecora, let's listen to the ol' ticker," the doc said, bringing out his stethoscope and placing it onto her chest. It took the doctor a minute before he removed it, looking a bit troubled and confused.

"Well, it wasn't a good sign," the doctor answered. Curious, Steven actually took the stethoscope himself to listen in. Basically, when somepony's heart sounded more like a drum solo, that wasn't normal.

"Whoa," Steven gasped. The doctor yanked the stethoscope off of Steven as he went at it again.

"I can't believe a flower did this. I take it back, thinking it was pretty," Fluttershy commented. While the orange spots were weird to be sure, then came another, even odder sign: Zecora began to cough a little bit, and some bubbles started to come out. Steven's eyes followed a singular bubble, as the doctor got it into a water tube, shaking it up like one would shake a soda can.

"We're looking for any color other than red," the doctor stated, as he finished shaking. At first, it didn't look too bad as the water inside didn't change at all. ... Until it did end up turning red, making them gulp. The doctor looked even more troubled, but it did seem to confirm something as he turned to the sick-stricken zebra.

"Just as I feared. Zecora, I'm afraid you got a very rare disease called ... Swamp Fever."
The way the doctor said it made it sound like it was from a horror movie, lightning strikes, thunder and all.

"Swamp Fever? How did it even happen, we were just going around collecting that greenish substance from that bog," Peridot pondered.

"Swamp Fever is contracted through the pollen of the same swamp flower with those orange spots," the doctor explained. Just before they could continue though, another more odd sign: Zecora began to feel a sneeze coming on, but soon after she did, a electric lightning bolt suddenly shot out! It narrowly missed everyone else in there, but it did strike the sink next to them, which made the faucet spin for a bit.

"Tell me doctor, what should I do? I've never heard of Swamp Fever, mind you," Zecora asked, feeling a bit worried. The doctor went over to his book.

"Unfortunately very little is known about the disease. Except, of course, its symptoms: change of coat, coughing bubbles, shot sneezing, confusion, and the last stage: the afflicted turn into the very same trees that drop the disease-spreading flower."
Now the LAST part was scary. Sure the other symptoms sounded a bit bad, if not random, but turning into a tree?! A TREE?!

"I-Is there anything that can be done, for such a terrible conundrum?" Zecora asked. The doctor folded his ears back in dismay.

"A cure has yet to be discovered. I'm sorry, Zecora. ..." the doctor closed his book, everyone looking to Zecora. Out of anything that could be said, this shocked Zecora down to her core. What were they supposed to do?

"It's a lot to take in ... I'll leave you all to discuss," and with that the doctor left them to their thoughts on the situation.

"Zecora, this is all my fault! If you hadn't been helping me get the crisscross moss, you wouldn't have gotten Swamp Fever. I'm so sorry," Fluttershy admitted, feeling very guilty about this. Zecora though looked to her with a gentle smile, though she still coughed a few bubbles.

"I refuse to accept that! There has to be somepony who can help you!" Fluttershy retorted.

"It's not that bad. You've cured Poison Joke before have you? We'll just go back to your hut and get that uh ... thing, together for you. Right?" Peridot questioned.

"Yes Peridot, it did help your Gem folk, but this isn't the same case as Poison Joke. A plant of similar race isn't always the same face," Zecora reminded.

"She's right. Not all Peridots are the same, but they do look a lot alike," Fluttershy said, saying an example. Peridot saw the point, though it didn't help out exactly on what to do. It was then that Steven realized something, snapping his fingers.

"I got it! Here Zecora, hold still," Steven said, as he began to lick his hand. It wasn't his first case of curing ponies before, so maybe this wouldn't be no different. Before he could even try though, Fluttershy suddenly got in his way, spreading her wings. With no cure known, it might work. Fluttershy waited nearby, chewing her hoof nail as Steven placed his spit onto her. Zecora waited a minute or two, feeling that spit try to work its own brand of magic to fight the flower's own.

"Well? Anything?" Peridot asked. Zecora began to look to her snout. Zecora started to feel a sneeze coming on, but when it came out this time, no lightning bolts shot out. Well that seemed pretty good.

"Well, A good job human colt. It seems you've stop the lightning bolt," Zecora stated ... just to go into another coughing fit with more bubbles. So close.

"Looks like it's prolonging the effects to me," Peridot admitted, one of the bubbles popping on Steven's nose. He quickly rubbed it off to be sure. Zecora started to think a little bit, but eventually there was an answer that came to her mind.

"There's a healer of legend who never would fail. But I only know her from ancient folktales. Mystical and masked, she came in the night and cured everything from hoof cough to fur blight. What became of the healer, nopony knows, for she disappeared ages and ages ago."

"The Mystical Mask! Of course!" gasped Fluttershy, "My parents would tell me about her whenever I was sick in bed."

"There's so many accounts of her power to heal. She can't just be a legend. I think she's real."

"If that's who we need to cure you, then we're going to find her! And I know just the pony who can help!"

"Hey Starlight, glad you could make it," Twilight said. It had been a bit of a time for Starlight to. Since her friendship with Bill seemed to be going well, the alicorn was busily going through the various assortment of friendship lessons. Starlight was a bit humbled though.

"I just want to say how happy I am to see you with Bill Dewey. By the sound if it you two are doing pretty well. Heard Bill Dewey's been doing well in the Big donut lately too."

