The trip through the Everfree Forest was tense and dead silent. To most ponies, this would be because of the paralyzing fear of potentially encountering a cockatrice or some other monster that dwelled within the forest. But for Honeycrisp, she was too frustrated to speak.

She just couldn’t believe it. Wasn’t dealing with the epidemic bad enough without having to deal with her annoying little sibling? She could’ve gone and gotten a cure much more easily if her Pa hadn’t made her drag that little shit along-

“Whoops!”

“Mmph!” Honey suddenly found herself with a faceful of dirt as something—or somepony—tripped her. “Somerset, cut it out!”

“It wasn’t me!” Somerset pointed to a tree root protruding out of the ground. “Yer the one who’s got yer long flamingo neck craned up so high ya can’t even watch where ya step!”

“Why you little—if Ah have to go another minute putting up with yer smartass comments Ah’m leavin’ ya here. Alone!”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Somerset sashayed ahead in front of her. “Ma and Pa couldn’t possibly forgive you if their precious lil’ cider float got lost.”

Honeycrisp was about to respond when she got whacked in the face by a giant leaf that Somerset had pushed aside.

“Then shut up so we can get this over with and get home faster!”

“Why?” Somerset let out something between a cough and a laugh. “So you can get home to yer buck-toothed, featherbrained boyfriend?”

“I said SHUT UP!!!”

Before Somerset could continue, Honey whipped around and reared on them with a piercing rage. It was like all her frustration with them was bubbling out here, now that nobody was around to defend them. Now that the two were on even ground.

“How DARE you talk about Solomon like that? WHY do you have to be such a little BITCH?”

”Ah’m just tellin’ the truth-“

”NO! What you’re sayin’ ain’t the truth! It’s just plain rude, for no good reason! You think that just because you got Pa, Ma, Discovery, and everypony else wrapped around your hoof that you can insult whoever you want! Especially me! What have I ever done to you!?”

Somerset wiped their snout and reflected their sister’s glare right back. “For yer information-“

”Sweet Celestia, are you getting sick? Did you seriously catch what everypony else has?”

”No!” Somerset sniffed loudly. “Ah’m just allergic to yer bullsh-“

”Ah knew you’d ruin it! Ah knew Ah should’ve gone alone! Ah could’ve gotten the cure by now if it weren’t for yer petty flank draggin’ me down! And now we might not get back in time!” Honey screamed in their face. “Y’hear me? Our family’s gonna DIE! All because of YOU!”

Somerset was visibly taken aback by this, cowering but still standing firm. “Y’know what? FINE! Go get the medicine by yerself! Ah’ll just go die in a hole while you save the others!”

“FINE!”

Somerset’s wheezing pants faded into the distance as they galloped away, leaving Honey alone. And she screamed. She screamed in rage, kicking and stomping on every tree and branch in sight till her hooves hurt. She screamed out everything she kept bottled up for so long. And in that moment, it was liberating.

But it wasn’t until a few minutes later that Honey fully realized what she’d done. And that’s when the pure terror struck her.

”SOMERSET! WAIT!”