"Yeah, he is. He kept wanting to rename some of the products though: Dewey rolls, Dewey buns, Dewey cakes, Dewey this Dewey that. If I heard one more Dewey I think I'd forget my own name," Starlight admitted, as Twilight was going through some more of the lessons. Starlight felt a bit worried though on what options she had in mind. If Starburst was brought up again -

"I know you might be nervous to meet your old friend again, but I'm sure that if you can just give it a chance."

With the sudden bang of the door, Fluttershy, Peridot, and Steven were suddenly there, enough to make both Alicorn and Unicorn jump. Starlight spun around, almost losing her footing, but calmed down when she saw them.

"No, no, it's fine, what's wrong?" Starlight quickly asked. Twilight knew this was gonna be an issue, but one problem at a time. And by the sound of it, this had to come first. Fluttershy had no time to waste.

"Wait a minute. Swamp Fever? B-But that doesn't have a cure," Starlight pointed out, making Fluttershy even more worried.

"No time to explain, I need your help to find her before Zecora turns into a tree!" Fluttershy insisted, rushing up to the nearest shelves and starting to pull out some books. Well, it looked like they were gonna be doing some reading to figure this out.

By this point, the library in Twilight's tower looked completely run through. Every single book from top to bottom was scanned through time and again, and apparently there was still nothing to speak of. Steve, Starlight, and Twilight were all a bit tired at this point, and Peridot was more bored than anything by now. Twilight even made out a bed on one of the book piles.

"AH!" Twilight gasped, stumbling into the pile herself. Her head popped out from it with a book on her head.

"I'm fine," Twilight yawned, "But I think we'd be better off if we got some sleep. I mean, we've been at this for hours, look outside," Twilight pointed a hoof to the window, and sure enough, Celestia sun was already setting! Starlight felt slightly relieved for no trip could be done this late, but that was besides the point here.

"Oh my. I'm sorry, I didn't realize how late it had gotten," Fluttershy said. Twilight slid down from her pile. She'd go and put them back if it was at an earlier time, but now it was too late for it.

"No! You should rest. I'm not stopping til' Zecora is cured," Fluttershy declared, reaching for another book. That was a little concerning. Starlight and Steven glanced to eachother as Twilight went to her.

"I understand how you feel, but I still think we'd have more luck if we tried again in the morning. Just promise me you'll take a break soon."

Fluttershy simply nodded as she was looking, though it didn't sound like she was paying much attention to her. Well, either way, the others began to go off on their own way, Peridot readying the portal with her key so Steven can go home for bed. Or at least home to his dad's van.

"Goodnight, Twilight," Steven yawned. Twilight waved goodbye as he and Peridot went off back home. As for Starlight and Twilight, the two then went off to their own rooms, Twilight stopping at the door.

The night itself went on mainly without much trouble. Twilight, Starlight, and Steven were off sleeping, but the only one who wasn't was Fluttershy herself. As she said, she wasn't wasting any time in getting any of this worked out. It was indeed a long night for the Pegasus. Twilight though went on through the night with a full sleep.

"Oh, sorry, but I figured out who the mystical mask is!" Fluttershy revealed. Twilight wasn't sleepy anymore.

"All I had to do was cross-reference a book about masks with another book on ancient Equestrian healers, then use a third book to translate it all from Olde Ponish, and there it was! Zecora was right! The Mystical Mask wasn't just a legend. The Mystical Mask was Mage Meadowbrook!" Fluttershy revealed. This news was a lot to take, and Twilight fell onto her back in a gasp.

"The ancient sorceress from Hayseed Swamp? We studied her at Celestia's school! Are you sure?"

"Absolutely! Mage Meadowbrook wasn't just a sorceress. She was also a healer, and back then, healers wore masks so they wouldn't get sick themselves!" Fluttershy was very excited about this news, even if she was feeling exhausted for the whole all-nighter.

"Fluttershy, I am so incredibly proud of you for using your research skills to figure this out! But Meadowbrook lived ages ago, and didn't she disappear?" Twilight questioned as Fluttershy got her to her hooves.

"Yes, but if we go to Hayseed Swamp, maybe we can find something she left behind! Something that could lead to a cure!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"We gotta get going then! Come on, if we hurry, we can catch the next train," Fluttershy insisted, galloping to the door before the alciron could do anything for her. However, the door was already opening again, but this time with a more brighter light as a frantic Peridot, the Gem running into her and both Gem and pony knocked to the ground.

"Twilight, Fluttershy, problem, affliction, now, in here!" Peridot said in a panic.

Oh no. Suddenly a lightning bolt shot out from the portal Peridot had created. Peridot quickly covered her head, as the shot struck Twilight's wall. Fluttershy gasped on horror on that, and without a second thought, she bolted straight into the portal.
Twilight and Peridot followed her inside, and the portal it turned out lead straight back into Steven's world, and to the carwash. Some of the other Gems were present too, namely Garnet and Jasper, along with Steven's dad, all of which were right by the van, and just inside was Steven himself. Only this Steven was completely covered in the same orange spots, and a few stray bubbles had come out of his coughing mouth. Steven had contracted Swamp Fever!

"Oh no, oh no, Steven!" gasped Fluttershy, rushing over to him. Steven looked tired as he sniffed from his earlier sneeze.

"You know what happened to him, Fluttershy?" asked Greg. Fluttershy gulped as she hopped out of the van.

"It's Swamp Fever. And by the looks of it, he's got a bad case of it," Fluttershy admitted.

"No, no, I'm just peachy. Come on, let's be ... off ..." Steven did get up, but he was a little too dizzy when he got up to get out of the van, Garnet catching him.

"You're staying here, Steven," Garnet stated. Steven would respond but another electrified sneeze blasted right onto Garnet. The fusion stood stiff for a moment and gave a shutter before steam blew out of her mouth.

"That's because he didn't contract it yesterday until he tried healing Zecora," Peridot shrugged.

"Eh ... well, there's coughing bubbles, sneezing lightning, confusion. ... the afflicted turn into the very same trees that drop the disease-spreading flower."

"What, he asked - OW!" A sneeze from Steven, albeit by accident, got Peridot dead center, and she ended up electrocuted for a good three seconds before going limp on the ground. Steven sniffed.

"Sorry," Steven simply said. What else could he say? However, Fluttershy was a bit more in a rush than they thought, getting both Peridot and Twilight and pushing them back towards the portal.

"We got to try! I've got a route all planned out, and on the way, we can check up on Zecora, and then -"

"Of course! Every second we spend waiting is a second Zecora and Steven are coughing bubbles!" Fluttershy replied.

"But Fluttershy, you haven't slept! And that's a long journey!" Twilight retorted, but Fluttershy didn't listen.

"There's no use trying to talk me out of this, Twilight! We've got no time to waste!" Fluttershy insisted, pushing them along closer. Fluttershy did pause for a moment to check on Steven one more time.

"I promise we'll be back with a cure soon, Steven. Just hang tight, and don't think about any tree thoughts," Fluttershy advised in haste. Steven coughed some bubbles before nodding his head, and soon the trio were rushing through the portal. In such a hurry the portal was left open for them, and they all could sense that they really weren't at their best. At least Fluttershy wasn't.

"Don't say it, I'll go with her. Poor Pony's gonna fall over at this rate," Jasper said, starting to go to the portal herself, and only then did the portal close. Now they got two sides to the coin, and both need the same remedy. Hopefully they could get it soon.

amazing how quick that portal worked, and their next stop was right by Zecora's house. Poor Zecora did not look well at all, and she simply laid there in bed, orange spots all over her body all the same. Jasper waited outside as the others were in the home to check on her. Zecora meanwhile coughed up some more bubbles. Joined with them this time though was Starlight, who kept her distance from the sick zebra.

"That's marvelous, Fluttershy. I am quite impressed. While you are gone on your journey, I'll try not to be... worried."

"Oh, no. Zecora, you didn't rhyme! You must be getting worse," Fluttershy gasped. Last thing Zecora wanted was to freak out her friend any further.

"Oh. No, no, no, not at all. Something... something... ball?" Not too convincing. Even if it was, the following electrified sneeze just added to the issue, so close to Twilight it ended up singing her mane! Seemed that Steven's healing magic had worn off if she was sneezing lightning bolts again.

"That's it! We have to go now!" Fluttershy stated, and she made a trot to the door. However, she was so tired she didn't even realize that the door was already shut, and she walked right into it. Starlight Glimmer opened up the door for her and she went right out. Twilight and Starlight shared some worrying expressions over this Pegasus.

"Eh, actually Twilight. Maybe ... I can do this one?" Starlight asked, front hooves tapping together, and she smiled a bit nervously. What said friendship like helping those sickly in need?

"Come on, we have to go now before they take root!" Fluttershy called, galloping off ahead. The circumstance was becoming critical for the Pegasus, and they all can see that. Jasper and Peridot went off ahead, and eventually Twilight decided with the idea.

"Alright, you can go. But please do me a big favor and try to make sure Fluttershy doesn't push it too far. She didn't sleep at all last night because of this," Twilight said. Starlight gave a salute to the Unicorn, and went off on her way

"Lead the way, Fluttershy," Starlight called. Twilight watched them all go, and she admittedly was now concerned over two ponies. All she could do was sigh.

From their stop at Everfree, it was off on their way to Hayseed Swamp. Having Starlight Glimmer come along with them was a bit of a switch, but no one was really complaining. They didn't had time for it anyway, considering Zecora and now Steven had a chance of becoming a pair of trees. With much of the group earth bound however, it was a bit of a longer go than they would've done in the air, even with Starlight's magic letting her levitate to join Fluttershy in the sky. Two Gems, two Ponies, one goal.
And soon, they were at their destination. Jasper, Peridot, Starlight, and Fluttershy had all arrived at the frontal steps of Hayseed Swamp. The town itself was no more populated than areas such as Hollow Shades had been. Much of the paths through this bayou were wooden plants and walkways, much of which looked rather old and worn out. Same thing could be said for the number of houses around Hayseed Swamp, about six to seven houses all up on wooden beams in the water, each one covered up dark green moss and algae. Much of the swamp water had all sorts of water bushes and cattails growing along the wood, along with the similar green moss that they had to collect earlier. Sure there were some buckets, a few rocking chairs, and even some rope around one of the beams, but apart of that no sign of anyone really was ... well there. An abandoned town in the middle of Hayseed Swamp, the swamp itself seemingly taking what they can get from the place.
The swamp trees surrounding the bayou all stood with limbs dangling down, all old and as withered as everything else around here. Starlight Glimmer took a moment to check the area.

"So ... Where do you think Meadowbrook would live?" Starlight asked. Fluttershy yawned before she answered.

"Ask who? No offense, but I think we're the only ones here."
And indeed it seemed so. No pony of any sort seemed to be present in any of these buildings, and the only true residents were the local bugs, some of which kept buzzing around their heads. Since she was taller than the others, Jasper was the first to notice something further off in the distance. Jasper went on to pick up Fluttershy, lifting her up over her head.

"That look like it?" Jasper asked. Fluttershy took a minute before realizing what she was seeing.

"Wait! I recognize that tree!" Fluttershy gasped, starting to fly straight for it. Finally some good news. The group followed her off from there and straight for said tree, which in essence looked much like Zecora's home, or what Twilight's home was like. A old bayou tree, large and hollowed out with a wooden door beckoning them to come on inside.

"Yes! This has to be it! It's just like the illustrations of her home!" Fluttershy said in praise, flying around the tree to be sure that it was the case.

"You ponies have a odd habit of making homes out of trees," Peridot noted. Fluttershy paid her no mind and tried to open it up, mainly by pushing with all her might. However, the door was not budging an inch.

"Phew. Well, if the doorway is sealed up, we'll just have to dig our way in. Back up, Starlight! I don't want you to get hurt!" Fluttershy stated, as she began to dig. Starlight had never seen somepony so determined like this, but she knew she shouldn't let her keep going, so she had to set it straight.

"Or we could try the handle," Starlight stated, presenting the handle on the door.

Starlight didn't answer, and she went on to open the door. The interior of this home looked about as abandoned as one would imagine. It had the main outlook similar to that of Zecora's home, with plenty of masks hanged on the walls, shelves full of varying medicines and artifacts of healing, and a caldron at the center of it all. Since it was abandoned, the interior was covered in dust and cobwebs. Clearly it was somewhere no one ever touched in a long time.

"Oh boy. Ok, uh, so ... where to start?" Starlight asked. It was a little bit difficult to really say, but Fluttershy wasn't leaving anything much to chance here, looking around frantically for any sign of any cure, some way, shape, or form. So far though not much of the objects really were giving it much justice, the Pegasus accidentally flying up into one of the shelves in her search.

"Look!" Fluttershy suddenly gasped. Before Starlight could do anything, the Pegasus rushed passed her, making her and Peridot spun for a minute until they found Fluttershy at a familiar-looking flower inside a glass case. "It's the same kind of lilypad that gave Zecora Swamp Fever! Hmm. I wonder if Meadowbrook was looking for a cure for Swamp Fever, too. Do you think she found it?!"

"I'm sure if she did, we wouldn't really be looking through here right now," Starlight admitted, though not realizing how nonchalantly she was acting in tone of voice.

"There HAS to be something in here! Starlight, don't you want to help Zecora and Steven?" Fluttershy snapped.

"Hey, I'm here aren't I? Don't jump to any conclusions, alright?" Starlight ordered. She didn't realize how harsh she was until after Fluttershy backed up, making her snap out of it.

"Eh. Sorry. Still trying to figure out this "friendship" thing properly," Starlight admitted, a bit embarrassed.

Then came that ominous creaking. Neither of them really knew where that noise was even coming from, but soon they began to see something off in the shadows of the tree. Fluttershy screamed, and Peridot and Starlight Glimmer stepped back -

The voice, Cajun in accent, didn't sound threatening after they calmed down. Soon, out came a new pony. A bigger Earth Pony, fairly hefty in appearance, with a large yellow, curly beard and mustache, the beard tied with a dark red ribbon similar to his similarly colored tail. He had on a green vest, both a golden and leather necklace, He also had on a red bandana on his head, accompanied by a brown hat.
Seeing this pony did calm them down, but it was still a bit freaky.

"Both I 'spose. Name's Cattail. Please to meet ya," Cattail introduced, taking his hat off in greeting, just to reveal his mane was styled in the same way to the beard and tail, colors and all. Well, at least this pony wasn't ready to attack them or enchant them or anything.

"Eh ... sure. But what're you doing here? This belonged to Meadowbrook, right?" Starlight questioned, as Cattail was looking to the caldron.

"Oh, I take care of the place. I ain't much of a cleaner, but from what I hear, my kin wasn't neither. So I doubt they'd mind a few cobwebs in our ancestral home."

"Wait. Our ancestral home?" Starlight asked in surprise. Fluttershy was especially excited, for something like that could only mean one thing.

"Oh, my goodness, we did it! Not only did we find Mage Meadowbrook's old house – we actually found one of her descendants!" Fluttershy revealed. Cattail nodded to confirm this statement.

"Nah, ponies come by time to time. Not many usually stick 'round though - not much fer bog life," Cattail said, just as a dragonfly flew in from outside and buzzed around Peridot's head.

"So you're lookin' for some kind o' cure, huh? Well, now, I know Meadowbrook was known to always be writin' in her journals. If she had the cure you want, I reckon that's where it'd be. Come on. I'll show ya the library."

Library? If it could lead them to something for Swamp Fever, then perhaps some reading would do them some good. However, when shown the library, they only found a book shelf only about couch height, with only about ten to twenty books in all.

"Good. This will mean less time to go through everything," Fluttershy replied. So, after brushing some stuff off the nearby table, Starlight levitated a few of the books over, and soon they were getting through what Meadowbrook could've found in her time. Cattail sat aside and allowed them to go through everything.

"Hmm ... "Today, my mom made me eat peas. Peas are yucky." And we can probably skip this one, unless she found a cure when she was a foal," Fluttershy said.

"Ok, uh ... "I met a colt today. He pulled my mane, so I put a frog on his head." Also not helpful," Starlight sighed, placing another book aside. Peridot went through one of these books, and when they checked, she actually had those starry eyes again.

"Did you find something? Oh, please be a cure, please, please," Fluttershy said, hooves crossed. Starlight levitated the book out of Peridot's hands, wanting to see herself. Peridot was annoyed, but Starlight just gave it a lookover anyway.

"Wait, listen to this!" Fluttershy said, catching their attention away from the book for a moment. Fluttershy may have found something.

---(start Flashback)---

Sitting off nearby on the table was a small chipmunk. The poor little animal was having some bit of trouble with herself, her nose swollen and red and the Chipmunk sneezing up a storm thanks to it. A gentle pony hoof brought over a ladle over to the animal, and the Chipmunk took a sip of the elixir. Sure enough, the swelling gone down, redness gone, and she could breathe properly again, much to the joy of the gentle mare aiding the animal.

For the mare, much like Cattail, her mane and tail were curly and tied back into a beehive ponytail, wrapped with light blue ribbon. The mare's coat shown a light cerulean, mane and tail both pinkish-scarlet, and her eyes bright with a brilliant turquoise. The mare's outfit matched her occupation as a healing sorceress: a green leaf dress with a tannish head bandana and a tan and brown scarf around her neck.

Madam Mage Meadowbrook had saved this Chipmunk a time of sneezes and sniffles. And this day, she had a bit more given to her than just some satisfaction from a little cutie chipmunk, as her mother stood alongside her with a little package for her.

"I think it's time you have this," she said. Meadowbrook opened up the box her mother made, and found a particularly great surprise inside.

"My very own healer's mask! You think I'm ready mother?" Meadowbrook asked. Her mother simply nodded, and the young sorceress hugged her mom for the nice gift. Nothing says success like being given an official artifact.
And it would seem fate was going to test this little filly. Not a moment after she had been given her mask, they both began to hear knocking on the door. Meadowbrook's mother went over to see what was wrong, and it revealed a pony was there. Only this pony was not looking too good, showing the orange spots located just under her mane by the neck. Her mother looked shocked.

"What caused this?" she asked, appalled by what she saw. All the sick pony had to do was lift up a particularly familiar flower to the mages.

Mama calls it "Swamp Fever". We've been tryin' to find a cure, but it hasn't been easy.

Meadowbrook and her mother tried another remedy after a while, dripping it down onto the petals of the flower. However, the plant didn't end up doing much of anything. Or at leastm, nothing good, as a orange blast of the flower's pollen suddenly got into her mother's face! A few coughs from the bast got Meadowbrook's attention, but before she could try to do much, another knock came up from the door. Meadowbrook went onto to answer it, and found a more horrifying sight: ponies all lined up. All orange spotted. All coughing bubbles. All sick, and looking to her. It didn't help her any that her mother suddenly started coughing bubbles too!

The fever spread like wildfire. I fear if we don't find a cure soon, everypony will be in grave danger! With mother sick, I didn't think I'd ever find a cure. But starin' at those cursed flowers today, I saw somethin'.

Meadowbrook sat down just outside of her bayou village, pretty much as lost in her mind as much as any filly would be in such a crisis. Her mother had this same disease, and everypony she knew had the exact same problem, all looking for an answer poor Meadowbrook just couldn't seem to figure out.

That was, until she noticed a particular insect. These tiny things looked a lot like bees, but unlike the typical bees, these bees had blue and yellow stripes instead of the common black and yellow, and their stingers were shaped like lightning bolts. Just as it did to her mother, the swamp flower blasted its pollen at the bee, and Meadowbrook waited to see if this insect would end up orange-spotted. However, the little animal wasn't affected in the slightest, and even proceeded to land on the flower to get at the plant's nectar. Mage Meadowbrook looked off to the bog and saw this same scenario with a number of other bees, all ending the same way. And that was when it struck her.

The pollen didn't affect the Flash Bees! I reckoned that if Flash Bees were immune to Swamp Fever, their honey could be the cure!

Meadowbrook went for broke, and galloped off after a group of Flash Bees straight to their hive off in a waterside tree. The groups of bees got to their hive in little time at all, and in hoof, so did Mage Meadowbrook. It took the Earth Pony some athletic effort to get up the tree, jumping from branch to branch and getting some leverage from the vines in said tree, but next thing she knew, she was right by the Flash Bee hive. None of the Flash Bees really took notice of her yet, some resting by the queen bee while others brought the nectar to their combs. The queen bee looked similar to the drones, but with a fluff resembling a lion mane and even what looked like a crown on the head. Meadowbrook peered into the bee hive, a hoof balancing herself on another branch for a few moments before it snapped underhoof.

In a bolt, the drones jumped out in a bright flash of blue with a yellow hue, Meadowbrook having to duck down to avoid getting slammed in the face. Still, these bees were not going to give up their honey that fast, and starting stinging her flank, her hooves, and her face. Each one was as painful as the lightning bolts they were mimicking, and strong enough to knock the mare out of the tree! She was fine, but the stinging told her that she wouldn't last a minute through force with those bees.

But they were so aggressive defendin' their hive, I didn't know how I was gonna get it!

But like any creature with those counting on them, she wasn't going to give up. She climbed right back up that tree, and the Flash Bees, in clouds of electrical charge, took quick sight of her in a nearby branch, the mare having her healers' mask in hoof and ready to confront the bees.

---(End Flashback)---

"Today, I cured mother and the rest of the bayou! It was the greatest feeling I've ever experienced, and I promise to dedicate my life to curing ponies all over Equestria!" Fluttershy finished. Starlight and Peridot were right by the Pegasus at this point, and Fluttershy felt like they finally got it.

"And she did just that. Right up 'til she disappeared without a trace," Cattail added.

"So all we have to do is find those aggressive flash bees and get them to give us their honey! ... Of course, it doesn't say how she did that..."

"Seems basic enough. Got and entail on the Flash Bees' location, Cattail?" Peridot inquired.

"There's a Flash Bee hive just east yonder. Follow the crossway and you'll find it," Cattail answered.

"Well it can't be too hard if an Earth Pony got it. Look, just wait here and we'll fetch the honey -" Peridot was cut off when Fluttershy trotted to the door and blocked her way, almost tripping over her own hooves doing so.

"NO! Please, I already got two friends hurt, I won't let it happen to another," Fluttershy insisted. Fluttershy readied to go off from there, but Starlight, still keeping her promise to Twilight, got her magic to work and pulled the Pegasus back.

"Fluttershy, hold it! Seriously, I didn't want to be blunt, but you're looking awful," Starlight admitted. Fluttershy was looking a bit more irritable with that said, glaring at the unicorn with her ear flicking as if knocking away some unforeseen fly.

"You really should rest up before going up against those flash bees. They are nasty critters," Cattail advised.

"Um, you don't know this about me, but I'm pretty good with animals. And besides, Dogtail -"

"Um, Zecora is counting on me. I have to help her, just like Meadowbrook helped her mother and all those bayou ponies long ago!" Fluttershy knew she had to do this, and by the sound of it she wasn't taking no for an answer, though she ended up running right at the door again. She shook it off though and started to gallop off. Or at least she would've kept going if Jasper didn't grab her by the tail first. Fluttershy kept galloping until she realized she wasn't going anywhere.

"You're not gonna change my mind, Jasper!" Fluttershy grunted, but her strength was not enough to get out of Jasper's grip. Jasper overheard everything that had been said, and like them, she was getting troubled by Fluttershy's determination of this.

"Ok, look, Meadowbrook may have helped all those ponies, but I'm pretty sure she would help herself," Starlight pointed out.

"We're Gems, Fluttershy remember? We can handle these Flash Bees, whatever they are. You forgotten how much we survived already?" Jasper pointed out, as the large Gem carried Fluttershy inside, and placed her down on Meadowbrook's bed. Fluttershy was tired, but this Pegasus was determined to get out there and get that honey. However, Starlight Glimmer got her magic to work and actually pinned Fluttershy down to keep her in bed. Fluttershy couldn't get herself up, and in the end just gave a long breath, worn out and exhausted.

"Thanks, Star. We'll be back soon," Jasper said. Fluttershy tried one more time to get herself out of bed to follow the Gems, but ended up tumbling out of bed instead. On sight of this, both Cattail and Starlight looked in ... shock.

"What? I know my mane's messy, but I haven't slept in -" Fluttershy stopped herself when Cattail grabbed a full-sized (albeit dusty) mirror, and Fluttershy quickly saw what they were talking about when she moved her mane to see her neck.

"Oh no! I've caught Swamp Fever!" Fluttershy gasped. Without hesitation, the Pegasus quickly rushed for some of the masks on the walls, and got them on both Starlight and Cattail.

She and Peridot both went along their way from the village and off down one of the many crossways of Hayseed Swamp. Even with autumn being elsewhere, Hayseed Swamp and it's humid environment had a feeling of summer in full swing still, much of the local bugs buzzing about in the swampy water, with much of the water plants mixing up land and water. The two found themselves down the bank and nearby a group of similar flowers along the bank, and just as well, following what Cattail said, they did eventually find what looked like a beehive up in a tree. The bees were buzzing around it, but both Gems didn't feel fazed as someone would be.

"Well, in theory: Bees are small insects with black and yellow stripes and commonly are found around flowering flora," Peridot figured.

"Doesn't sound that bad," Jasper replied, stretching her arms for what they both figured would be an easy fix.

"Heh, yeah, even a pebble can handle that. Boost up, Jasper," Peridot instructed, she and Jasper now just under the tree. They weren't sure exactly what this honey stuff even was, but if Flash Bees were involved, odds are they would have it. Jasper lifted Peridot up the tree single-handedly, her palm like a platform for Peridot to stand on, and soon the green Gem found the hive in no time at all.

"AHA! Too easy! K, Jasper, get ready to get the ... honey," Peridot instructed, jumping up into one of the branches. Jasper simply stood there and waited as the green Gem got right up to the hive. Jasper may be stronger, but her size wouldn't allow her up there like it can for Peridot, so all she could do was simply stay there and wait.
Peridot peeked into the hive opening, and she soon took sight of the drones and queen inside, and like with Meadowbrook, they didn't seem to notice the Gem outside the hive yet.

"K ... where is honey?" Peridot wondered. She saw the combs, the drones, and the queen, but nothing she could see that would resemble honey. not that she knew anyway. Well, when in doubt: Peridot went for broke and reached her arm inside the hive. You can figure what happened next.

"Ow, ow hey hey! YOW!" It didn't take long until Peridot started to get swarmed by the Flash Bees, the entire hive jumping at her and stinging like crazy. Hands, legs, face, even her hair was stung by these furious insects. It was like getting a shock with live wire with each sting, and in Peridot's attempts to get them to go away, she stumbled out of the tree, and fell off down to the ground right by Jasper. Peridot was dizzy, stung, and coughed up a bee from her mouth, one even stinging her tongue. Peridot shook off the fall and sprung up to her feet, as she and Jasper saw the bees starting to close in on them.

"Get em, Jasper!" Peridot ordered, rushing over behind Jasper and waited for the Gem to fight them.

However, Jasper was staring at these creatures with a different kind of expression. The moment she saw that swarm start to come out and loom overhead, it wasn't the threatening buzzing sound that made Jasper stay still, but more of the brightness and flashing the swarm made. These were electrified insects, and seeing them like this left Jasper with wide eyes and frozen still. It was as if that thunderstorm had followed her to here ...

"Jasper?" Peridot asked. No response. The swarm only saw them as a threat, and to Peridot's surprise, the orange fighter was backing up as they got closer. The swarm flew fast at them, and while Jasper did try to swat them away, her hand didn't hit much of anything. Just as bad as the storm before, and just as painful as both Jasper and Peridot started getting stung again. Unable to fight thousands of bees, Jasper grabbed Peridot and ran away from the hive, angry bees buzzing at them for a good thirty feet before starting to go back. Jasper jumped behind one of the larger trees, only then releasing Peridot, and looking to the orange Gem, Peridot could see someone that looked terrified. she looked like a mouse in a snake's den, and just as horrified.

"Jasper! snap out of it!" Peridot yelled, but Jasper wasn't listening. Peridot wasn't going to wait on this, so she went right up to her, jumped up, and slapped her square in the face. The dazed and scared looked ended up gone in an instant, almost as if snapped out of a trance, and Jasper quickly calmed down. Jasper fell down to her rear, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"What just happened back there? You could've handled those things, they're the size of my touch stubs," Peridot retorted, shaking her fingers in front of Jasper's face.

"Will you be quiet? And let me think," Jasper stated, hand on her head as she tried to gather herself.

"Think? Jasper, you're the ultimate quartz! The perfect cut out of the Beta Kindergarten, and those things are -"

"... Shatter us? Isn't that a bit uh ... much?" Peridot asked. Jasper just realized what she said and slumped by the trunk of the tree.

"Yeah so? It's not like you really were shattered by something like that before, right?" Peridot joked. Jasper didn't answer, and the humor was gone.

"Huh?" Peridot and Jasper had another problem to them now. In this little distraction, neither had noticed until that moment that Fluttershy had found the tree! The weak Pegasus now was completely covered in orange spots, and although weak, she was trying to get up the tree. One look and they both knew she was struggling just to fly up to the branches. Starlight Glimmer had galloped up by the time Fluttershy made it up there herself, but not quick enough to stop her.

"Starlight, what happened? ... And what's with the masks?" Jasper asked, now a bit better.

"Jasper! Peridot! Please tell me you got that honey," Starlight said. Both Gems shook their heads, but after being chased off they weren't going up the tree again.

Fluttershy, after a lot of effort, slid down a branch and got herself right by the nest. With the hive now worked up from Jasper and Peridot's attempts at their honey, they were taking no prisoners, nor any chances with anymore intruders, and they quickly got out of the hive again.

"Oh, hello your majesty. I know you don't want ponies taking it, but we really need that honey. So, can I have some please? Pretty please?" Fluttershy asked kindly. all that got her was a sting to the nose, making Fluttershy cringe.

"I didn't want it to come to this. But I'll just have to use ... the stare!" Fluttershy decided. And with that, her eyes began to lock onto the swarm, all the bees focusing on her. This was a move rarely used by Fluttershy, mainly used on an animal that didn't behave or just wasn't cooperating how they were supposed to be. A discipline technique she learned to better focus on over time on many a pet, but will it worked on this bee swarm?

Not this time. The bees were going to fight til they drop, and Fluttershy found herself swarmed by the bees, getting stung all over. Flank, hooves, ears, everywhere, and all of them made her weaker and weaker, falling to her stomach on the branch she came up on as the swarm buzzed overhead. Fluttershy looked up to the swarm, coughing up bubbles in hacks. Her vision began to blur and everything looked like it was spinning.

This was just what they all were worried would happen. So much pressure Fluttershy had pushed herself through and not only did she crack under it all, but the Swamp Fever took its hold onto her as well. For the moment, Starlight and Jasper were just outside the tree, as Peridot and Cattail were keeping aid to Fluttershy. This wasn't a happy moment for any of them. Starlight just couldn't stay still and kept going back and forth in her movements.

"Can you stand still, you're not making this any easier," Jasper stated, not feeling comfortable. Starlight stopped.

"Well can you blame me? Fluttershy's sick in there! UGH, my first mission off with Twilight's friends, and this has to happen!" Starlight groaned, laying down in front of the door. With the time, Jasper might as well get to another problem with her that she had been noticing. Starlight was a bit more eager to go with them than expected, after all. ...

"I don't know, Jasper. Fluttershy's sick with Swamp Fever, and Twilight's figuring out what my first friendship lesson is, and ... I guess I'm not exactly thrilled with the options. Well... with one of them."

"Which one?" Jasper asked. She thought it would take a bit more effort, but at least she was getting somewhere.

"Reuniting me with my first friend," Starlight admitted. Well, she had to tell it to someone.

"... When we were foals, Sunburst knew everything there was to know about magic. He always knew just what to do. And he was always there to help me. I guess it's not surprising that Sunburst got his cutie mark in magic and... went off to Princess Celestia's school. But when he left -"

"You blamed cutie marks and stripped a whole village of theirs, and when Twilight and the others stopped you, you went back in time and almost destroyed Equestria," Jasper cut in. Starlight was ... humbled, to say the least.

"Not really stuff I'm super eager to tell Sunburst about. I mean, he's probably some big important wizard now, and... I can't even find my way around Twilight's tower."

"Well, if Sunburst is that good at magic, maybe he'd appreciate your, uh... exploits," Jasper said, trying to find the right words to cheer her up. However, Starlight wasn't doing much better. Jasper sat down next to the unicorn and looked off to Hayseed Swamp.

"That case, there's only one thing you can do. Go and tell Twilight," Jasper said, getting to the point.

"I know. But I don't want her to think I'm not ready to learn or that I'm not grateful for everything she's doing."

"Well let me ask you something: if you found out your friend has stripped a village of their Cutie Marks, been working for a member of the Diamond Authority, and had gotten enough magic to make him fly, then what would you think?"

"Just trying to make it relatable," Jasper stated. Starlight did not feel any better, and simply felt confused more than anything. Before they could continue this conversation though, the doors to the tree opened up.

"What happened? Where am I?" Fluttershy asked, looking around in a bit of a daze while in bed. She felt sick, but at least she wasn't really tired from it all herself.

"I'm so glad you're okay. You're still in Meadowbrook's tree," Starlight said. Last thing she wanted was one of Twilight's friends to end up beaten up as a report.

"You fainted, but Jasper got right under the tree and caught ya. It was crazy!" said Cattail.

"Goodness gracious!" gasped Fluttershy, a few coughs escaping her with bubbles before asking "Have you heard from Zecora and Steven? Are they okay?"

A bit of a rough question for them to be asked, as none of them were willing to answer at first. Eventually though, Peridot did clear her throat.

"W-Well, I checked on Steven while you were sleeping and ... he now seems to be wearing a flower bush on his head," Peridot said meekly.

"And we got word your zebra friend has started sproutin' leaves," added Cattail. This news was scary.

"They're already turning into trees?! I thought we had more time," gasped Fluttershy.

"You were asleep so long, we were afraid you wouldn't be able to move when you woke up. But thankfully, you just wore yourself down," Peridot explained.

"Now hang on there, Fluttershy. Those flash bee critters are tricky. not even your rock friends could stand up against them," Cattail warned.

"Cattail's right," Starlight agreed, "I can't even use magic to calm them down. And I've tried about fifty different spells on them, and none of them worked. First time ever that didn't work." that was as shocking to Starlight as it was to Fluttershy.

"We've tried everything from disguises to things I won't even speak of," Cattail explained. He ended up shuttering on what sort of things they had to do.

"Wait... Disguises..."
That word began to get Fluttershy's mind going, but as she was thinking it over, they all began to hear the similar sound of a singular Flash Bee that managed to slip in from outside. Jasper kept her distance the most from this little guy as it buzzed around, not wanting to get involved in anything to do with them at this point. The Flash Bee went around the room for a bit more, and eventually found itself a small little perch on the wall. There was a mask hung up on that wall, one in particular the Flash Bee took a liking to. ...

"I've figured out how she did it! This is how Meadowbrook got the honey from the Flash Bees!"

It was out in the field again, and the whole group, all of them having on masks to Fluttershy's insistence (as silly as it felt). Fluttershy also grabbed a mystical mask from the tree, and this one was especially unique in its own right.

"No, look: the male Flash Bees don't attack the queen, and Meadowbrook's mask has the same stripes she does," Fluttershy revealed. Peridot had seen the queen bee, and now that she pointed it out, it began to come to.

"OOOOOHHHH. Why didn't I think of that when working our disguises? We just went as a bunch of bushes," Peridot said in realization. Then came another problem: Fluttershy felt a sneeze come on, and Jasper had to jump back into some bushes to avoid getting zapped by her lightning bolts! It's now or never. Fluttershy armed herself up with the mask, and Jasper walked her over to the tree, lifting her up.

"Good luck," Jasper said, keeping her gaze down as Fluttershy got up to the branches. She could barely keep herself up there, falling to her stomach on the branch, and soon the bees were seeing her again. They waited for a storm of bugs to come out, but when Fluttershy simply started buzzing, and keeping the mask on, the Flash Bees actually started to calm down. Even the queen bee didn't see her as a threat, and one of the bees rubbed against the mask in affection. Perfect. With the swarm relaxed, Fluttershy got her hoof inside the hive. A few good scoops, and her hoof was covered in sticky, golden honey. Still, one can't be too sure, so Fluttershy lifted up the mask and took a sip of the honey right there, quickly putting it back on.

Back in Zecora's home. And after the three days of being in Hayseed Swamp, poor Zecora took a good sip of the honey they all had brought back. They made sure to get enough for everyone with the disease, and Steven was already there and feeling a lot better. No branches or bushes on his head. As for Zecora, the mare had already got some branches growing on her when they got back, but the minute she sipped that honey, those leaves and branches fell right off of her.

"Ohhh, I do feel fine, and this honey is divine," Zecora stated. That was wonderful news to hear, and the best news they've heard in days.

"Oh, you're rhyming again! Welcome back, my friend!" Fluttershy said, smiling at her own little rhyme.

"Thank you, everypony, for all you endured. If not for you, I would not be cured," Zecora said.

"Oh, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been sick in the first place," Fluttershy admitted.

"Regret is not what you should feel, because on this journey, you've learned a great deal," Zecora stated. Fluttershy knew she was right and smiled to her zebra friend. Her and Steven both. Both of them probably wouldn't be alive if it weren't for what they did to get this here, and Fluttershy shared a good hug with them all. Mission accomplished.
Starlight Glimmer meanwhile watched from afar, and with all that happened, she went on with her latest letter.

Dear Princess Celestia:

Today I've gone off with your students' close friend Fluttershy in an effort to cure Zecora and Steven's Swamp Fever. We got them cured, and I can certainly say, along with Fluttershy, that we learned that if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to take care of anypony else.

signed: Starlight Glimmer

My Little Universe: Season 7

by EquestrianKirin

Sweets of Snake Oil